The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-12-01
The Life Of the
Party
By MARTHA MACWILLIAMS.

way love begins
II you will marry meme! IL you will
marry me-"
Billy Train chanted through the
kitchen door. Emma Lee looked up
from the apple she was peeling as she
answered him:
II won't accept a paper Of pins-that's not
the way that love begias.
And I will not marry you-you. l will not
marry youl"
Goodness, how dee-termined.
Sounds like you thought was In earn
est" Billy commented. "You ought to
know II II was that way I'd have sung
the last verse"
"M.m-mi" from EmmaAnothing
more. Billy ran on undaunted THAT
would have fetched you sure as shoot
In. See-hear rather--it goes real
pretty--this way;
'In give you the key or my chest 80 you
may have gold at your request.
II YOU will marry me-me-mel
II you will marry met
Silence even tenser from Emma. II
provoked him to further chanting.
"You know how IL runs, but you're
that obstinate you won't sing IL.
know you're dying TO hear it--so or
We GO
~ will accept the keys OF your chest. that
inSy have gold at your request
And will marry you-you! Aud
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 mournfuliy: Hard
luck, but real. Unless | had found out
your temper and how straight YOU can
throw ! might have persisted in my
notion OF marrying you Now-well,
II viii take an order Of court and a
whole strong.arm posse to bring such
thing to pass"
"Indeedl" Emma tried hard to
scowl nut her eyes danced in spite of
her. She knew Billy through and
through. by heart. He had courted
ter on all possible and impossible oc-
caslons for at least 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. aud which had
escaped allen ownership. II had been
modernized, OF course. since the Lees
each and several. born farmers. withal
good traders. were farm folk, held In
high esteem by all the countryside.
Billy had told Emma three hours aft
er they met that country girl with
modern improvements had been his
hopeless ideal until he found II real
ized In her
"'Sposen we were to kiss and be
friends !" Billy ventured advancing
und bending over Emma. She sprang
up, shaking n stained fist In his face,
and saying: "'Sposen we don't.
'Sposen again you clear out. Unless
| get these vlllainous apples ready for
the driers, however am to find time
for the plcnlc7"
by letting me help-my middle
name is apple-peeIer.' Billy answered
with heavy sigh. Two minutes later,
equipped with knife, tray and one OF
black Marias biggest cook aprons he
was proving that he could peel--ln
any company. Emma watched him
covertly, now aud again dmpllng
rogulshly aside II only Billy knew !
The joke almost oyercame her Pie
mics were nothing 10 ber-picnics com
mon or garden variety. This after
Moons would run on into moonlight
and she had promised by letter In
black aud white, to save all the one
steps for partner she had never
seen.
Further an amateur poet. part edi-
tor of a sprlnghtly local daily pub
/ lished 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 II
| had moved Emma 10 make a b-ief yet
sparkling comment, which had been
! answered In kind. After that-the
deluge. Once week at least their
!
first due TO accident, had proved pi-
quaint and provocative enough 10 have
made The crossings later matter of
design. Oddly enough Emma had re-
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 knew through
clippings from other local dailes
which had come in his letters. some
OF them humOrously severe, Others
touched with the slncerest flattery of
imitation. Emma was not In love with
hlm--how could she he. she asked her
self with Billy on the doorstep half
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-emtor, he no sooner knew
Of anything ahead than be pre-empted
Emma for the occasion
Il aFH