The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-25

If Will marry meme! II you WILL
marry mel"
Billy Train chanted thru the Kitchen
door. Emma Lee looked up from the |
apple she was peeling as she answered
him:
81 won't accept a paper Of pins-that's
not the way that love begins.
not marry your!
Goodness, how dee-termined.
Sounds like you thought I was in ear
nest" Billy commented. You ought
to know If I was that way I'd have
sung the last verse"
"M-m-m!" from Emma-nothing
more. Billy ran on undaunted: THAT
would have fetched you sure as shoot
in. See-hear rather-it goes real
pretty-this way:
"I'll give you the keys of my chest, so
you may have gold at your request,
If you will marry me-me-me! II you
will marry mef'
Silence only tenser from Emma. 1t
provoked him to further chanting.
"You know how it runs. but you're
that obstinate you won't sing 1t. I
know you're dying to hear it-so off
we go:
81 will accept the keys OF your chest,
that may have gold at your request
will marry your
Both Emma's hands went up-a
round apple hard and juicy sailed
straight toward her tormentor's face.
He sidestepped neatly-the apple
feet beyond him. Eying her mar
rowly, he said mournfully: Hard
luck, but real. Unless I had found
out your temper and how straight
you can throw I might have persisted
in my notion of marrying you. Now
we'll, it will take an order OF court
and a whole strong-arm posse to
bring such thing to pass"
Indeed" Emma tried hard to scowl
but her eyes danced in spite of her.
She knew Billy thru and thru, by
heart. He had courted her on all pos
sible and impossible occasions for at
least a year. In fact ever since the
day after he came to Hiilways. his
uncle's place next door to the cottage,
which Lees had built four generations
back. and which had escaped alien
ownership. 1t had been modernized,
of course, since the Lees each and
several, born farmers, withaI good
traders. were warm folk, held in high
esteem by all the countryside Billy
had told Emma three hours after they
met that q. country girl with modern
improvements had been his hopeless
ideal until he found it realized in her.
"'Sposen we were to kiss and be
friends!" Billy ventured advancing and
bending over Emma. She sprang up.
shaking stained fist in his face, and
saying: "'Sposen we don't. 'Sposen
again you clear out. Unless I get
these villianious apples ready for the
driers, however am to find time for
the picnic?'
by letting me help-my middle
name is apple-peeler." Billy answered
with heavy sigh. Two minutes later.
equipped with knife, tray and one of
black Maria's biggest cook aprons he
was proving that he could peel-in
any company. Emma watched him
covertly, now and again dimpling
roguishly aside. If only Billy knew!
The joke almost overcame her. Pic
MICS were nothing to her-picnics COM
mon or garden variety This after
moons would run on into a moonlight
and she had promised by letter, in
black and white, to save all the one
steps for partner she had never seen.
Further an amateur poet, part-edi-
tor of a sprightly local daily published
IN a town near hundred miles away.
In Aunt Beth's town, in fact and Aunt
Beth knew him well. She had had
the home paper follow her when she
made her long visit to the Cottage.
Something whimsical in it had moved
Emma to make a brief yet sparkling
comment, which had been answered in
kind. Once a week at least their let
tiers had crossed. The result, at first
due to accident, had proved piquant
and provocative enough to have made
the crossings later a matter of de-
fused to ask questions regarding the
unknown's personality. She liked his
name-Palmer Brice-it looked well,
printed or written, and was printed
frequently. This she kne thru clip
pings from other local dailies which
had come in his letters, some of them
humorouSly severe, others touched
with the sincerest f1attery of imita-
ton. Emma was not in love with him
how could she be, she asked her.
llXF b. n +, :
the time? But in such matters choice
was precious. Since Billy's advent
there had been total eclipse of school.
boy sweethearts and such. Billy was
born pre-emptor, he no sooner knew
of anything ahead than he pre-empted
Emma for the occasion.
The last-praise be-" Emma said
| rising as the shapely quarters FLASHED
down in the big bread trap.
Amen" Billy echoed devout1y:
tune-two-three tunes in fact. My
sense Of rhythm needs limbering up
I shall need ali of it to make you
proud of me tonight
"Oh. I reckon you'll get thru some
how. Cotillions and the Virginia reels
aren't much but rombing set to
music" Emma said. pursuing her lips
| delicately.
Billy put up his hands "Am I to
be-rationed?" he asked in a stage
whisper. False one, who, who is my
suppla Ter? Must be one-you
wouldn't miss one single dance, even If
you could"
ITS easier to show you than to
tell you" Emma said over her shout
der. running away and leaving a badly
puzzled wooer behind.
Enlightenment came ten minutes
after the picnic had got its second
wind, turning from daylight function
to moonlighted one. There was
moon, without a cloud, yet rather an
elegant superfluity. so well did the
winking electric bulbs strung along
tree trunks and big overhead branches
illuminate the almost riotous revei.