The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1916-05-19
ALMOST A
LOVE STORY
BY M. QUAD
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

neighbor of the family DrouShl o'eA
a boy of about the same age. The
two children had been playing togeth'
err half an hour or so when the mother
of the boy called out:
Susan Fletcher, see there, will you
Your girl is trying to tlirt with my
boyr
That was the beginning of Miss May
career. BY the time she was ten or
twelve years old and going to school
she was breaking the hearts of the boy
pupils She was handsome girl. and
she had cute, coy ways about her.
When she was approaching her twen-
tieth year her solemn faced father SOL
EMMY asked of her:
May, do you know that this whole
town of Tiptonville is talking about
your"
NO, father" was the reply. What
are they saying about me?''
THAT you are a confirmed flirt and
coquette."
.'Why. father, how you shock mel?
Don't pretend such innocence
chided the father Lets go over your
case q little. When Parson Brown
came here, an unmarried man, two
years ago. he seemed to take quite a
shine to you"
Yes, father"
~ have an idea that he asked you
to be his wife"
He did, father, but how was 1t?
We were coming home from prayer
meeting when he said that he loved me
and wanted me to become his darling
wife. Just as | got my mouth open
to say yes big hog. chased by little
dog. came running up on the sidewalk
behind us. The hog struck Parson
Brown in the legs. and he went sprawl
ing | Uttered, I giggled. l snickered.
How could help it? Mr.. Brown went
off in huff and in six months was
married to Amanda Jones'"
But there was Charles Renfew."
continued the father. with smile
around his mouth.
Yes. | remember him, but It was
not my fault that he quit coming here.
| was expecting to be Mrs. Renfew
some day, but he had not proposed yet.
He came one night. and just as he
started in to propose he gave an awful
mouth, which | never suspected was
there. flew out and under the table,
and the cat scra mbled for it. Father,
| had to smoker or blow right out of
the window. Poor Charles dove under
the table for his plate, gave me one
awful look and went through the front
door"
There was q silence for two minutes.
and then the father asked:
But what about George Fox, who
| has been coming here quite often of
| late?"
Il don't know" was the reply. 81
think he will ask me to marry him."
And you'll litter and spoil it all"
Not if | can help it. father. George
squints with both eyes every two or
three minutes. 1t is a dreadfully fun
ny squirt"
George Fox was a young bachelor
of twenty-five. who lived with his wild
owed mother He was farmer. He
had admired and loved Miss May and
meant to make her his wife, squint or
| no squint.
Three or four days after Mr.. Fetch
er had had the talk with his daughter.
as recorded above, young Mr.. Fox
caught sight Of the girl picking rasp-
| berries in his field. The sight gave
him an idea He waited to see If she
would appear again next day. She did,
and at the far end of the field he lie.
down the fence and turned in his old
bull and ram and gave them a whack
as they passed through the gap. They
were gentle creatures, but at the
| whack the bull emitted below, and
the ram shook his head in defiance, and
by freak of fortune both trotted
among the bushes.
The girl who had broken so many
hearts saw them approaching and aft
er one scream started for a tree. Up
she went until she was seated on a
limb that she deemed was a safe
roost, and it was only then that she
saw Mr.. Fox and called out to him to
come to her rescue. Mr.. Fox came
along at lazy pace, as if there was
nc special reason for hurry, and when
he approached within thirty feet he
took seat on the fence, with his back
to her and asked:
We'll, what's wanted?"
Il want to get down, of course" re-
piled the girl up the tree.
81 am not hindering you
But the bull and the RAMP"
"Oh, they haven't killed anybody
lately"
George, you won't leave me here,
will you? | may fall at any minute,
and it will be awful the way | shall
die"
See here, girl, love you and want
you to be my wife," said George with
his back still to her.
Are you squirting now, George?"
Yes, by thunder! am squirting
at the old bull and RANT"
Keep it up, George, dear, until you
get the critters out of this field. This
evening you can come over and we
will decide whether to go to Boston
or Niagara Falls on our tour. Hurry
nm daar Ig,,k