The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-01-18
KEEPING UP WITH BESS
BY ANNIE SEIGERBAcHeR

& even deeper sigh than one Won
. naturally have expected under uhe ci
Z cumstances.
3 What's the natter asked h.
+ friend. You look as though you
8 lost pounds and pounds from worry
3 4 think ! have" replied the sto,
woman. rather feebly. You see il
Bessie. Bessie's my favorite niece a
you know. and she's burdened wit
overindulgent parents who give he
everything she wants before sb
knows that she wants it. Now. how
Is 1t possible to please such a ar
with any kind Of gift? She has jewelr,
! by the pound and she gets enough
CANDY every Christmas to feed al
orphan asylum. So whenever Dccem
Der comes around begin to wiring
my hands and say, What under m,
shining sun can l get for Bessie
rnats the way got my first gr..,
mars! | get a fresh installment Of
them every Christmas"
She was calming down now Her
friend had politely assumed an air ~
deep attention.
After hours and hours of brain
racking effort" went on the stout -
man. i found out that Bessie wanted
princeton pennant. There was one
Princeton pennant left in the sport.
ing goods section the day | went "a
BUY Bessie's present and | wrestled
LOT It with two husky youths, a middle
aged woman and half dozen giggly
girls. ! got it. too. although in The
process | lost three perfectly good iot
buttons and sprained my wrist.
That night Bessie's beau broueh,
ner an atrocious big Princeton ben
nant about three times the size OF tho
one had worked SO hard for. Sweet
OF him. wasn't it,
TO on. begged her friend. "Your
thrilling recital makes a war STORY
look as fiat as plug hat that's been
sat on What happened next?"
BESSIE came over to my house one
oay, said the stout woman. and
raved about an embroidered shirt
waist OF mine that some poor soul had
spent six monts making. Well. that
gave me an idea and | Immediately
started to make Bessie one like II in
SIX days. embroidered until | saw
french knots dancing all over the wall
and ! counted stitches In my sleep
Even my football playing son, who
reels OF signals In his dreams. became
alarmed at the symptoms that | dis
played. My family rose in wrath
when brought the thing to the table
At dinner and embroidered between
courses. And then when the waist
Was nearly completed Bessie casually
announced that she thought embroid
'red shirt waists were getting cow
non and she wouldn't wear one for /.
Inything." !
Dear. dear" murmured her friend
alphabetically.
i felt like telling Bessie that n no
hanged her mind again she wona,at
yet any present from me-" sad The !,
tout woman. but next norm;
tarted out OH the warpath, all splifed
p in my Oldest clothes, SO tn, |
ould grab bargains with the best OF
nem | ran into a sale of jeYelry y
women six deep fighting over lit. z
rpI |
urses. and all trying to get waited p
n at once. 1t took me half an Ao,lr W
get next b the counter. Really il b'
as cruel the way climbed Oyer p.o. n
e, but it vas for WORTHY cause
hyway ! got there, found The coin az
rises all gone. took another has Hour r
'ttlng untangled and had to pas Sc
r the same thing in another store.
After Ia been patting myself on an
Q BACK for about day for hating DC
ived the problem | met Bessa On yo
e street. She hailed me, and tbon III
oke into lamentations. 'What do or
u think. Aunt Helen" she sid rel
ncle Billy brought me another coin
rse last night, and had three al.
ady!'
When | came TO was In drug tui
ire and Bessie was rubbing nv had We
cooling, You shouldn't wor-e so hol
r Christmas. You know you do 90
ch. auntie.' I
Yes, ! know, Bessie said wat fec
you want br Christmas? VII
Why. don't know she rebii.d.
thing muoA that can think n ne,
Mt diamond ring. but daddy ont enj
me one. Must you go so ar p tun
think nO~ that I'll 20 a na-sts For
order a couple OF dozen ros, or cho
stems to be at leasi nree Ion
long ! sent her some whcf she trol
appendicitis and she ravcd er han
m then, but goodness k1e.vs, wal
may have developed cas- Of wri
fever by this time. will
honestly, the thought of AL he
istmases Chat are yet to con is
ugh to kin any one. Yes Dc feeI ~
though Ia been through > j. s,.'
Veil. Merry Christmas, Here goes ="
Bessie's."