The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-09-22
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Her LITTLE CANE
BY LOUISE CLNEy.


need not look so drawn and old and
ugly She turned away and getting
into her kimono armed herself with
towels, soap and toothbrush and pre-
pared to wait for her turn at the
iodglng-house bath Her natural fas-
tldiousness made her hate the com.
mon bath, II she could have a home
or her own. however humble, she
would have been satisfied. She liked
separateness.
AS she waited on the stairs for the
opening and shutting of the bath
room door, Maize Forman, still half.
asleep, her eyes dewey, her tail Of
golden hair over her blue, kimonoed
shoulder, Joined her. Maize was
1usn like baby after a nap. She
was pretty, but trivial. empty. selfish,
calculating She looked Adela over
a bit pityingly.
Say she remarked, suddenly,
thrustlng cut her left hand to show
new ring set with a chip-diamond,
m goln to get married What do
yum know about 1t? You see, I'm sick
OF this life--nothin' in it. Yuh work
your head off an don't even make
ends meet in an Office. can't say
Ia ruther have Mark than anybody
IN the world but he's the best on the
list, and he's plumb crazy about me.
He's got little money. I'll have a
place to stay and something to eat
without worrying about rent and
board bills. A girls got to look out
for her future"
Adela looked the girl over thought
fully Maize laughed. She liked this
quiet woman nearly ten year her
senior
say, she advised Adela. do you
know you're lots better lookin' than
| ever was Trouble is you don't
know II and use your looks You
don't make man know when
you're around lon shrink back into
yourself ! woman has to make a
man want hot hats her little game.
Don't YOU sJr> Won oueht to be mar
red this minn'r You'd like it
You \" "o' s,ns" and you'd be pretty
II You'd loosen up your hair and
powder liltl" and show off, There's
| Mr. lowe couldn't make him look
at me- don't mind owning that I've
tried But You could DO It. You're
his style l}nt YOU act as If he was
poisoned meat because you're afraid
| he'll think you're running after him
Don't YOU like him."
Adela gave gasp and wave Of
dull red swept over the velvety dark
Of her face.
"Do-l-like him." she gasped
Maize laughed and, seeing her
chance, made a run for the bathroom,
followed by Adela They washed and
splashed Maize silent because she
had again forgotten everything but
| herself, Adela from sheer outraged
astonishment. Il is awful for a chit
of a common child, barely eighteen,
| to read your own soul before you read
It Yourself Did she like Mr.. George
Townsend Howe?
For a week she summed Maize,
and then the girl Won't away to be
married Something new arose with
In Adela's heart Had the child been
right9 She looked up one day at
| tho thought ard met the quiet gaze
OF George Howe bent fully upon her.
Her heart stood still and she felt
that she paled, then flushed then
paed again, and a sense Of shame
and guilt oppressed her and she
hated herself II was base-it was
what Maize called "woman's little
game"
For the remainder Of the day she
worked like fend and tried to look
at nobody When she was ready to
leave she came from the dressing
room hated ara glovod Mr. Howe
stood at the door, casually went down
to the street with her, talking pleas
antly and presently lifted his hat and
left her his grave fine eyes full uDon
her.
That nioht Adela vas restless. Her
downtown life more Than ever pa'led
uuon hor. Shn was domestic in every
taste and instinct, bv inheritance and
in up.bringing Only reed for bread
sent her into the working world She
knew that and moreover, she could
not forget Mazie's really brutal talk,
Was the girl right? Perhaps she,
Adela, was foolish and impractical
Her thoughts rested again upon
George Howe and she owned to her
self that he was everything that she
would like in the way OF husband.
He was good and kind and success
full. he was pleasant TO the eyes.
She liked the little things about him.
the way he moved his hands. his
smile the timbre OF his voice. There
was rest and confidence In his pres.
ence. In the gray of the morning
she finally slep. with a new resolve
mon her She would try the WON.
ans little game' Surely II would be
no sin to attract him to her-she
would afterward make up for II In
thousand little ways.
That morning began q new life FOR
A6a,, SHAW Her eyes were bright
or with hone and purpose, she pow