The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-06-25

aituation.
They sat on the sand during the
long forenoons under the shade Of the
big umbrella listening to the melan
choly monotone OF the sea and chuck
ing sand into each others shoes.
They paraded along the seas verge
under the same old. big old moon Of
all the ages.
He didn't whisper anything to her
about the state Of his feelings. Ye,
] he couldn't help but glance at her with
a heap Of wistiulness as the two
weeks vacation drew to close. and
once or twice he fancied that she re-
turned the wistful gaze
But he wasn't going to take the
chance Of making the bad break Of de.
claring himself unless he knew posi-
lively that he had at least a little bit
OF a one In o hundred chance.
So after the most delirious two
weeks of his life he returned to New
York the most miserable hardware
clerk on the face of the inhabitable
globe.
When he had parted from the girl
in a shadowy corner of the hotel riaz
IA on the night before his departure
he hid been sorely tempted to tell her
thing.. He refrained however. by 4
siS2ntic effort, although he did pick
4 lo9e golden hair from the lapel OF
his hlge serge coat when he got to his
rcon At that
| She invited him upon parting 10 h
surc 10 call upon her in New York
in The autumn. and he told her that
ac surc would. and
| l'ut just 4 moment. please.
Now. il this were one Of those hi
larious. made to order yarns there's
not II doubt in life that the averag.
reader would get n whole lot more
good ont of II.
| But 1t isn't one of those things. Or
the contrary. It's a strictly vcraciou'
narrative.
The professional funny men woul,
have the world believe that younl
folks who meet each other ut tho sea
shore never by the remostest chanc,
ever think Of keeping up the acquaint
anre made down by the seas verg'
when they get back home. and tina
such Scashorc affairs never, never OI
earth result in anything worth men
tioning
Rut they do.
They result. as II matter Of fact II
a heap Of marriages.
The professional scrccch evoke
would wind up the story In this man
; ner:
He'd have the girl drop into III
hardware store some gray day Of tn
following October to look Mt q pair q
roller skates or to examine some ant
irons for tho hall fireplace at her rio
home. and she'd come face TO face wit
the young hardware clerk, upon who's
blue serge lapel she'd left coupl
n not more. of her golden hairs at th
seashore few months before.
The jokesmith would have the youn
clerk start with an expression OF acut
pleasure to greet the young womal
addressing her with the phrase. "Ol
Miss Gotgilt. how exceedingly We
you look! And don't you recall ou
Jolly times at the seashore a littl
while ago?" And then the young won
an would draw herself up to her fu
height" In a most freezing manner an
address him as II he were lightnin
bug or a German carp. asking him I
he good enough to show her a COZ
scuttle. and that would be tho windu
of the seashorc romance according
the usual view Of II.
This. however, Is different. for RET
life doesn't tr0t to pole with the JOKE
smiths gage.
Consequently. as n simple matter
fact, when this young woman returne
to New York tho hardware clerk Gale
upon ueT Ut UeI lOlhS uuHubvttiO hph
!. almost Immediately. and no got
mighty pleasant reception from he
and she locked mighty glad to SEQ hin
4 She introduced him to her fatht
Y and mother and he made prompt h
: with both OF the old folks by his fran
and on the level manner. They ma
o and probably did have all sorts
h other ideas for tho girl, but when sf
{. told them. a few months after tn
r young hardware clerk had called. th'
!. he'd asked her to marry him and tn;
she'd flxed the date for the fOll0win
> June-the June Of l3OS-they accepte
+, the situation as il was framed up, ar
. The marriage camo OF exactly as ~
program.
! It's a prosaic sort of finish and o
, Ike that, maybe, but facts arc fac
i and not fancies. and so the prosa
;. windup really can't be helped n bit.