The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-15
No Relief
in Sight


When Ledeson's sisters two GIG
Cling friends we're finally slowed away
on the Pullman and Ledeson had e.
capped from their staccato thanks Anu
their parting reminders and message.
and general feminine ordinations Go
hsavsd his first relieved breath ~.
two weeks. which was the length OF
their visit.
One would not brutality say that
Ledeson hated women-merely tnat ~
particular woman had impressed nim
with the marvellous charms OF the seA
a. q whole. The efRervescing kind were
a particular trial to him. and tnes0
two had been especially efervescent'
The two weeks had indeed been .
nightmare.
Just as a reward Of merit ana :
bracer Ledeson decided to take tne
day OF and 60 out to his golf ciuo.
A whole day tramping the sod, entirely
free from the blight Of woman
presence. appealed to him as the uiti'
mate Joy.
Then lust as he tried to walk
through the first car to the smoker
Mrs. Wicketts called him.
"Oh! Are you going out to the CLUB
too?" she chortled How perlecty
lovely! So are we! Stella. dear; let
me present Mr.. Ledeson. My cousin.
Miss Geddit, Mr.. Ledeson. Stella mas
never played golf and | was bound she
should have q chance to learn even II
the club is deserted at this season.
That's why I'm 5000 glad we met
you-you know all about golf! can
sit on the veranda and crochet while
you and Stella roam the links"
Mrs. Wicketts beamed upon her
victim. Cousin Stella, too. beamed
upon him. She was young thing
and Ledeson saw In his first horrified
glance that she was even more eher-
vescent than the two who had just
been removed from the scene by a
Pullman car.
How perfectly lovely" echoed Cou-
sin Stella. I'm simply crazy to play
golf! Can learn in one afternoon
learned a perfectly dreadful en-
broidery stitch in only two hours the
other day-and I'm a splendid croQuet
/ player down home!"
Ledeson violently twisted his coun-
tenance into the polite smile that had
been SO badly overworked Of late.
What he really wanted to do was to
seize Cousin Stella by the yellow
curls on the back Of her head and
give her neck one swift comprehen
sivs twist. Centuries Of conventional
ancestors, however. enabled him to
say hoarsely that he would be delight
ed to teach Miss Geddit.
1t was worse. much worse. than he
could have dreamed He had never
known that . girl could be quite &C
idiotically awful. The polite smile
was 30 firmly glued to his face that
1t would have staid even had an old
college chum tried to borrow money
from him. In a dase Of misery Lede
sen walked from the station to the
club with Cousin Stella trotting along
beside him chattering every inch Of
the way. and Mrs. Wicketts beaminf
placidly. Bitterness surged In hi:
heart as he secured clubs and joined
his tormentors. Cousin Stella clappee
her hands babyishly.
"Oh. are these what you play WITH
she burbled. How much does it coun
when you hit the ball? Why dom
they make them bigger? My goodness
Isn't there a net to play over or any
thing?"
Like q man going to execution, Led
eson stalked to the first tee. With
sigh he turned to give his first in
structions. Then he stopped.
Cousin Stella was making a nea
little mound Of sand and placing he
ball upon It Then in q calm, COO
businesslike way she stepped back
screwed up her eyes and swung he
club twice. There was q crack whicl
sent the white sphere hurting q ma,
velous 400 yards. She turned her In
nocent blue eyes upon Ledeson an
/ there was . deep silence. Then Il
. strangled way he seemed to be tr,
ing to say something.
. Cousin Stella crumplsd over he
! stick In spasm Of hysterical laugh
. ter. Il couldn't help IT," she gaspst
mo human girl could II she'd SEQ
that look Of rage and horror on you
face when Mrs. Wicketts thrust m
> upon you! She didn't know that ve'y
. golf club down homo and that ~
! won elk cups! Now I'll 20 and crochs
I with Mrs. Wickstts and leave you
: psacs!"
Il Indeed you WON'T" Ledeson explo,
. ID. II had dawned upon him III,
, Cousin Stella was really = wonderf,
exception to all other girls. Your
, going to play golf with me Ill afts