The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-02-14
Meeting
Mrs. Fleming

Gerber is a bachelor. When his
bosom friend Fleming suddenly mar.
ried girl unknown to Gerber, mar.
ried without the slightest preliminary
warning. Gerber felt hurt. lie was
in Shanghai when the news reached
him. Smothering his feelings. he ca.
bled his congratulations. Then he
wrote. promising to drop in on the
Flemings the yer. first moment he
landed In Chicago.
Mrs. Fleming was anxious to know
Gerber. She had heard all about the
old school days, the tricks, the sum-
mer evening larks, the swimming hole
and the pasture lot athletics. She
felt as though she knew Gerber and
would instantly recognize him. even
though Will had no picture OF his
chum to show her.
Time went on regardless of matri.
mony and friendship. The business in
Shanghai proved long. drawn out
When a year and half had passed
Fleming had ceased talking about his
boNhood days and Gerber's arrival
was mislaid hope. Fleming put IN
all his spare time amusing William
Fleming. Jr.
On the memorable night that Mrs.
Fleming was called away to her
mothers, at the other end of the city,
Fleming was alone with his son and
heir. his pipe and papers and mem.
cries.
The son and heir went to sleep.
Fleming's pipe was drawing well and
the memories slowly crept out OF the
years. 1t was just then that Gerber
walked in.
The two old friends skinned briefly
over the main events OF their history
and Gerber was about to begin on
his oriental experience when Fleming
interrupted him.
Just hold on minute. III tele.
phone Mildred that you are here,
She's perfectly crazy to know YOU"
Fleming started for the nearest
drug store to telephone. lie no sooner
had closed the door behind him than a
fretful murmur from some corner OF
the fiat caught Gcrber's ear. Almost
Immediately the fretful murmur be.
came wall.
Gerber, panic-stricken, made one
jump for his hat, put it on and started
to escape. But blOodcurlling roar
made him turn desperately toward the
noise.
y baby. Fleming had baby! What
did one do for dying infant and
where was the fool father?
Gerber's knowledge of babies came
slowly from the comic pictures in the
newspapers. You picked them up and
walked with them.
Gerber tried this with shaking
hands. 1t worked like charm.
Round and round the fiat went Ger.
Der. On the twenty.second round,
just as he swung with graceful stride
toward the parlor, the door opened
and a natty hated. gowned and gloved
young woman stood blinking dazedly
at the interior Of her home.
Gerber surmised that the young
woman was Mrs. Fleming. He was
sure OF 1t when, with flashing eyes,
she demanded: what are you doing
with my baby?"
Gerber stared helplessly. II heard
him crying and thought Id pick him
up he explained hesitatingly.
"Oh, you thought you'd pick him
up" cried Mrs. Fleming. her mind
one gallery of newspaper headlines,
pictures of kidnapers and black
hand" murderers. This dark. olive
skinned, smooth faced tall man, with
the soft SLOUGH hat
For one awful second Mrs. Elem.
ing's heart stopped beating. Then
with lightning swiftness she was at
the library table and her hand touched
her husbands brand new gun. She
pointed it straight at the head OF the
man.
PUT that baby on the couch!" she
ordered.
Gerber obeyed and then opened his
mouth to explain.
Don't move or make a sound. III
fire II you do" commanded the won.
an with the gun.
Gerber flushed and stood motion.
less.
Fleming found an interesting tableau
on his return. A rigid Gerber, a
deathly pale wife with a shining new
gun rigidly poised and a sweetly sum-