The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1920-06-23

: OO0ts
Bob. II you've turned that female
grenadier down on her checker game,
you've shown more nerve than any Of
u.s."
you see." said Mcpherson, earnest.
". tits q put-up Job. She don't want
her good.l00king niece to have COM
pany."
ut is cruel" murmured Compton,
sympathetically. Suppose you defy
her."
''That's just what I'm going to do"
said Mcpherson, boldly.
The manly course was unanimously
indorsed. and Martha's emancipation
was then and there proclaimed by
some half dozen "loyal hearts and
true"
The next day business called Comp
ton away from Prairie Valley, and he
was detained couple Of weeks. Not
long after he returned he called at
the Trueman home, and was led In by
most indignant maiden. He saw the
time Of day and started to back out.
"COme in; I've something to tell
you." said Miss Martha, In a voice
indicating a strong effort at control.
"While you were away Aunt Naomi
was grossly insulted by four Of your
friends" exclaimed Miss Martha
Compton started and then looked at
her In amazement.
"They surely didn't"
But they did," she said impetuous-
". "They came out here to see us,
and when Aunt Naomi was good
enough to invite them to play checkera
with her they declined-positlvely del
clined!"
'There are fully twenty to come We
and I'm satisfied all are gsing to o
In the same ungentlemanly way. II
conspiracy--that's what 1t isl"
"As many as thatT he hazarded.
"Yes, as many as that; there wer{
twenty-four before"
''Twenty-fopr what?"
He felt safe there, but when h
saw the red blood mounting to nd
temples he knew he had put his foo
In It.
Don't you know what l meanY
"Er-you don't mean"
"Yes, dol! she admitted as prompt
~ as If he had said Admirers" "An
the whole thing will have to be gon
all over agaln!"
"Y-e-As,"
~ don't believe you understand md
NJ nj ch coiA tn cd IN
miss Martha" he said, ito be cam
did with. you, don't know what trou-
ble's ahead Of you. but IL you'll tell
me. and can help you out any I'll
do 1t IL 1t ruins mel"
II don't know what you can do"
she remarked, discOuragedly; II
guess they'll all come and the little
farce will he played with each one.
There's no help for It,"
you mean there's twenty to come
yetw
The bright head nodded, resignedly.
II know a way to fix that" with ex-
cessive confidence.
She looked inquiringly.
Eyes. do" he said, approaching her.
''I'll see Aunt Naomi and ask her to
let us get married"
He was very, very close to her now,
and she wasn't trying to get away.
As he took her hands she looked up at
him with mischIevOus smile.
"You forget-you wouldn't play
checkers with Aunt Naomi, either. SIR y
"But will I'll play with her morn.
ing, noon and night. If that won't do
I'll shut down the works and play be.
tween times"
'"That's good Of you, Robert" whis'
pered Martha, fluttering the white flag
of surrender, "but the truth is. Aunt
Naomi don't care much for checkers
and It was only at my urgence she
agreed to play with them when they
made me tired"
"Then you're the-ah-the-
stammering over the astounding dis
closure.
''The sinner" she said. demurely.
"Well. / never!" Then. remember
Ing something. he added. dlstrustfully
"She wanted me to play the FIRST
night"
She shrived him with a pair OF
warm, tremulous lips.
1T was all mistake. Robert, she
said: "when they weary me I cough
and auntie gets out her checker-b0ard
The night you came. got up to still
| the fire, and the smOke-l tried so hard
to keep from It, but auntie heard me
and like the good old soul she Is she
understood the time had come to re
lieve me. and she went about It In the
usual way"
-
When the details got around to the
club, Mcpherson offered a resolution
which was unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That appearances are al
ways misleading and deceptive, and We
hereby retrnct all the Ilean things
| we've said and thought about Aun,
Naomi these years past. and wish t.
say that we regard her as merely al
innocent and guileless instrument II
skillful hands. and. furthermore, thai
i ms long a we. individually, couldn'