The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-12-04
GIRL FROM THE CITY
BY DONALD ALLEN.

Copyright 1914. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)
NOW and then a college student IL
called by his name as his mother
gave 1t to him. but in the vast ma.
jority Of cases it is by a nickname
Sometimes the appellation fits the In.
dividual. and sometimes 1t is far from
1t; but once bestowed it sticks.
Brian Jeffries had been in college
month before his chum settled on q
nickname. and there was much rejoic.
ing that 1t fitted him.
He was walking out one evening
from his boarding house when he was
set upon by three young men. They
! were supposed to be students, and to
, be mistaken in their man, and they
made 1t warm for young Jeffries for
minute. Then he rallied. and when
he had landed three separate punches
on three individual chins the battle
was over. Brian had delivered the
punch as sporting men say. and
from that time on he was Punch"
Jeffries. He was neither proud of it
nor disguised with it.
When the summer vacation came
the young man went to his home on
the Sound. He might have gone camp
ing or yachting or tramping, as so
many students do, but he was way
behind in his studies, and his father
had inquired of him:
do you think sent you to college
to learn to row, swim, box and kick
q football?"
Hardly, father" was the reply.
You stand very low in your studies,
my boy; and you must catch up.
Spend your vacation at home and do
it."
1t was bit lonesome at The Oaks.
Brian was an only child, and his moth.
er was semiinvalid and his father
quiet man who seldom entered into
conversation. There were fishing and
boating. and there was trip to the
village now and then in the auto, and
the remainder of the time was put
in reading law and wondering why
men with sense enough to peel a
potato could not enact a law that a
half-baked Judge could not interpret
twice alike in the same year.
On his Homecoming he had noticed
two young ladies at Wave Crest-the
next manor house below. One Of
them was Miss Pryor. whose father
owned the property. and the other
was a stranger to him. When he
sought information Of his mother
she replied:
1T is young lady from the city
visiting Miss Pryor. l do not even
know her NAME"
Hang 1t, II I had ever been intro.
duced to Miss Pryor here is a big
chance for a Irritation"
I'm sorry for you, but perhaps
you'll survive the disappointment"
At about the same hour Miss Callie
Floyd, the visitor from the city, was
asking of Miss Annette Pryor:
And who are the people at the
other placer"
Their name is Jeffries."
Aren't there any girls?"
mo, only a son."
college STUDENT"
Il believe SO, and home now on his
vacation"
He must be bit lonely"
well, 1t won't be for US to cheer
him up. I have heard that he was
very wild and reckless at college,"
why, he doesn't look IT," said Miss
Callie.
On, you are physiognomist, are
you? You can tell by young mans
face fifty rods away whether he is
wild or mott"
IL thought he had a pleasant
face"
Let me tell you what they call
him in college. It is Punch JET.
fries!"
But why? Does he drink more
punch than anybody else?"
1T must be that. A young man
who knows him told me that he had
three brawls before he had been in
college q month. l hope he will make
no excuse to get acquainted with us.
We must prepare ourselves to snub
him at the first advance"
Yes. we must" sighed Miss Callie
as she turned away.
Three days later Brian saw the
young ladies start for the village in
the runabout. and he got out his auto
and followed. Why he did 1t he did
not stop to ask himself. Perhaps Il
was because he had a hope that he
might get near view of the girl
from the city. He was half a mile be-
hind them, and keeping their pace,
when he heard toot behind him and
glanced back to see a young man
burning up the road.
That toot meant but one thing. II
meant: Il am coming and you small
potatoes with your cheap machines
had better take to the woods!"
Even without the insulting footing
the oncomer would have found one
ready to do him battle. Brian didn't
like the shape Of his headgear. He
didn't like his goggles. He didn't
like the pose Of his chin. Therefore.
when the young man came sweeping