The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-11-07
A RISKY EXPERIMENT!
A E.an with a Home Should
Use II.
sy LOUISE oLNEv.


and office conversation 60urished
Rorh business and the force were Ian
euid by reason of summer and i'm
pending vacations. Adkins. thirty-6vG
and single, was wise on matter1
matrimonial, and started something
by ualiciOusly attacking the bliss Of
simpson. twenty-five and just en-
gagged Miss Gertrude tried to ..steu
and type letters at the same time. Ad'
kins looked up from his bookkeeping
Its dangerous experiment. my
| boy" he persisted. Look at Peters
once jOvial and free, now slave. He
talks about babies and the cost Of liv'
ing and blacks his own shoes. His
wife was almost as pretty as Miss Ger
trude. with a string of beaux instead
Of string of babies. She's thin and
old-lO0king bet she wishes she was
on her old job. and that she's begun
to ask Simpson IL he will really love
her when she's old. a mortgage hangs
over them, too. It's risky expert
ment. getting married. Simpson"
Adkins added up a column Of fiures
very accurately. while Gertrude
clicked away and Simpson got out the
order list unperturbed. Simpson
Strengthened his young shoulders and
answered TRANQUILITY:
You're an old grouch-soured on
life because you haven't got q girl
Wait till you visit Amy and me and
you'll curl up with envy. Things don't
always go right for single folks and
two people can live as cheaply ~
one"
The whole force groaned at the
platitude. and Gertrude. her blue eyea
alive. turned on them.
You'll get what's coming to you,
anyway" she contributed. Mr.. Ad'
kins changes boarding houses and
varieties Of dyspepsia every few
weeks. live at a cousins. It's not q
home. but it's not SO bad as board
Ing house. The children impose on
me. but feel less like stray CAT
than when I'm with utter strangers
But will say that Id rather be Mr.
Simpson than you, Mr.. Adkins. lie
and his girl are good sports. they
aren't afraid to take risk and swal'
low some bitter stuff for the sake Of
the sweet! I'D rather be Mrs. Peters
with all her troubles than Miss Still
well upstairs here. She's got little
bank account, but she sees only her
self. She will end her days In an
old lady's home somewhere. Mrs. Pc
ters may have to live round with
her children. but she can scold her
sons-in.law and spoil her grandchil
dren she'll have something to live
for!" The girl carefully licked on the
stamps and gave the letters to the Of
| flee boy
Get en- right Off he Boss TOLD
me to sign them" She turned back
to her work with an air Of iinalty, and
Adkins gave an embarrassed ittl,
whistle. The girl had been there
three months, but had been barrel,
friendly to the force She attended &c
business almost fercely The book
keeper turned on his high stool ts
look at her straight. fiat, little back
and neatly arranged heavy fair hair
He was not used to being attacked by
girls. He was goOd-lOOking. older
rather superior, with an air Of indif
ference to women He had little
home. but rented it to advantage, and
lived drifting about. his violin his only
real solace and companion. AS Simp
son grinned exultingly at him. he
turned back to his work
The Boss came in again, SO nothint
more was said that day. nor on tn,
next. The routine work went on for !
week or two and not once did tn,
stenOgrapher give the bookkeeper al
unnecessary word or look. Poor AID
kins felt bit aggrieved 1t was as il
a fluffy kitten he was petting shout,
suddenly scratch him viciously ant
then refuse to see him. But Miss Ger
trude Turner had certainly create,
within him respect for her Sh,
knew her mind and spoke it, lie ever
hoped that since she wished to marry
as evidently she did. she would fine
the right man. She was. he decided
sweet, sensible girl. who knew how
to mind her business, month afte,
month. without any fooling.
After that little bout with the Cir
about marriage, Adkins kept respect
fully out Of her way The spell of hi.
self-satisfied smugness was broken TO,
him. He regarded Simpson furtively
with wonder as to whether he an,
his girl were not. after all. wha
Gertrude had called them, goo,
sports. willing to take life's bite,
with its sweet. Then he began +,
wonder if she despised him. She 10
nored him, but she ignored the other,
save as to business He wished tha
she liked him.
Now it happened that Adkins an,
Gertrude had their vacations ar III.
same time. and that by s,rane.
chance neither went out of town. Sh,
slept half her time. and spent IN.
other half playinc with HOY ,o,-;,