The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-08-28
She Had the
Habit

|
kind of involved"
I'll have to 90 back to the time
when l was fourteen and Willie had
Just looked upon my horizon.
thought he was the handsomest boy
the beneficent powers above had ever
permitted to glOrify the earth. Efie
Snow, who was in love with the boy
who delivered groceries. and I used
to quarrel for hours at a time, each
trying to convince the other of the
superior attractions of her beloved.
Il remember pointing ont to Efiie
the glorious sweep Of Willie's raven
hair above his noble brow and the
falcon fire of his flashing black eye.
81 said 1t showed that he was hero
destined to do noble deeds and that
she was horrid thing to say he was
homely. 1t was just because she was
Jealous.
Years later | came across a pic.
ture of Sunday school picnic with
Willie In the front row and ! took a
good look at him He was a boy who
was exaggerated at all points. His
bristly hair stood straight up like a
shoe brush nd he had pop eyes. He
Just queer looking and 1t seems to
me that I have heard rumors from
some one that he is running a livery
stable in his home town.
well. when | was seventeen my
heart belonged to Richard thought
that Of all the grand men on earth he
was the grandcSt and used to sit at
my window at nieht when | should
nave hoen getting my beauty sleep and
look at the moon and dream of him.
Noble was the adjective ap.
piled 70 Richard moditatcd upon
his serene brow. bis poetic face and
his wonderful Nroiiln I likcncd IT
to a cameo ana sighed Ia think that
all the men in the world could not
be like him and 50 redeem il from
its prosaic uslnoss said that Just
TO look At him one would know he
was filled with splendid aspirations
and was FAR. far above sordid thoughts
of gain that made most men selfish
and graspng ! rcmber mother sigh
| ing at the time and murmurng that
| SOrdid gain was a mighty nice thing
to have around when the grocery and
milk bills came due
II saw Richard not long ago, and
no account creatures he is the worst
| think he sells woodenwarc and takes
his meals at a fifteen-ccnt restaurant
There wasn't a single. solitary thing
about him to admire or look up to-
and how had raved about him Once!"
when was eighteen l thought the
sun rose and set in Mr.. Judkins. who
was a friend OF fathers and a bache
lor. said his face showed that he
had fought With the world and had
been a victor in his battles and the
marks Of his struggles only added TO
the strength of his countenance.
said that after knowing him the
younger men bored me with their
greenness and inexperience and that
1t was such a comfort to be able to
rest on Mr.. Judkins' superior judg-
ment and know whatever he said was
right.
"My family we're terribly wrought
up about the matter and father used
regularly to explode when spoke OF
Mr.. Judkins' wisdom and stability
Mother would dissolve into tears and
beg me not to ruin my life by marry
ing an old man. Well, that's Ave
years ago-and today Mr.. Judkins
looks to mo like fat. weatherbeaten.
elderly man and If there was law
compelling me TO marry him I'd never
obey the law II they put me INTO
prison for life.
There were several after Mr.. Jud-
klns. And every one at the time
considered the best looking man on
earth. The attractive features could
dig up In those mon would have been
sufficient to make a perpetual boaatY
show Of the masculine population OF
this big town we live in.
"And after We had our falling ol'
every time I blinked my eyes ant
took another look | saw their thin
hair and watery eyes, their crookcd
noses and awful ears.
1T never failed.
"Now what is worrying me-" the
girl in white serge made marks N
the doilies with her spoon. lis whe'h.
er-
you see, of course, l don't mesa
there is anything serious between
Harry and myself, but-well, AN |
going to wake up and find out tia,
he is homely and commonplace. too
That would be awful after ] was mar
ried and-yet. I might as well tel
you that I'm engaged to him, What
do you think"
MY dear" said her friend in lo,e
Of awe, eff you can think for M.
ute that man with a snub nose r..
hair, small eyes and a walk hi."
kangaroo such as Harry has IS -
least bit good looking 1t is proof hal
you are SO deeply In love with hin
that you'll never come TO your SENSES