The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-02-14
AN uNDERsHoT CUPID
BY FORBES DWIGHT.

.,ain hoies that can be given Is to say
mat his Idea of highly hilarious eve
mug was to spend it searching for
certain Elusive Greek roots. That
perhaps gives very proper idea of
Tue gentleman and renders it unneces-
sary 70 mention his heavy-lensed tor
toise-shelled spectacles, his baggy
clothes, his absurd ties, and his air of |
Always having something very i'm
portant on his mind.
BESIDES Greek roots there was one
thlng worthy of mention in Williams
rather austere and ascetic life; and
mat was a bow-legged undershot, 70
pound bulldog rejoicing in the highly
un-fiellenic name of Frazzles.
William Roles sat alone that April
evening in his study at the house Of
MS widowed sister with whom he
boarded and who was Unfortunately
proud OF Williams bullying forehead
and his success with Greek roots. Fraz-
zles was capering joyfully somewhere
about the yard below, and William
should have been on the trail Of the
usual Greek root. But instead he was
staring modify at bit of paper be-
fore him. On the paper were sundry
lines, each beginning with a capital.
One would never have thought of the
austere William as breaking out into
meterical thought; indeed it surprised
William as much as it would have done
any one else
New neighbors had moved into the
house next door, and one of the said
new neighbors-the daughter Of the
house-had a most amazing pair OF
violet eyes William had first noticed
them when he had seen her making
friends with Frazzles through the
fence one day. They were most dis
turbing eyes.
William had known by certain all
too apparent signs that he was rapidly
descending into paths Of insanity, but
tonight the browning climax Of It all
had come. He had written poem, a
poem about her eyes-2S lines Of soul
full drivel in iambic hexameter.
William, oh, William" called his
sisters voice from the hall below.
Here's Frazzles coming up to you"
A moment later Frazzles was claw
ing vigorously at the door. William
opened 1t and in bounded 7o-odd
pounds Of animation, fresh from q
romp with the girl next door. William
abstractedly watched him scurryine
about the study.
He stepped to the table and picked
up his recent assault upon prosody
Her eyes were starry and liquid and
like the stars and all the rest OF It;
that was perfectly true, but that didn''
make him any less a silly fool for writ
ing those verses. What would she say
II she ever saw them?
He snatched them angrily up
crumpled them in his hand and hurled
them to the floor. .
"And that's the end OF that" sale
William Boles, with finally.
Frazzles ceased growing at q has
sock and cooked an ear. When tn
paper hit the floor he bounded for
ward. In another moment It was II
his mouth. :,
Here! Here. str! Come here!'
William commanded in his most dom
ineering voice. But Frazzles, remem
bering many a gambol with an oil
shoe in his mouth and William In pul
suit bounded joyfully about the room
bolted down the stairs with the how
ing William in pursuit. edged through
the front door, which was open, an
sped down the front path.
William went to the gate and whit
tied.
Then on the next porch he hear
words that fairly froze his blood.
THAT'S the good Frazzles! CIV
it to me! That's the good old Fellow!
William felt his knees giving wa
beneath him. He had headed thos
verses-headed them like the sent
mental fool he was, he now remember
ed-"To Margaret's Eyes
Ouite involuntarily he whistled &c
Frazzles again.
Footsteps sounded on that mel
norch. The vines were pushed asid'
She stood there looking over at then
"Where you looking for Frazzle
Professor Boles?" she asked.
Every one called him professor
although he was not a full-fedge
one as yet. 1t seemed SO natural an
so eminently fitting.
"No-er-yes-that is, is he there!
he stammered miserably.
She leaned farther across the pore
railing.
"ue,s lust brought me-what yo
sent me-" said she.
Il didn't send it." he cried In Al
guish. a..
"You didn't? Didn't you write It.
eyes; I'll have to admit ! wrote
hut never intended you to see 1t.
oh" she said in DISAPPOINTMENT
"1te snch a lovely poem, too
William gripped the gateposts mar
or Was she having covert fun VIII
him? :,
"I-I-good heavens, what do ye
think of me?" he groaned'
There was little embarrase
laugh. 80,