The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-06-29
IT WAS A SURPRISE
By ALLIE CLAYTON.


eleven, looked up from her book as
the man caller came into the library.
How do you do, Mr.. Dearmore'
she said, getting up politely 1ou
might as well take comfortable chair
because sister won't be down for ages
She is always slow about getting
dressed and suppose now she'll De
slower than ever because she won
care if she does keep you waiting.
"Well, why shouldn't she care Ia
like to know" inquired the caller with
an assumption of surprise designed to
be comic.
The young person hitched little
closer to him In her eagerness. ! just
found out,' she told him, tonight, !
guess they weren't going to tell me,
but sister was so interested in brush
ing out her switch that she didn't no.
tice me and mother said: You might
have done better If you'd more ambi-
ton, but, thank heaven, you're engaged
at last' And sister said yes, it was
time and she'd have to make the best
of 1t. Why, she's engaged! Don't you
understand"
you surprise me-" said the caller,
with interest
The young person nodded her head.
cts awfully exciting to have an en-
gagged person in the family. We never
had one before. | held my hand over
my mouth to keep from asking right
out who it was, but knew If spoke
they'd make me go aWay-and then
all they said was that where the
trooser was coming from If dad didn't
make killing goodness only knew.
What's a trooser?"
"A sort of feminine delirium, | be-
lieve," the young man told her.
Wouldn't you like to read out loud
to me from your book?"
mot when | can talk" the young
person assured him, promptly. I'D
think it was Bob Samson, only he
hasn't been here for ages. He's riding
around ranch out West now and he
always brought me chocolates and
petted the dog and waited hours and
hours for sister. Mother told her one
day for goodness sake when she got
her hands on that huge old Samson
house to burn 1t down and put up an
other one with French gray drawing
room, and other things, but | guess
Bob slipped cog somehow"
"Er-wha,?"
We'll, Aunt Clara said to mother
that a cog in the wheels must have
slipped somehow and how did he ever
get away and wasn't it PITY So
suppose Bob did it. always liked his
chocolates-he brought me Just as
good ones as he brought sister. Some
times they try to pass off cheap candy
on me, but know! Then feed it to
the dog.
I'm glad it wasn't that Siddens
man. He always called me little one
and patted my head and he had bron-
chltis and always coughed before he
spoke, and sister said she didn't care
If he was rich, but she couldn't endure
a man who wore brown ties and ate
with fork and anyhow he
gave her the shivers. That was the
time mother scolded SO and sister
went to Aunt Clara's for month.
I'm surprised at her getting en-
gagged, because she'll have to have a
house and meals then and she saws
picking out things to eat is simply
awful and she wouldn't wear her life
away keeping down the grocery bills
or any man and he might as well
make up his mind to it. Anyhow, Sis
.er never loses her head, because
mother says so, and she'll make him
oe the mark. Mother says that with
Ter sweet smile sister could make a
nan believe white was black, but that
seems foolish. Wouldn't you know
lack if you saw it,"
i used to think l was able to dis
inguish colors, admitted the caller.
But you're different" said the
Dung person. 1T isn't as though Won
we're one of sisters trailers-that's
What dad calls EN-. 1t doesn't make
ny difference to you. Only | thought
told you about it you'd understand
Why she didn't hurry to get down
ere, now she's interested in one par.
ocular man"
Well" said the caller, I'll tell You
secret. I'm the particular mani"
The young persons eyes bulged
Honest?" she squealed. "Why. I was
ever so sur-r-p-prised in my l.l.lifei
md you never petted the dog onceI
Iy, but you're quiet"
A Muscular Christian,