Middletown transcript., 1921-10-01
The Life of the
Party
By MARTHA MACWILLIAMS.

4sSsSsSSsSsssssSssssS>SsssS
g. 1921. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
"I'n give you . paper Of pins If that's the
way love begins.
II you will marry meme! II you will
marry mel"
Billy Train chanted through the
kitchen door. Emma Lee looked up
from the apple she was peeling as she
answered him: ......
Il won't accept paper Of pins-that's not
the way that love begins.
And will not marry you-you Will not
marry you"
Goodness, how determined.
Sounds like you thought was in earn
est" Billy commented. ''You ought to
know if it was that way I'd have sung
the last verse;"
'M-m-mw from Emma-nothing
more. Billy ran on undaunted: "Ihat
would have fetched you sure as SHOOT
in. See-hear rather-it goes real
pretty-this way:
'Ill give you the key OF my chest so you
may have gold at your request.
IL you will marry me-me-me!
II you will marry me!
Silence even tenser from Emma. 1t
provoked him to further chanting.
"Tou know how it runs, but you're
that obstinate you won't sing it.
know you're dying to hear it-so on
we go:
II will accept the keys Of your chest thai
1 may have gold at your request.
And 1 will marry you-you! AND
I will marry you!"
Both Emma's hands went up-a
round apple hard and juicy sailed
straight toward her tormentor's face
He sidestepped neatly-the apple
landed on the grass plot fully thirty
feet beyond him. Eyeing them mar
rowly, he said mournfully: Hard
luck, but real Unless had found out
your temper and how straight you can
throw 1 might have persisted in my
action of marrying you. Now-well
il will take an order of court and
whole strong-arm posse to bring such
a thing to pass"
"Indeedw Emma tried hard tC
scowl but her eyes danced in spite OF
her. She knew Billy thrC ugh and
through, by heart. He had courteo
her on all possible and impossible oc
casions for at least year. In fact
ever since the day after he came tt
HiIlways, his uncle's place next dool
to the cottage, which Lees had bull
four generations back. and which hat
escaped alien ownership. 1t had beer
modernized, Of course, since the Lee:
each and several, born farmers, witha
good traders, were farm folk, held II
high esteem by all the countryside
Billy had told Emma three hours aft
er they met that country girl Will
modern improvements had been nj
homeless ideal until he found it real
lied in her.
"'Sposen we were to kiss and b'
4riendsw Billy ventured advancing
and bending over Emma. She spran'
I'D, shaking a stained fist in his face
and saying: "'Sposen we don't
'Sposen again you clear out. Unles
get these villainous apples ready TO
the driers, however am to find tim
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 o
black Maria's biggest cook aprons h
was proving that he could peel-il
any company Emma watched hin
covertly, now and again dimplin
7oguishly aside. If only Billy knew
The Joke almost overcame her. Pic
MICS we're nothing to her-picnics com
mon or garden variety. This after
moons would run on into moonligh
and she had promised by letter, Il
black and white, to save all the one
steps for a partner she had neve
seen.
Further an amateur poet, part ed
tor of q springhtly local daily pull
Iished in a town near hundred mile
away. In Aunt Beths town, in fac
and Aunt Beth knew him well. Sh
had had the home paper follow he
whom she made her long visit to tn
cottage. Something whimsical in
had moved Emma to make brief "
sparkling comment. which had bee
answered in kind. After that-th
deluge. Once a week at least thei
letters had crossed. The result, 6
first due to accident, had proved p
ouant and provocative enough to hav
made the crossings later matter {
design. Oddly enough Emma had n
fused to ask questions regarding tn
unknown's personality. She liked h
name-Palmer Brice-it looked wei
printed or written, and was printe
frequently. This she knew throug
,linnings from other local dailie
which had come in his letters, son
Of them humorously severe, othe
touched with the sincerest f1attery {
imitation. Emma was not in love wit
him-now could she be, she asked he
self with Billy on the doorstep ha
the time. But in such matters chOit
was precious. Since Billy's advel
there had been total eclipse of schoo