The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-25
Her DREAMS CAME TRUE
BY DONALD ALLEN.

Mrs. Matilda Fletcher was wash
ing windows. hopping the floors anu
doing a general cleaning up for the
widow Perkins. Mrs. Fletcher was
married woman who went out by the
day at dollar day.
Mrs. Perkins lived on small In
come. and so far as the people OF the
town of Mason had settled the mat
ter In their minds, she did not in
tend to marry again. She had been
asked time and time again by Mrs.
Shoemaker. Mrs. Schofield. Mrs. Kirk
and others II she didn't feel it better
to take a husband to build the fire in
the morning.
IF you were Mr.. Perkins up IN
heaven and saw some other man
building the fire and filling the tea
kettle for breakfast wouldn't you be
mad about it," she had made answer.
After Mrs. Fletcher had stood on a
chair for an hour and washed win
dows she entered the house. MRS.
Perkins. would you be mad If rested
my back for few minutes"
why, Of course not"
Ever since that California earth
quake / have felt a weakness In the
knees and back. 1t was the jar. l
suppose, though I did not wake up.
Are you affected by earthquakes"
mot in the least. The only thing
that affects me is my dreams"
you don't say? Do you have bad
dreams?"
Sometimes, and sometimes very
happy ones. You clean house for the
Widower Jackson every Saturday,
don't your"
Il do, and a nice man he is"
MRS. Fletcher, II / should tell you
something could you keep It to your
self"
you ought to know, Mrs. Perkins.
that am no blabber."
well, have dreamed that Mr..
Jackson rescued me from ferocious
bull, at the risk Of his own life. l
awoke calling him a brave man."
Mrs. Perkins,"
"Then I dreamed that Elder Bas-
combe's horse ran away, and was
about to run over me when Mr.. Jack
son caught him by the bridle."
did l ever!"
"And I was so weak in the knees
over my narrow escape that he had
to put his arms around me for few
minutes"
"And he was saying that he loved
you?"
IT think he was"
Good! Mrs. Perkins. you are
widow and Mr.. Jackson is widower.
Fate is trying to bring you together"
ut may be So" was the nuiet re-
Spouse. do you suppose Mr.. Jack.
son would be interested to know that
dreamed OF him."
Surely he would. 1t is a great
compliment to man to be dreamed
Of by a woman"
you could manage 1t somehow to
tell him that l had dreamed Of him?"
II could. He is quite a man for
mysteries"
III you could manage it, Mrs.
Fletcher, and say that have told no
one but you. end be sure to remem.
Der what he says"
II can"
my COW is getting rather old, and
my brother over in York is going to
send me another. and l will give the
old one to you"
MAY heaven bless you! shall
bring 1t about or die in the attempt"
Mrs. Fletcher swept and busted and
baked bread for the widower on Sat.
urday. as usual, and after her days
work was done she fastened to the
house Of Mrs. Perkins.
Il told him." explained Mrs.
Fletcher as she entered the house
81 found out that he believed in
dreams, and went at It and told him
all that you had told me-"
"And what did he say"
"He heard me all through and then
says: Mrs. Fletcher, there's much in
Dreams
"There surely is, SIR says l.
at wouldn't be so queer II I should
dream about her.
"'Not so very queer. SIR That's
what he said, Mrs. Perkins-the very
words, and he said them kindly"
Every WE'LL Mrs. Fletcher. Just as
soon as the new COW comes you shall
drive the old one home"
There were two things Mrs. Fetch.
er wanted right bad. She wanted to
help out the widow, and she wanted
that cow She knew II was an old
COW. and that her milking days were
over, and that the best thing about
her was her flv-switcher, but II
would be the first COW she ever
owned. Mrs. Fletcher was born with
q gift Of CAB and imagination. and
she had related that dream with such
JUNCTION and dramatic effect that 1t
lifted the widower or his heels. At
any rate he appeared at the Widow
Perkins house before midday.
81 think want 70 borrow your
garden rake-I think | do
"Why, with the greatest pleasure"
was the renlv
"And II don't want to borrow
your garden rake sure do want to
talk about dreams"
"Oh. dear me! Did that foolish
Mrs. Fletcher so and tell you about
my dreams?"
"She did. widow"
"But you don't believe in them,"
Most firmly-most firmly"
And Mr.. Jackson proved that he did.
Plump Wild Geese.
Seven wild geese caught on an ia.