The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-06-12
That Summer
Home

anything standing on II In the way Of
q shack with q roof over II. your
friends who don't possess such . piece
OF property regard you reproachfully
as spring comes on. At inopportune
times they thrust at you remarks like
these: Well. I suppose you'll be leav.
ing soon for your rlace-lucky crea.
ture: II We only felt that We. too.
could idle In the country all summer"
You feel horribly Apologize. You
know that your enSious friends could
buy a hundred places such 40 yours
and dump them into the lake just to
hear the splash and never miss the
money. 80 II is a surprise to find your.
self regarded as wretched plutocrat
when the overwhelming reason that
led you to fee from town was that the
bill collector doesn't come around so
often in the woods.
1.-TWO days before am taking the
boat for Michigan I always get invita-.
tions 10 the opening dinner at the
country club. an automobile ride and a
thea;sr party. all 10 take place tho
week after am gone. As I wad It's.
sue PAPER into the sleeves Of the new
gown | am packing and which | won't
have a chance 10 wear again all sum.
mer remember what II cost and
seethe with anguish.
1T is dark when the boat pulls
away from Chicago and II II doesn't
rain soCgily when start I rest as.
sured that IL will he raining when |
arrive in Michigan. II has to rain at
one or the other Of these times. be-
cause am wearing my best flower.
trimmed hat that is too huge to pack
and have just had my suit pressed.
There seem to be acres of my luggage
on the Michigan dock the next morn
ing-trunks, new porch rugs. a sew
ing machine and kitchen stovc-and
besides | have to wade around town
in tNs sand, buying groceries ard nails
and mops and matches. before plung.
Ing into the calm country ten miles
from anywhere.
THE hoatman who comes for ME
does not seem exactly overwhelmed
with the JOY rather expected him to
show on seeing me again. Huh" he
croans. Have you got lead in these
here trunks
Some time am going to make an
exhaustive study of the psychological
causes leading baggagemen invariably
to be overcome with surprise because
packed trunks cannot be waited about
on ono finger. They always are SO
righteously annoyed at this discovery!
III is raining as usual when I am
shunted off at my own dock with my
luggage. This is particularly good for
the ironwork on sewing machines and
stoves and Is fine for the contents OF
trunks. The cottage seems oddly
yelled and investigation shows the
yelling 10 consist OF unbroken spider
webs and sheddings from the beech
trees. II does not seem possible that
there arc 20 many spiders In the
world
The strong.armed scrubwoman who
was 10 meet mo is beautifully absent.
but the full tragedy of this grows
slowly as raise window shades and |
see the thick dust on every inch Of
everything There are more cobwcbs |
inside than outside and at tho sight of |
the rapiry shed tears. Spiders rush |
from everything | touch In sor, Of
desperation ! open the box couch to |
lind work dress. whcroupOn a rattle |
NJ beech nuts and cherry pits follows
the hauling forth Of the top laycr.
Then something furry and ari'a'ed |
darts out and sit down on the floor
and shrek. II was chipmunk routed
rom his winter lodgings and he now
darts nervously and Indignantly IN.
Ter a bookcase. | would just as soon
i've In the same house with a man.
eating tiger as with a chipmunk'
NO said the men who brought
~ my soaked belongings from the
bier. Mary won't be here. She moved
way. No. there amt nobody else
'ou can get TO scrub. No. We don't
Ipow any man you can get TO clean
he yard and hx the pump-every.
'ody's busy planting the crops No.
here amt no one In town who wants
! Job. No. you cant get no lettuce
Tor berries nor garden truck-they
int ripe yet. don't you know that
This when people back In Chicago
re rioting in asparagus and straw
'erries and head lettuce and cucum.
'ers.
"Ther may be hundreds Of birds
utside amid the lovely green"ry of
une. but I don't know il, for am
rrestling with unaccustomed back
reaking tasks inside the house by
o'clock that night I eat some store
read and butter and cheese and a
anana and tumble into bed nor dead
han alive. There is dust in tie air
nd II is pitch dark and OUTSIDE the ,
rec frogs are dolorously singing
Back in Chicago my brutal friends
no envied me are dining On laxgries
nd just starting ont for an evenings