Smyrna times., 1931-11-18
WEEKLY SOCIETY STORY FOR
EVENING ROUND THE LAMP
READING TO WHILE AWAY
TIME AFTER DAYS CHORES
'LOvemaking On a Painters Lad
der" an Interesting Short Story
Written by Jane Osborn

Il
Il tor Lanning did not attend mem
bers of his own family, but when
Martha had Mysteries that night in
midsumme~ tanning accidentally
encountered her in the act of clap
ing with Peter Letson he did not
consider her condition serious
enough to require the services of
an outside physician. Having hys-
terics, under the circumstances, was
entirely normal But even normal
symptoms needed treatment, so
after Peter had been dismissed with
a curt good night from Doctor Ian
ming and look Of mute and fearful
entreaty from Martha, Doctor Ian
ming escorted his sobbing daughter
to her room, gave her a drink of
cold water, and told her to 60 to
bed and to stay in her room for two
or three days.
The interruption of Martha's
elopement had been quite accidental
as far as Doctor Lanning was con-
cerned. He had been reused at mid
night by the ringing of his tele-
phone. "A country patient wanted
him to come at once and rather
drowsily, but with all speed, the doc
tor had put on his clothes and mad
gone downstairs and out to the
garage to get his car when he heard
whispers in the driveway ahead of
him. Before he even realized that
the two young people standing there
were his daughter. Martha, and Pc
ter Letson, he heard a shrill shrek
of alarm. He knew the voice was
Martha's and Martha was standing
there in hat and light coat with a
little travelling bag.
The really surprising thing about
it all, as Doctor Lanning thought
after he had got his daughter to
promise that she would not make
another attempt TO elOpe during his
absence, and had finally started off
in his car, was that there was no
sane reason why Martha and Peter
should have planned an elopement.
Doctor tanning didn't realize then
that the elopement had come as the
result of Martha's desire to have
what she considered a romantic
marriage. And now for the first
time Doctor Lanning felt a decided
disapproval of Peter. and when the
fAI -
ask permission to speak with him
and Martha the doctor CURLY re-
fused. He also warned the young
man that any letters or messages
he might send to his daughter would
not be delivered. She was at pres
ent confined to her room in a state
of nervous excitement.
From a distance Peter watched
the Lanning house, and when he saw
the doctors car start out on his
morning round of calls he cautious
ly drew near. Painters were at
work on the housekeeping at them
Peter had bright idea. And when
Doctor Lanning returned an hour
or so later he might have observed
that whereas three men had been
working on ladders and scaffolds
when he left there were now four.
About ten o'clock the next morn
ing Doctor Lanning backed his car
out OF the garage and down the
driveway that ran close to the
house and then to the road. Mar
tha's room was on that side Just
above the riveway-Doctor Lam
ming had gone to the garage from a
back door of the house and had not
noticed a painters long ladder
braced against the side of the house
with base planted IN the gravel
driveway. Doctor Lanning reversed
his car. He backed and then above
the sound of his engine be heard q
shout, a rattle Of wood and a splash
Of something limp and liquid on the
top of his car. This was the pail of
paint that had been held by the
painter on the ladder which the car
hit as the doctor backed from the
garage. The ladder lay fiat on the
ground.
He looked anXiously to see If he
had extinguished some poor painter
when he knocked the ladder down.
He looked up and there he saw a
tall young man in white overalls
clinglng desperately to the window
sill-and then he saw two fair arms
stretch out the open window and,
after a few seconds and when 1t
seemed as If the young man might
lose his hold on the window sill en-
tirely, his tall lank figure was drawn
into the room.
Doctor Lanning hurried upstairs
and into his daughters room. He
opened the door and to his amaze
ment saw Martha standing there
with the painters arms about her
and the painter was Peter Letson.
Doctor tanning began to laugh. So
did Peter, and finally Martha.
II had to see Martha-to see
what she wanted me to do about
the elopement," stammered Peter,
"and since you wouldn't let me even