Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-07-07
The Twentieth
Time
(Copyrt8A1l
~ ETHEL H. GIBBS


(copyrisAt)
AT PETERS look Of seriousness
"A Annie's mirth, always - near the
surface. bubbled over.
"oA, Pstey. DEAR" she laughed.
You are too sweet for anything.
Why. what shall 1 DO II you don't pro
pose to me aga1nf
NO" declared Peter emphatically.
"rm donA I've asked you over and
Over-"
"Qnly nineteen times. dear" she sup
piled, miachievousty.
"Wsll. every dme you Just laugh
and put OF answering my question.
So hefsafter, II there's any proposing
yoa will be the one In do IT."
-OA, listen to the darling" shrleked
Annie, "asking the lady to propose
But, Petey," she coaxed confidently.
you must ak me Just oace more.
you know. That Will b only twenty
times. and I really think should b.
able to answer you BY that time"
But IN spite Of allufing lips - near
his own, and two eloquent eyes daring
him to refuse. Peter turned away. Ms
own lips ut IN . bard, straight line.
III you need ma let M know. Good
night"
In genuine amusement Annie stood
md stared after him.
Am I dreamingY' she asked, pinch
ing herself to make surv. "Weh. Of
ali thinss- going on In 4 hun.
That's . new one On M"
Thso with Q rush came thoughts Of
Asw Petez. ssrious N his but recently
attained manhood. had asked her %
many times to become his wife and the
mistress Of his lovsly home. but she.
% fond Of teasing. had kept him guess
ing. OF course he would ask her again.
At first Annie laughed. feeling sure
that b would rslent. Then she b.
came serious, and wondered, then she
grew alarmed. Peter must b sick. yet
Why didn't his mother send word to
herf ''Oh, know that he IL all right. "
she sighed.
So, quickly DOMINIC her wraps and
slipping out a side door, she started
toward Peters house. resolved to learn
how he was.
The old colonial house where Peter
lived with his mother stood well from
the street, with a broad, smooth lawn
In front, and bordered by a thick
hedge. Az Annie approached the drive
way she could look across the top OF
the hedge and see that the house was
well lighted, as usual, and the cur
tains were up, but she could not see
into the rooms.
Although she would not have ad-
mitted it even to herself, there was
fear In her subconscious mind that
Peter might possibly have meant what
he said. In that event she did not
want him to see her near his house, for
never would she propose to him.
So looking stealthily about to make
sure that no one was watching her,
she walked across the lawn in the
shadow Of trees and shrubbery until
she was near enough to look into the
room. There was Peters mother and a
man, and the man was Doctor Black.
For a moment Annie's heart stood
still. then It raced wildly. What could
be the matter with Peter? She pressed
her hands tightly over her heart as II
to stop the pain. She couldn't let pride
keen her from finding out how Peter
was No thought Of the doctors COM
ing to see anyone but Peter entered
her mind.
"Peter," she choked as she started
toward the steps.
AS her foot touched the bottom step,
she stopped in her tracks. What was
that? Peters whistle. No one else
In the whole town whistled like that,
and he was coming along the sidewalk.
Annie's mind grappled with the Stu
alton. 1t must be that One Of the serv-
ants was sick. Anyhow, 1t wasn't re
ter. In the seconds that she hesitated,
there flashed across her mind the fact
what Peter had meant when he had
said he was done with her. Her tem-
per lared. He needn't think she would
propose to him, and she wasn't sure
that she would say yes It he asked
her again.
Turning about. she quickly sped OH
across the lawn. keeping IN the shadow
a. much a. possible. The whistling
had ceased. Someone called, "Hello,
there" and there was the sound OF
hurrying footsteps behind her. he
must have seem her. She ran faster and
faster. intent now only on reaching the
rear gate In the hedge. Her pursuer
was gaining. A twist Of her ankie,
sharp pain, and she dropped without
a sound to the ground.
Before she could rise, voice. very
close to her ear. exclaimed, "Well. you
are certainly some sprinter. Hurt
your ankle?" He helped her to her
feet at the same time drawing her pro
tectingly close in his arms. \ "Now
want to know why you stand looking
in my windows, and then run when
approach"
He held her face 90 that the moon
u.h+ <olI fv,ll unOn II