The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-04
coMPAN|ONsHIP
BY DOROTHY eLAcKMoRE.

Because George Keene liked Elsie
Cartright very much he once asked
her to take one of his favorite walks
with him. This led them across the
Hudson and up over the bluffs Of the
Palisades. 1t included q country din
ner at the humble home Of a Jersey
farmer, at which the guests sat down
with the host and his family and the
whole hearty meal, from stew to pie, !
was put upon the table at once.
Since that day Elsie had avoided !
him, and he had learned from the
laughing lips of Peggy Arnott-who !
knew Elsie well-that the girl was
not yet free from the effects of that |
day in the country.
You should have known, George, |
that Elsie Cartright Is the last girl
! who would welcome q sun-kissed
nose. Don't you know that her beau.
tiful skin is the Joy of her life?" Peg
gy had asked merrily. And you know
Elsie was crazy about you-everyone
knows it." she added.
George shifted significantly. $50
, much for my best efforts at compan-
ionship with girls" he sighed.
Autumn was advancing rapidly and
the wonderful reds and yellows of
wood and meadow were drawing
Keene to Long Island. where he spent
that season. He bought his monthly
ticket and began early to commute
from his Office to the country.
On the occasion of his earliest
tramp into the woods he felt unusu-
ally lonely-more so than ever before,
he told himself dismally. And then,
as If to emphasize his solitariness, he
CHANGED upon three happy picnickers
building a fire over which to brew
their own coffee. He observed that
the girl and her mother were dressed
in outing clothes and that they wore
low-heeled boots and looked comfort
able and happy. He thought Of those
absurd heels of Elsie and was glad
that all women were not SO silly.
That's a bunch after my own
heart" he commented mentally as he
observed the father comfortably smok-
ing as he sat on fallen tree and
watched the women of his family pre-
pairing the picnic meal.
Doesn't this beat a dinner dance
all hollow" he heard the father ask.
mo more Of that regular life for
me-" the girl sang merrily as she
poked the fire. Then she stopped and
looked at her father and mother. III
l could find man could like as well
as you like father and who cared for
this sort of thing. Td-well, I'd marry
him, l believe" she said. But, alas
these men I've known have cared
more for ripping foxtrot and good
lobster supper than for this simple
amusement"
Keene heard 1t all. And as he wan
dered slowly on he heard the girl
scream: "Oh, dad, chase this dog
away! hate strange dogs. He's
after our dinner!"
; Here was another common interest
her dislike of dogs and his-strange
dogs, at least. He had heard of the
: companionship of CANNES, but he had
failed to see into it. He had never
yet seen the dog that knew a toad.
, stool from a violet or q sunset from a
sunrise, so he had failed to be con-
WINGED of their value as human com.
panions.
Nevertheless the incident gave him
an idea. He assured himself that he
must get acquainted with that trio by
: fair means or foul.
His neighbor had horribly vicious
looking dog that was as gentle as a
, turtle dove.
, Two days later, accompanied by the
: vicious-looking canine of his neigh
Dor, Keene strolled through the woods
, in which he had seen the trio of pic.
l nickers. The dog had been carefully
: starved during the entire day and
: was ravenous. All of which was ex
/ actly as Keene wished it to be. The
poor beast shifted under every bush
5 in the hope of unearthing even an an
8 cient bone.
3 Keene's heart beat fast as he ap
:. preached the picnic spot A juicy
1 steak was being grilled, and even
8 Keene's own mouth began to water
+ at the fragrance of it. And how that
: fragrance affected the hungry dog wat
: almost beyond description, 80 quickly
did 1t happen.
l. The dog dashed. Keene dashed at
|, ter him. They both landed in the
s midst of q surprised trio. Hes al
gentle as lamb" Keene kept crying
e He wouldn't bite anything"
Q "No-he looks like it," Mr.. Nevir
l. managed to say as the dog made fran
tic efforts to get at the broiling meat
b "Oh, I'm frightfully sorry" sait
g Keene, almost as earnestly as IL HI
had not planned 1t all and was ticklet
immoderately at the success Of hi
ruse.
!. The mother and daughter stoot
>. aside and laughed long and heartily
n I'VE really can't blame the poo
q thing!" said Molly.
a And then followed informal intro
" auctions and, after the coveted invi
a. tation to dinner. Keene tied the dol
d to a tree and promised him the tag
q and bones of the steak, with Mis-
a Molly's permission.
n After the embers of the fire ha
r. been raked out and the quartet wa
"a strolling aimlessly about the wood:
A Molly ventured a remark that please
8. Keene more than any simple word
is he had ever heard.
a 81 thought you would manage I