The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-30
A DOUBLE
MISTAKE
By ELINOR MARSH

very young looking for your age. but |
l did not expect TO see man who can
not have reached middle age"
And l have been told that you. too.
do not look your age"
~? Why. how old do you think NEE"
"a man has no right to think at all
about lady's age. was given to I'M
derstand that you do not look forty
Forty
That's what was told. To me You
don't look over twenty. But perhaps
there are two of you about twenty
each.''
you speak in riddles"
did you never hear of the man who
said that woman of forty should be
like bank bill that may be changed
for two twenties? Ha, ha!'
Mr.. Edmonds was the only one of
the two who laughed at his Nwn joke
Miss Fielding looked ut him, wonder
ing If he were not tritlc daft Her
mother, who was 4 widow, had writ.
ten her that she was engaged to ne
W Il MI. WIZ Npui
call upon her: that he was of suitable
age for the mother and she hoped
| Gwen would be pleased with him.
Was her mother to marry II man who
appeared to be fifteen or twenty years
younger than herself, who cracked
Jokes about changing the woman he
was to marry for two girlsG What did
| 1t all mean?
As for Edmonds, his father had
written him of his engagement and
| had asked him to call on his 1iancce,
| who would be at home after certain
date. He supposed he was calling on
his future stepmother, and Gwen sup
posed she was receiving her future
stepfather.
Il must confess, Mr.. EdmOnds," said
Gwen coldly, that you are quite diff
ferent man from the one l expected to
see"
"And | confess" was the smiling re
ply, that am very agrccably disap-
pointed In YOU"
Gwen looked at him with blank
stare. what kind of a person did
| you expect to meet?" she asked.
"A woman twice your age"
"And | expected to find i'll you man
from fifty to sixty"
"Ny father in that case would be
from eighty to hundred"
~ am not considering your father
I am speaking of man OF suitable
age
But would you consider man
three-Quarters of century old suita
Bile match for girl
"Girl! Do you consider my mother
a girlT"
1t was now Mr.. Edmonds' turn t.
be astonished II was given to under
stand that both your parents were
dead" he said.
"My father is dead, but assure yor
that il you are to talk as nonscnsically
to my mother as you have been talk
ing to me you'll find her very mucf
alive. assure you she will not brool
proposal to change her for two young
girls
"AIl have to say" rejoined Mr. Ed
monds, with puzzled look on his face
ais that, while ! know nothing what
ever of the prospective mother-in-law
the bride to be is very charming"
what mother-in-law"
my fathers | fear that If she Il
disposed to be cranky there will b,
trouble in the family. My father Is 1
well disposed man and I am sure viii
be able to get on with his bride, bu
as for mother-in-law, IL she is like
the most of them 1t will be monkey
and parrot business between them"
Miss Fielding stood looking at Mr.
Edmonds with amazement and grow
ing anger for a few moments, theI
swept out Of the room, saying as sht
went that her mother must have gon,
stark. staring mad. ReAching thu
front door she went out. shutting 1
behind her not over carefully.
Il wonder what the governor means,
said Mr.. Edmonds to himself, "by ty
ing himself up to young thing like
that and evidently with fine temper
And won't she make 1t hot for me"
He waited until Gwen had had tim,
to get some distance from the house
then went into the hall. took his hat
crammed it down on his head. ant
went his way.
The next day Mrs. Fielding returned
learned that Mr. Edmonds had callet
and asked Gwen IL she was pleased
with him
PLEASED with him. said Gwen
"Mamma, have you gone mad to Ell
gage yourself to a young fellow WHIT
says he would like to change you fol
two girls, each twenty years old"
Gwen! What do you meanT'
why, mother: he's young enough L
be your SON."
"He is sixty two"
Mother and daughter looked at eacl
other without speaking.
Are you sure that 1t was Mr.. Ed
monds who called?" asked the mother
Gwen went to a dresser, took a care
from it and handed it to her mother
why, this is Harry's card"
Harry"
Yves. stupid! Didn't you see tbs
Junior on 1t? Harry is Mr.. Edmonds
/, only son. He is worth $2JO,OO0 in hi
own right and would make a gooC
catch for you"
Catch cried Gwen in dismay. e
! expect he considers that he has caugh
q tartar"
Daily Thought.