The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-13
4 LADY OF THEORIES
BY ANNE o'HooAN.

ey ANNE o'HocAN.
(Copyright.l
In Allentown the towers Of the
State university buildings and the
chimneys Of the great leather fac
tories are equally prominent In the
landscape. In Nike manner, the wealthy
manufacturers and the dignifed pro-
fessors are equally prominent in the
social life Of the city. Wealth and
learning vie with each other In at-
tracing people to Athenetown.
Mira Wilson-whose husband IL the
professor Of political economy and 30
ciolosy 1t the colleges . lady Of
theories. One Of her theories touches
upon the motherhood Of man and the
just division Of property. Had she not
been actuated By this theory. she
would never have installed Jenny
Marks In the second-story-back bed.
room Of her house. In the other
houses on College Hin this particular
room served either ~ guest-room or
. room for one Of the family. Mrs.
Wilson had no children and few
guests.
Besides" she argued, should not
strive to make those who labor for me
comfortable. rather than stray visitors
who are not half 30 tired at the end
Of the day as my Jenny is? Especially
as the third-story bedrooms will do
perfectly for visitors-and Jenny IL
q treasure"
Both of these statements were true.
Before very long. Jenny. neat, deft
ton in the housekeeping circles Of
Athenetown, where everybody knows
everybody else's affairs, and where
good servants are scarcer than hens
teeth.
When housekeepers. far-sighted and
fortunate, were hard put for the serv-
ices of waitress. Mrs. Wilson very
amiably lent her treasure.
Soon Jenny was playing maid in the
dressing room of Mrs. Leading Manu-.
facturer Hardy-when that lady gave
reception; she had waited on the
table at Mrs. German Professor Won
Schmitt's first big dinner; and had
gained a familiar knowledge of vari
GUS other leading houses.
| It was in the early part Of Novem
Der that Allentown began to enjoy
its annual riot Of limitations and haz
ing.
But. strange to say, the annual orgy
Of Stiffness provoked comparatively
little comment In faculty circles
There were few perfunctory warn
ings against rowdyism. few rou
tine reminders of the purpose Of col
lege life. but nothing more.
The truth was that Athenetown, q
this time. was too much excited ovel
q series of skillful robberies to bother
much about the inevitable autumn out
break of rufianism.
Mrs. Letheridge had lost . pearl col
lar; Mrs. Hardy q set Of diamond OF
naments; Mrs. Won Schmitt. some rar
sapphires collected by her mother-in
law. Silver safes had been riaed o
their contents In half dozen house
before Thanksgiving day. Detective
came and ransacked houses. servants
trunks and pawnsHips. Fathers o
families slept with revolvers beneat
} their pillows.
The police in all the surroundin
! cities were notified to be on the lool
, 81 - a.
you've escaped entirely, haven
your" said Mrs. Webster (the "facult
bride" Of the year, to Mrs. Wilson, a
the two ladies sat at their luncheo
In the latters sunny dining room.
Il haven't anything worth taking.
laughed Mrs. Wilson. Its one &
) the advantages of poverty. But neitl
er have you lost anything. have you?
! The faculty bride nodded. Eyes,
I have. Our house was entered lat
! night-please don't say anything abou
1t, for 1 have more hope Of an arrei
II the news fs not bruited abroa,
They-or he-took q lot of trinket
We hope to trace them, however,
means of q set of old-fashioned Il
PAGES which were stolen. They al
unmistakable, 1t happens, and the
} description was telegraphed all owe
the country this morning"
I "But the thief will not try to d
pose of them in their settings. wi
he? And when they are removed
ITS the stones themselves that al
4 | - ID
J az Jenny came in to remove the sala
plates. They are very remarkabl
In the heart Of each there 10 a defe'
that makes. II you examine 1t und'
2 the microscope. a tiny. starry radi
ton. Every leading jeweler and paw
q shop keeper in the neighborhood ht
been informed. They we're stole
Z once before from my mother-the
were hers-and we recovered the
just because of these defects. In fac
! q gentleman is now serving a Sc
Z tence in Joliet for failing to know tn
little secret"
Mrs. Wilson looked half-reproachfl
ly at her guest "Ah." she said. "di
honesty is, of course, dreadful, but
you ever stop to think of the injusti,
that are the parents Of it; the inequs
titles of property. OF hap"
l Mrs. Webster interrupted her hos
ess with a good-natured laugh ;
| Jonuv hroupht in tha coffee