The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-07-01
Dipping Into
Statistics

Ibid you know" began the young
man when there came pause In the
, conversation, that am collecting sta.
tisticse Well, l am. What is your ia.
vorite flower? And please name your
favorite poem"
The young woman sitting opposite
him laughed. He looked aggrieved.
You don't seem to realize" he told
her. that | am serious. Well. ! am.
Why laugh"
q thought you were trying to be
funny" she told him. Anyhow, you
were funny. Wouldn't you rather try
TO be funny and succeed than attempt
TO be serious and fail?"
This is no time for harassing ques-
tons" the young man told her. II am
sorry you prefer to keep secret your
favorite flower and your most admired
poem, but, of course respect your at
titude of reserve However, you might
tell mo something else-s,atistica!.
also. do not ask who is your favor.
tie man: simply ask what kind OF a
man is your ideal?"
you are terribly in need Of ideas
for conversation. aren't you?" com.
mented the young woman.
Il think have suggested most in.
teresting topic" the young man insist.
ed. "You have no idea how devoted
I am to statistics. and II you We're at
all kindhearted you'd not slight the
subject.
Il suppose your IDEAL" the young
man continued. "is a tall. dark, hand.
some youth with flashing BIZ"
"Fiddlesticks" said the young WON.
an. Girls aren't as foolish as all
that! A mans looks don't count SO
very much. or course, a girl wants a
man to be presentable and pleasant
looking, but she doesn't care II he Is
actually homely. provided he's the
right sort Why. I've seen some ugly
men who were simply fascinating-I
| don't know why. | suppose 1t was be-
cause they had such strong PERSONAL.
ties. shouldn't care at all about a
handsome man for a husband. Such
man would be moro than likely to be
vain"
I'm glad you are so sensible" com.
mcnted the young man. 1T Is cheer.
ing to the average grubby specimen OF
manhood to hear girl talk like that.
You see, If a man Is not especially
good looking he feels that the girls
don't care about him. know how It
is myself l."
You" interrupted the young WON.
an. Il hope you don't consider your.
self homely?"
Il never took prize at beauty
show" confessed the young man.
Now. let's get back to our statistics
suppose your ideal man is terribly
rich and could shower automobiles
and diamonds upon YOU with one hand
while he wrote checks with the 9th.
err"
I'm sorry you have such poor
opinion OF me-" said the young WON.
an. IT'S all right to have enough
money to pay the grocery bills and
buy decent clothes. but never yearned
for great wealth. think rich men are
likely to be awfully selfish and friv.
olous or selfcentered and peevish.
They don't have time to pay attention
TO their families and they drift away
from their wives and get divorces
not any OF that for me! No. think
people are lots happier when they
have a modest income and live within
Il"
You certainly are a wonder!" de-
clared the young man, admiringly. Il
never knew any other girl with so
much sense But I suppose you'd ex.
pect the man you marry at least to
own his own home and be able to give
you an allowance"
"Half the fun Is working and saving
together for a home" said the young
woman. "A girl likes to help the right
sort OF man"
what is the right sort Of man." in.
Quired her caller, eagerly.
She smiled little. looked airily
over his head and then met his gaze.
! Why" she said. Il suppose the right
sort Of man is the one the girl hap.
pens to be in love with"
That sounds plausible" the young
man said Il think you've made a
very valuable contribution to my sta
tistics, and I'm greatly obliged 10 you.
More than that. 1t makes me happy
to find that you care enough about me
to marry me-"
MY goodness! shrieked the young
woman. Il never said one single
word"
I'D like to know why mott" he in.
sisted. You said that your ideal man
was not good looking and had only a
moderate income and didn't own his
own home, and ii that doesn't hit me
I'll eat my hat You'll never find any
one else SO nearly meeting that de-
/ cc-irfipu 81 would hat-ar rrah mo