The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-01-28
Lovemaking on a
Painters Ladder
By JANE OSBORN
Observation-Disclosures
(@ by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.O
(WNU Service,l

Az SAOEO VI SerlOuS ulueSS OOSLVEl
1 Lanning did not attend members Of
his own family, but when Martha had
Mysteries that night in midsummer
when Lanning accidently encountered
her in the act Of clipping with Peter
Letson he did not consider her condi-
ton serious enough to require the
services Of an outside physician. Hav.
ing Mysteries, under the circumstances,
was entirely normal. But even normal
symptoms needed treatment, so after
Peter had been dismissed with curt
good night from Doctor tanning and
a look of mute and fearful entreatyl
from Martha, Doctor Lanning 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 interrogation Of Martha's elope-
ment had been quite accidental as far
as Doctor tanning was concerned. He.
had been reused at midnight by th@
ringing Of his telephone. A country
patient wanted him to come at once
and rather drowsily, but with alt
speed, the doctor had put on his,
clothes and had 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
Peter 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 lit
tie 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 at
tempt 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 Lanning 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 Lam;
ming felt a decided disapproval Of
Peter, and when the next morning
Peter telephoned to ask permission to
speak with him and Martha the doctor
CURLY refused. He also warned the
young man that any letters or mes.
sages he might send to his daughter
would not be delivered. She was at
present confined to her room in 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 cautiously drew near
Painters were at work on the house
looking at them Peter had bright
idea. And when Doctor Lannfng re-
turned 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 morning
Doctor Lanning backed his car out Of
the garage and down the driveway
LLluL Tdu CIOSe W Tic HOuSC anu tAOA
to the road. Martha's room was on
that side just above the driveway
Doctor Lanning 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 he heard a
shout, rafting Of wood and splash
of something limp and liquid on the
top Of his car. This was the pail Of
paint that had been held by the paint
er on the ladder which the car hit az
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 tall
young man in white overalls clinging
desperately to the window sill-and
then he saw two fair arms stretch out
the open window and, after few Sec
onds when 1t seemed as If the young
man might lose his hold on the win
dow sill entirely, his tall lank figure.
was drawn into the house.
Doctor Lanning hurried upstairs and
into his daughters room. He opened
the door and to his amazement saw
Martha standing there with the paint
er's arms about her-and the painter
was Peter Letson.
Doctor Lanning began to laugh. So
did Peter, and finally Martha.
81 had to see Martha-to see what
she wanted me to do about the elope.
ment," stammered Peter, "and since
you wouldn't let me even write, got
the painter to give me job. bribed
him for the privilege of working on.
this side Of the house. I have spent
most of my time for two days painting,
the frames of Martha's windows. The
paint is so thick there I dare say IT,
will have to be scraped off"
"And then came along and knocked
the ladder out from under you,"
laughed the doctor. at was very in-
considerable of you to let the paint
drop on the top Of my car-that will
have to be scraped off, too" He
paused and looked whimsically at
Martha and Peter. You're not going
to try another elopement, are you?
No objections to regular wedding