The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-04
CUPID
AT SEA
3, OSCAR COX

= - - WV ssS pSSVAoNt 0GOt bkADOGuO
Of remaining IN the city Of bis birth
Or going elsewhere In the United
States b decided to take Q longes
flight He sailed for South Ampri.x
and. not content With remniuina OH
the eastern coast. passed southwark
through the strait aud up to Chile.
There be became engaged In business
and there was every prvsIh-t that he
i would make that country hts perma
| nent home
A man settling in IN, distant mntl
10 not likely to feel At 1 -, With tue
people there and uaiur. .,ngs fol
bin old ASSOCIATED After n >oju,lrn OF
few years In Chile Willard thought
that II be had q wiftA--onp fr,m hi-
native land he would be better con
tented He remembered one I.eona
Andrews. very pretty girl that hp
had formerly been sweet" on. and IL
occurred to him to begin correspond
ence with her with a view to marriage
Miss Andrews replied to his letter
and be wrote again. the correspond
ence growing sweeter and sweeter I'll
be made q proposal BY letter. which
was accepted The young lady realiz-
ed that 1t would be difficult as we'll as
incOnvenient for him to return to
America to marry her and consented
to go to Chile for the wedding This
was a very satisfactory arrangement.
and Willard was happy over the pros
pect He bought house. furnished 1t
and made all essential arrangements
for his brides reception.
Miss Andrews wrote him OF the
steamer on which she would go to
Chile. the date Of her departure and
the date Of her probable arrival. vii.
lard counted the days till she should
come and his loneliness would be end.
ed. He had made a number of good
friends among the Chileans. and they
had volunteered to do all in their
power to make the lady's residence
among them a happy one.
One Monday afternoon the ship on
which Miss Andrews was coming was
announced to arrive the next morn.
ing. willard made arrangements for
a simple noon wedding to take place
on the day Of bis brides arrival. to
which q few friends were invited.
When the steamer arrived Willard
was on the dock. looking up to see his
6ancee. he saw her standing beside
a gentleman. and when she caught his
eye. instead Of greeting %Aim with a
happy smile, she looked embarrassed.
Running aboard. among the first to do
SO. he Joined the lady. who introduced
him to the gentleman beside her:
my husband"
The voyage had been q long one.
She had met fascinating man, and
the two had concluded that the most
satisfactory solution Of the problem
would be for them to be married be-
fore their arrival In Chile. Willard
would accept the inevitable without
unnecessary prolonged torture.
Thus ends the first part OF this
story. The second part is in this wise:
Willard in order to recover from the
shock bethought himself Of another
girl at home who might like nus
band even If he did bring her to dis
tant land and entered upon another
correspondence with marriage in view.
He was equally successful In this case
as the other, and 1t was not six
months after his mishap before he
was engaged again.
A great deal Of sympathy had been
enlisted for him In his disappoint.
ment, and his friends were much
pleased to hear that. after all. he was
to be made happy. He announced
that this time he would 60 for bis
bride and bring her back with him.
A sea voyage was poor place for con-
stancy when there was temptation at
hand He had suffered once from this
cause. and he did not propose to take
the rub second time.
willard In order to get away for %
long a time was obliged to take in a
partner. This he did. And when al
was running smoothly be Get sail for
the United States With the blessings Of
many friends showered upon him. The
women said nothing as to bis former
matrimonial experience, but the men
shouted to him from the dock, Don't
trust her on deck without you." BE
ware Of the captain II he u good look.
ing" and other such innuendoes upon
the constancy Of woman.
In due time willard returned with
bis bride. Now that be was married
innuendoes would be In bad taste, and
1t was agreed that they should not b
made. But owing to the groom's pre-
vious Notifying episode every effort
was made by the Chileans to give him
and his bride a good send0ff. When
the ship came In Willard was seen
standing on deck beside Chilean young
lady who had sailed for the United
States on the same vessel that willard
had taken when he went to be married
He was the color Of q boiled lobster.
He descended the gangway with the
Chilean lady and. on being greeted
somewhat wonderingly. introduced her
az his wife.
my friends" he said, II met Mrs
willard on our voyage out. and we
were married before landing In New
York"
'Oh. my goody graciousr' exclaimed
the women.
"Why couldn't you have c0urted her
here" asked the men. without going
all the way round the horn and up the
Atianticy'
"Gentlemen," said the groom. IF any
Of you doubt Cupid's power on an ocean
voyage try It and see for yourselvea-"