The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-04-20
'sssssssssssssssssssese
E: TOMS PERILous STATE F.:
. BY ADA BRANDON. 4:

~
! nave always hoped that he would
T marry Halle Lane" sighed Toms
/, mother. Il do wish she hadn't gone
7 away to Europe"
/, We'll" Toms father spoke nm fierce
I ~ he shant marry that Goodrich
> sili as long as can prevent It,"
Z fou know. dear, interfering with q
rove affair Is dangerous" cautioned
I Toms mother. ANY objections OF
+ ours are liable to increase his ardor
We must be careful"
How can he have any ardor for that
ancient charmer? don't see. I'll bet
! shes nearly twice his age"
What can We do?" Toms mother
J looked helpless as she asked the cues.
ton
We can pack him off to California
, 10 visit his Aunt Laura. She knows
mat he's out Of college this winter on
! account Of the trouble with his eyes
ana she'll be glad of a visit from him."
"hen the trip to California was
preached to Tom he said he would
; rather have the money it would cost.
i want to get ahead bit, dad" he
explained
You won't get ahead very fast ia
king old maids to the grand opera
every few nights"
II you mean Miss Goodrich"
mat was just fathers little Joke,
Tom hastily interrupted Toms moth
er You know, son, that we think
TWO or three months On your Aunt
Lauras ranch would be just the thing
for you. We want you to stay out
doors all the time and give your eyes
complete rest. Don't you think
you'd enjoy the life out there?'
Why, | suppose Id enjoy 1t, all
right, but It will cost lot Of money,
going out there"
We'll | think | can scrape enough
together to get you out and back"
said his father.
That economical streak Of Toms
was little too sudden to be really
credible" Toms father said to Toms
mother little later. ITS just an eX-
cuse not to leave that Goodrich girl,
but it won't &C with me. He's starting
for the coast tomorrow night. That's
decided
Tom had been gone just a month,
when letter from his Aunt Laura
brought CONSERVATION to Toms pa
rents.
After little preamble, in which she
declared her fondness for Tom and as
serted that she greatly enjoyed having
him with her, she begged them to re.
call him at once. ''He appears to be
simply infatuated with gay widow
who IS staying at the hotel near my
ranch" she wrote. II feel certain that
she is designing woman and that she
has made up her mind to marry Tom.
lie WIN llSttu w lHii6 ooy
against her and when | mentioned that
! was certain she was old enough to
be his mother, he remarked bitterly
that age seemed to be considered a
crime in our family. don't know
what he meant. But ! do know that
it would be most unfortunate for him
to become entangled with this dash.
Ing Mrs Gaynor. Iadvise you to send
for him Immediately. You needn't
have urged me to keep Tom from
reading or studying. He hasn't opened
a book since he's been here. He
and Mrs. Gaynor ride horseback near.
" all day long. The flowers In my
garden aren't good enough for her,
and he orders dollhouse roses from the
city twice week and the quantity OF
candy that he buys for her is pro-
digious,"
well, what do you know about I
that?' asked Toms father, aghast. 1T
looks very much as if We had snatched
Tom out Of the frying pan and dropped
him into the fire, doesn't It? Now we
must bring him back to the frying pan,
eh?"
Probably this designing widow has
quite banished the thought Of Miss
Goodrich" said Toms mother. $50
there may be some comfort in the stu
alton"
ITS amazing what an unmitigated
fool a boy can be- growled Toms
father, as he began to write tele-
gram.
81 don't see why you sent me such
a hurry CALL" Tom remarked to his
father on the day Of his arrival home.
"But I'm glad you did send for me.
NY eyes are better now and I'm tired
OF loaing. Can't you take me into
YOUR office, dad? I don't want to go
back to college. want to get to work
and begin to earn money"
"Wby?" asked Toms father, with
Iaconic severity
well, think ought to tell YOU
though it's secret. Still, Lucie Good
rich and Mrs. Gaynor both guessed It, /
and I think you and mother really
,ught TO know I want to go to work
lar Halle Lane. The fact is, we be- !
,ame engaged before she went to Eu-
rope"
"You did, sid you?" exploded Toms =.