The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-12-01


On Wednesday night he took ar
early start and knocked at the door Of
the Gunderman homestead at q time
that he calculated was about FIVE min
utes Of eight. Miss Gunderman was
theresa was George Peters. The for
mer sat in one corner of the sofa-the
other in corner Of the room.
"Why-why," remarked Miss Gun.
derman, you are very late"
He looked at the clock. It said q
quarter of nine. He gasped. but con.
cluded that his own clock at the house
had run down somehow or other. He
explained the circumstances, and
ap0logized and took the patent rocking
chair. Mr. Peters sat in the corner,
where he could look at Miss Gunder-
man. and where Miss Gunderman could
look at him. Mr.. Rollpiller began to
talk. and concurrently Herewith Miss
Gunderman began to yawn. Time
passed.
In the midst of an interesting recital
by Mr.. Rollpiller. in which he was the
hero. suddenly there was heard q
sound like to the crack of doom. Mr..
Rollpiller looked at the clock. 1t had
just marked ten and was beginning to
strike. The sound was followed by an
other. Mr.. Rollpiller, with a smile Of
understanding, looked up toward the
ceiling, and rose to go.
Miss Gunderman and Mr.. Peters fol-
lowed him out into the hail. Miss Gun
derman for an instant left the two men
alone.
'Ill help you on with your over
coat" remarked Mr.. Peters. He did
80.
"And l with yours" said Mr.. Roll
piller. But Mr.. Peters shook his head.
Il don't think I'll go just yet" he an
swered. ITS bit too early for me,
you know"
Rollpiller eagerly whispered into the
others ear: You'd BETTER" he said;
that was the old lady rapping for us
to go. She wants us to clear out at
ten o'clock. That's why she raped"
Mr.. Peters smiled and snapped, his
fingers. Il don't give a rap" he inter-
posed, "for all the old woman's rap
ping" Miss Gunderman returned, and
Mr.. Rollpiller departed.
"And it's just as well did, too," he
said to himself, on his way home. "Pe-
tiers will make the old lady mad. It's
a good thing to keep on the right side
of the old people, and propose to do
It,"
Back In the Gunderman homestead
Miss Gunderman stepped to the clock.
1t was three-quarters of an hour fast,
for some mysterious reason. and she
set 1t right.
Then she went around behind the
sofa, behind the corner where she had
been sitting. and united string from
small nail. The string was long
enough to reach to the floor behind.
At the other end of the string was q
strange looking object. She hauled it
forth.
This" she remarked, lis my famous
bore expeller. All rights are reserved"
She dropped 1t on the floor. AS she
did SO. It sounded like the crack of
doom. 1t was the sound that young Mr..
Rollpiller had obeyed with such rapid.
ity. Young Peters grasped it.
What shall l do with it?" he said,
Miss Gunderman suggested that he
throw 1t in the corner. He did so. and
1t laid there in the gloom,
1t was nothing but her fathers old
vorn-out cowhide boot. Young Mr..
Peters turned to her and smiled. They
were still standing, and occupied posi-
tions on opposite sides Of the room.
He stepped over towards her, and
touched her on the arm.
What's the matter with sitting on
the sofa?" he inquired, with a spright.
ly air, as though the idea were a novel
one.
Miss Gunderman blushed happily.
I'm agreeable" she answered.
Miss Gunderman occupied one cor
ner of the eofa-her favorite corner
Mr.. Peters also occupied one corner
OF the sofa-which corner does not |
now appear. 1t is enough to say that |
Miss Gunderman's favorite corner was |,
q large corner and its capacity was not |
limited to one.
Mr.. Peters leaned over toward Miss
May II" he inquired, !
with considerable Significance in his i
voice and manner. That he did not |
wait for an answer indicated that he |
considered 1t quite supernuous and |
to do so.
Mr.. George Peters wasn't much Of a
talker, but he was q mighty handy |
man to have around a sofa. At least |
SO thought Miss Isabella Gunderman.
Copyright. 1914. by Daily Story Pub. Coz
Non compos MentIs.
A commission in lunacy had called a !
woman to the witness stand. the San
Francisco Arunpon< cxoxz-