Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-10-07
Cupid Hath
Ears
By MARTHA MAcWILLIAMs

with one of the species around.
wonder why old MacNelson still fol-
lows in Hortense's wake! If she had
wanted him, she'd have taken him long
ago."
From her comfortable. place in
hammock, under wide-spreading trees,
Lila Marshall regarded Ned where he
sat on q low stool near enough to
keep the hammock swaying gently.
ask me something hard!" she drawled
lazily. "Horty has sense. Let her en-
joy life as long as she can Do you
think that Mae as husband would
measure up to Mac the lover? I'll
say he won't Look at my worse half,
playing tennis on a hot morning like
this, trying to fool himself that he is
young enough to attract little Peggy
O'Neil! Pass the chocolates, old boy
My establishment hasn't affected my
appetite yet
"Oh, say, you're jealous of that
child. Aren't you the silly one when
it's plain as day your good old scout
sees that the child is crazy about
Mac and that the presence of Hor-
tense is real thorn in the child's
quivering flesh? He's just entertain
ing her to keep her frorl missing
Macs attention. Didn't Ma. rush her
to death the first two days we were
here, until Hortense arrived?"
Lila sat up straight. rs that the
truth?" she demanded. IF it is, you
just get your six feet of good-looking
manhood up to the court at once and
make Peggy O'Neil have the time of
her life!"
Ned stretched himself and dust
ed a fleck of imaginary dirt from
his spot,ess fannels. You're a cruel
woman to rush me around after a
fedgling who hasn't sprouted pin
feathers yet. / don't like them be-
fore they're seasoned. It's so much
more comfortable to talk to finished
product like you. A man doesn't have
to exert himself"
Lila grinned indulgently. "And he's
safe, playing around married women.
Go on, brace up, Ned! You're good
sort. Assume your own responsibilities
In the world. A real love would do
wonders for YOU"
It was not until that evening at
dinner that complication of af-
fairs began to be subtly manifested
to the guests. Peggy O'Neil was
the personification of springtime. In
| little apple-green frock, and
wisp of flesh-colored tulle display
ing rather than hiding the beauty
of her white throat and arms, she
made striking contrast to the hand
some Hortense, around whose fash
ing black eyes and too red lips the
acid of time was already etching I'M
miStakable lines. A man would have
had no heart if he had not been at
tracted to Peggy that night, her fresh
innocent loneliness, her big, dream
filed eyes, her fiattering attention to
those around her. Lila's shrewd eyes
soon saw evidence that she had GER
tainly started something when she
had sent handsome Ned McCrae toward
the tennis court that morning. For
Ned, after years of philandering,
seemed s'hard hit" by the sweet young
girl just out of school. And Mac
/ Nelson for the first time in his three
years arduous pursuit of the gay, fas-
cinating widow was watching Peggy
with an undeniable light in his face.
Afterward, when there was dane
ing in the big ballroom on the third
floor, it appeared even to Hortense
that good, dependable Mac was rowing
at last. And just then. fate stepped
in and took a hand in the game.
Mac had been out somewhere on
/ the lantern-decked balcony with the
| pretty exponent of springtime when
he suddenly presented himself before
Hortense. Girl he said, 1--WE got
the devil of toothache. What in the
Sam Hill am / going to do about it,
way out here in the country? I've
taken on couple of drinks but they
| don't help bit"
Hortense rose quickly. There
seemed to be motherly quality in
the touch of her white hand on his
| arm. "Come on down stairs to the
den and I'll fix you up I'll stop
on the way and get my medicine case
out of my room. / travel prepared
for any and all emergencies.
Spoken just like true widow"
| laughed one of the men sitting near.
When Hortense entered the cozy
| little den few minutes later she
found poor Mac huddled on the couch,
his face buried in the cushions. Moth
| ing on earth can SO unnerve man
as a cruelty aching molar when he
Is miles away from dental help. Here,
swallow thisr' she commanded, sitting
down beside him. She gave him a
little white tablet ''Then I'll paint
around the tooth with iodine and &C
onite and by that time the maid will
be here with a hot water bottle. I'll
fix you up in no time"
And she did. Poor Mac, in the act
of doing off in blissful relief from
pain. reached out and patted the
widows hand. Good old girl" he
sighed happily. You're much better
for me than one of these little young
things that don't know how to make
MON comfortable And after that