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Show How She Did Hate Cats By MARTHA M. WILLIAMS " (Copyright.) u I HATli cuts," Lucilla sniffed I acridly. "What sort two-legged or four," Joe Dudas asked languidly. "Both" from Lucilla, her voice even more edged. Joe wrinkled bis brow deeply, then said judicially:. "Give an example." "You may do that for yourself you can, without half trying," from Lucilla. With a reflective chuckle he flung I back: "Only cat I can really truly liate is that woozy Persian, the Baxters Bax-ters are so crazy about. Not because be-cause it catches young birds and breaks up nests,- but for its fool way of climbin' too high and refusin' to come down until I get a ladder and go after it." "0, indeed. Who makes you?" Lu cilia's mouth was grim though she tried to seem casual. "Just my fool self," said Joey. "At least I reckon so. Got in the way of mindin' Miss Mandy when I wem to school to tier. Only body I ever was really scared of." "Is that why you 'most always come liere by the back road?" Lucilla asked. Joe giggled. "Did you never hear discretion dis-cretion was tbe better part of valor?" he bantered. "1 always knew it took a girl to be real reckless," Joe said sighing huge ly. "That's bow come I'm so shy oi eourtiu' some girl might say yes," he added, picking Lucilla up in his arms and kissing ber swiftly not niice but many times. She writhed free of his hold, white, breathless, a figure of frozen fury, eyes snapping sparks. "So you rate me along with the Baxter girls, and the other cats," she said grimly: "1 ought to kill you for it only it wouldn't help." "Not the least bit in life noi death," Jot said cheerfully. "Kissing, common or garden variety, never was a mortal sin now it's a mere friendly civility. Still I draw tbe line at the Baxter I'ersiau at least." "Go. And never come back ! 1 hate tbe sight, the thought of you," Lucilla Lu-cilla cried, pointing to the door. "Not yet," from Joe, his face granite. gran-ite. "Not till you tell me what put you lu such a temper?" "As if you didn't know," Lucilla egan. Joe broke in steadily: "All 1 know is you ought not to miud r 1 1 ; i r Hutch of kisses tlipv're the ac- cumulation of your years. You stopped kissing me when I went to college why you never would say. You're bound to know we've been growing up to marry each other 1 somehow feel that the Baxters are at ihe bottom of things. Tell me how they got there, liy no help of mine.'' "Nor mine. LSut I neither tattle uor cry" Lucilla began, checking as ioud excited voices sounded outside the front door. It was flung unceremoniously uncere-moniously open revealing Miss Mandy. grim, withered lips narrowed to a line. Prue, reckoned the family beauty, and I'atty a scrap of humanity, mainly nose and chin. Between them they herded black Aunt Sue, and Mrs. Toots, wife of the tenant farmer, Miss Mandy clutched Joe Dundas, cry 'tig aloud: "Git the sheriff, quickly." "What's up? Let go, please," Joe said, wrenching loose clutching hands from the captives who shook like leaves in a storm. Followed a triple Baxter telling of the wildest, most impossible story stolen jewelry-Mammy jewelry-Mammy Sue the thief, Mrs. Toots the fence through whom there would come profit. Jewels! What sort? Where did you get them?" Joe demanded steruly Brue looked at him, staggered, pretended pre-tended to be near fainting, then whispered whis-pered : "Why all those you gave me to keep till we got married." It was Joe's turn to stagger he steadied, caught Brue's bands in a cruel grip, and half shouted: "Give you jewels. Where would I get them?" "From your mother of course hei corals, ber string o' pearls, ber cameo bracelet, her gold watch and chain. You us good as told me you were afraid to keep them afraid Lucilla'd come and take them and never give them hack And now they're gone! -Stolen ! Unless I can find them you'll -iiiy I did it" "Surry to accuse a lady," Joe said vvltb bis grandest manner. "But un es.s you did steal them however did you get them? As for giving my mother's poor little bits to you, I'd rather have sunk them In the sea. Say," turning In suddenly upon Lu cilia, "have you heard anything of iliis I'nirv tale until now?" "Al! of It and then some," Lucilla said coolly. "And never told me?" from Joe reproachfully. re-proachfully. "Was It for love of our mill mil friends?" Lucilla shoal; her head, "ltecutise I'm not a cat. I don't scratch, tattle, nor bin kliile. 1 knew what game they were pluyiti); if you were not man enough to set? through, and check-male check-male then you'tl be a good riddance." "Curried uiiaiiiiiiously," Joe saitl In his most courtly tone then lo the I '.ax I cr li'inil.v, "(lo, and never dure .ignin sot foot In this house, nor lu mine. ltctuni the things you stole, right awuj unless you do you'll be sued for libel Mammy Sue anil Mrs. Tools can lake half you've got lu ilamiigi's to say nothing of the scan-did. scan-did. Do as I tell you and nobody will ever hear u word." And so ended a Hi range plot to gel a iiinn nwnv from tho idrl be lovtel. |