The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-01-03
l beg your pardon"

You are bull In q China shop-a
China shop sir"
Il plead guilty to carelessnes. but
i won't accept Of an apology! You
are q tlunderer and a dunderhead.
You are a bear and q beast! You
ought to be locked up sir!"
i have said that was sorry," an.
swered young Grafton with dignity.
Get guardian. sir-get q guardian
and q rope!"
With that the Judge TANNED the
battered tile down on his head and
stalked out. and the young man gave
up his Idea Of purchase and walked
after him. Three days later. having
cothing else to do. he brought out his
auto for a ride. driving 1t himself
Miss Bessie Rosser had an electric
runabout. but had not yet acquired
the confidence to run It herself The
Judge had to act as instructor. and
this was one Of the mornings he took
the daughter and the vehicle out.
There was only one good road in and
out Of the town. and he naturally
took that.
So did young Mr.. Grafton-but he
was miles ahead. He had . long spin
and ran over hog or two before turn.
Ing about to retrace his way. Half.
way home he met the Judge and his
daughter and recognized them. Per.
haps the Judge was q bit of that day.
Perhaps the daughter reached out to
take the steering lever from him. It
was something Of the sort that
brought the two machines together
with crash and dumped their occu.
pants out upon the dusty road A few
bruises and no great damage. Young
Grafton was up first, but the hand he
extended to the girl was ignored. and
the Judge had only got the dust out
OF his mouth when he sat up to
shout:
Same man! Same dunderhead'
IF it was my fault SIR" began
the young man as he lifted his cap to
the girl
1T was 1t was. You did It on pur.
pose! You wanted to kill u.s."
Father. Father!"
But he did He's the dunderhead
! smoke Of"
Put think It was your fault az
much as mine though am willing to
nay all damages Hope you are not
hurt sir, and that your daughter has
escapel with the scare alone"
81 don't care dunn what you hope!"
exclaimed the Judge "You are the !
biggest dunderhead in seven states,
and If ever get back to town I'll have
vcu indicted as nuisance. Yes. l
will"
At the spot where the vehicles had
come together the highway narrowed
and there were high banks on either
side. A hundred feet below was a
turn In the road and bushes to hide
what might be coming. or a sudden,
zap IN hand young Grafton sprang
'ver the vehicles and raced for the
turn.
Didn't say he was dunderhead!"
said the father as he pointed after the |
fving figure why, Bessie, he's gone
clean c,a7y,"
But the rext instant brought a pair
Of runaway horses into view. They
we're running as II mad with fear
the wreck Of a carriage be.
hind them At the turn waited young
Grafton to spring and seize Aappin,
rein and to be carried into the read
side bushes and flung down and have
a leg broken. But he had stopped
the runaways and saved the two PEG.
pie up the road from being trampled
to pulp. They knew It az they walked
down to him-as they knelt beside
him-as the girl wept and the victim
gasped. And the father carefully help.
ed the sufferer to better position
and muttered to himself:
"Darn romance! It's going to take
BESSIE away from me. but shan't
get such a dunderhead for a son-in.
law after ALL"
And he won't. He's already taken
4 strong liking to the tobe and as for
Miss Bessie. she isn't q girl to oppose
1912. nv the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)