The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-06-26
What the
Man Said

Whenever Mile Kasper and Ralph
Waters approached within hailing dis
lance Of each other they were instant
" plunged into q panicky. embarrassed
silence. It was such an assertive 81.
lence that It drew the attention Of
everyone within sight. The knowledge
of this added to the misery Of the two
principals.
1t was remarkable that two persons
who were 80 shy should have fallen In
love with each other. Not that they
precisely knew they were In love. They
merely realized that 1t was impossible
for them to stay away from each 9th.
or, and that 1t was an agony to be In
each others presence. They suffered
because they never had anything to
say to each other.
Sometimes Mile In sheer despera-
ton would carefully rehearse con.
versation for the next time she saw
Ralph. but IL she remembered her
part Ralph. Of course, was not aware
Of the part she had assigned to him.
and nobody can carry on converse
ton without at least little assist
ance.
While carefully tying his necktie
and brushing his coat preparatory to
calling on Mile. Ralph frequently fix.
ed In his mind some joke with the in
tention Of repeating it to Mile and
thus making himself appear perfectly
at ease and indeed bit Of a wag. All
the while he was laying these plans
he had the hide0us certainty In the
bottom OF his soul that when he ar
rived at Miles he would be seized.
bound and gagged by his unconQuer.
able difildence, and would sit sQuirm.
ing In silence. with his lips as immov'
able as though padlocked.
It Is impossible for two persons.
however shy. to sit staring at each
other In silence for two or three hours
at a time. So It had grown to be the
habit Of these two to play two-handed
cribbage. The necessary remarks Of
"Fifteen.two." "A pair" Sequence Of
four" and the like had to them the
reassuring effect Of brilliant repartee.
Occasionally these remarks so braced
them up that they smiled tmidly.
heetingly at each other. thus making
their hearts thump unanimously and
hopelessly confusing their game.
The exasperating part OF 1t was that
they were not troubled In this way by
the presence Of other people. Neither
Of them was vivacious, yet they found
not the slightest difRculty In express.
Ing their thoughts to others when It
was necessary. The pail Of silence AZ.
flicted them only when they were
with each other.
When Ralph was seized by Jealousy
at the sight Of Mile talking to an
other man he began to have an ink
ling Of how things stood with him.
The thought Of telling her that he
loved her sent him into a cold chill.
And the idea Of some other man max
ing love to her successfully gave him
another chill. Altogether he was very
unhappy.
There we're times when Mile
thought darkly Of the situation and
decided that Ralph cared nothing FOR
her except as mere friend. yet when
she weighed against this decision the
fact that he called four or five times a
week and endured the anguish OF their
unconversatiOnal evenings her melan
choly conviction was shaken. He must
like to come. Still, II he did, why
didn't he say SO:
Ralph did try once. deliberately. II
was Just after he had said "Fifty-four'
one evening in their third game Of
cribbage, and he hurried on without
taking breath. Before he realized 4
he had said: Il want to tell you some
thing Millie-I-er-think it's goinl
to be nice day tomorrow
After this tremendous speech the!
, had both sat In electrified silence. no
: daring to look at each other.
III that fellow wants to ask you I,
marry him, Millie," said her father
who was blunt and impatient, and {,
{ he can't say 1t, why doesn't he sim
III"
Thereupon Mile wept and said tha
her father had no sympathy and be
sides It was perfectly ridiculous TO al
sumo that Ralph cared single thin
about her.
The family always considerably d.
. parted when Ralph arrived, SO that n
. alien presence might distract him. bu
D nothing ever happened. After all ihi
\ thoughtfulness, It seemed odd tina
!. when Ralph finally made himself vi