The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-11-04
GRANDPA'S LOVE AFFAIR
By GEORGE MUNSON.

Is4s4eHsEsEsGsGsReHsEeHsHs
Grandfather Paulett lived down the
street in the big white house and we
Pauletts and Reynoldses and Simpsons
dwelled round about. We were all
sprung from the Pauletts, and grand
father was rolling in money. and in
firm. He was seventy-six.
While grandma lived the families
stuck pretty closely together, but after
her death it was case of catch who
can. All of Us wanted Grandfather
Paulett's money. am not ashamed
to say did. with my husband trying
to make both ends meet on fifteen
hundred. However. l liked the old
man. whereas that cat Of Sarah Rey.
nolds, and that dumbhead Jim Simp-
son, we're simply after his money. But
he saw through them.
Grandpa's infirmity came from govt,
not old age. He got so bad at last
that his temper was quite altered, and
instead of stopping to chat with US
he used to swear and look the other
way. II was that tabby Sarah's fault;
he knew she was after his money,
and, as said to Fred. he would make
things right when he came to die.
And then terrible thing happened.
Grandpa was ordered to Atlantic City,
to get his govt cured by the sea air.
He was SO pleased at the thought of
revisiting the scenes of his youth that
he got quite jolly again and invited
US all to dinner.
It's many years since I was at At
lantic City," he said Il stayed at
the Wimbledon. All, the daughter Of
Mrs. Higgins, our landlady, was a
beauty, and no mistake. If it hadn't
been for your grandmother, children"
didn't think he ought to talk that
way, with one leg in bandages and
the other in the grave. THE old
wretch" Sarah whispered to her hus-
band afterward.
Well. OF went grandpa, with his
man, duly escorted to the station by
all Of US. though only wanted to see
him made comfortable. The rest were
I just after his money.
And the next thing we heard, grand
pa was married.
The blow staggered US all. 1t ap-
peared that he had found his old fame,
the landladys daughter. with whom he
must have carried on something awful
while poor. long.suffering grandma was
alive, and married her after q weeks
courtship. We were so shocked by the
news that we held a little meeting
at Jim Simpsons house.
Now. friends and relations, and re-
lations that aren't friends" says Jim
and I thought that smart of him
we've got to keep the money in the
family. He'll leave a cool two hun.
dred thousand to that designing mink,
| who has simply been playing on the
feelings of the old dotard-"
Grandpa isn't dotard," I inter.
rupted holly.
Jane. are you one Of US. or amt
you?" he asked sarcastically.
Il suppose I've got to be-" groaned.
And then he outlined his plan. We
were to have the marriage declared
invalid on account of grandpa being
in a state of senile decay, and the
estate put into court and equally dis.
tributed. Jim had a lawyer friend
who would arrange the details, and as
soon as grandpa came home a doctor
whom Jim knew was to dog his foot.
steps and try to trap him into an ex.
hibition Of lunacy, SO that We could
make out a case.
1t sounded good to me. was sorry
for grandpa, because I liked the old
gentleman. but it wasn't right that
We should lose our Inheritance Just
because a designing mink had taken
advantage Of his weakness. And 60 l
took it hard when Fred said to me, on
the way home:
Jane, you're as bad as the worst
of them"
We had quite quarrel, but brought
Fred round to reason by asking how
Johnny was to go to college. He hadn't
thought of that-you know what men
are.
| Well, We all assembled at the sta.
ton to meet grandpa. We felt it was
our duty to do that; besides, we want
ed to see the mink.
The creature is sure to have
red hair" says Sarah to me; she had
got to be quite friendly since our
scheme for grandpa's benefit.
The train pulled into the station, and
you can imagine we were all afiutte,
with expectation. And there wasn't
any red-haired mink on the train. In
fact, we couldn't see grandpa either
for long time, until a silvery-haired
lady Of about seventy years assisted
him out of his carriage. And Their
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