Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-14

II do, really! OF course he does
You know it. You're laughing!
think Uncle Will has nice way. He
often reminds me OF the professor
| adore big, strong men like that
1t doesn't seem to have any effect
auntie. ! think I'd better try the
other leg"
Amanda" l said, do you want
to kill your poor old aunt with laugh,
ing?"
mot yet" she stated, and flopped
down in chair beside me. "Help
pull this thing off first. I'll hold the
chair, and you pull Now! Orly
the thing; not my leg. Not my leg!
l don't want that off! Ah-h-h! l
wonder if they had thinner legs IN
those days! Or smaller feet!'
She rubbed hers.
There's a difference in feet and
ankles" | remarked, "even in pairs.
l believe my right foot is a trife
smaller than the left. Perhaps yours
is"
1t wasn't. In fact, it seemed to
be larger. She made such a fuss
when tried to squeeze the anklet
over it that l refused to proceed.
"Why ever should you hurt your
self over a parcel of nonsense,
child?' I argued. "Of course, you
don't believe in it; and you say it
has no effect"
"Not on the left leg" she owned.
"but it might on the other"
"Why, any one would think you
wanted it to bewitch you'll" l cried.
"And, if you do. there's no need for
the wretched thing"
"Of course I don'tp she declared
indignantly. "Why, he's ever so
much older; and, even if it did
we'll, he wouldn't want it to. would
he?"
NO" I told her, "of course he
wouldn't. A child like you! He's a
confirmed old bachelor. You'd need
all your three hundred and ninety
two charms to get over him."
That's one more than he said"
she commented. "Whew! You have
given this foot something to take,
Aunt Freda. Three hundred and
ninety-one it was"
"And mel" / observed. II should
be an attractive aunt-in-law, you
know"
"There's that, of course" she
owned; "and he's always nice to us,
isn't he? He is nice. I must write
and thank him. 1 shan't say it didn't
work. He might feel hurt. think
I'll say that it only works a little,
but l think that is because | thought
rather a lot of him before. He won't
misunderstood what l mean, will
he?"
mo-" I told her, "and mind you
don't! I don't wish for an unre-
Quilted love affair on my hands.
You're trouble enough as it is!'
20, auntie!" she begged. PLEASE
don't be so silly. I'm not bit ro-
mantle. Not in a foolish way, l
mean. OF course, there is something
rather romantic about an old charm
like this. Thousands of years old!
And goodness knows how many
poor women it has had an influence
over. They must have had legs like
sti1ts. I'd never be able to bear it
for long"
"You haven't got to-" I remarked;
"and you'll be a little fool if you
ever try again."
"Yes," she owned. "I shall write
and thank him nicely. Perhaps if |
make a very good letter of it he'll
think it's 393-four, really. Uncle
would be jolly relative to get, you
know! We ought to add him in"
"If you don't mind" John grunted
when-f told him, "he'll get me. He
has a way of looking at the kid
and if she takes it into her mad
little head that she likes him :"
my dear man." l scoffed, She's
about as likely to catch the man
in the moon! He's the most con-
frmed bachelor in all bachelordom." ."
"Umph!" said John. II thought |
was, but-she's very like you at
that age, Freda. Hanged if you don't
look much the same when you grin.
l never thought the saucy ctyle
would wear so we'll, old girl"
He clapped me on the shoulder.
The great bear!
Il suppose you want me to let
YOU off for billiard match or
something" l commented. Don't
you? o, we're not so old yet, old
mani"
l was out to a bridge party that
evening and didn't think any more
about Amanda and her love link.
She was in bed before we came
home. l had hardly got to sleep
before she came rapping at the bed
room door.
"Auntie," she cried, "the winds
dreadful! 1t shakes the place and
makes it sound like burglars"
"Put your head under the clothes,
silly" | advised.
"But there's mouse in the wains-
coating. Do come into my room.
Amanda" l grumbled, II wish
you'd been twins! Then one of you
would have been company for the
other"
However, I went. I'm afraid I
spoil her rather. A childless woman.
All! How glad I am that she keeps
so foolishly young!
I curled up in her bed till I got
warm. Then I stretched out; and
my foot hit upon something hard;
something upon Amanda's leg.
Amanda" l cried. you've got it
onw
She clung to me.
That's what Pm really frightened
about" she whispered shakily. "It
seems to work better on the right
leg; and tit won't come off"
/ sat up in bed.
"I'll soon have it off" I vowed.
She pulled me down.
81 don't think l want it Off" she