The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-02
A DOUBLE
MISTAKE
By ElINoR MARSH


you But | confess that am sur
priSed'
AT what. may | ask"
Mother wrote me that you were
very young looking for your age, but
/ did not expect to see man who can
not have reached middle age
And | have been told that you. too,
do not look your age"
II? Why, how old do you think me?'
"A man has no right to think at all
about lady's age. l 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, hal"
Mr. Edmonds was the only one of
the two who laughed at his own joke.
Miss Fielding looked at him, wonder
ing If he were not a trifie daft. Her
mother, who was widow, had writ
ten her that she was engaged to be
married to q Mr. Edmonds, who would
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 man who
appeared to be fifteen or twenty years
younger than herself, who cracked
i jokes about changing the woman he
! was to marry for two girls? What did
! it all mean?
! AS for Edmonds, his father had
written him of his engagement and
/ had asked him to call OH his fiancee,
/ who would be at home after a certain
i date. He supposed he was calling on
| his future stepmother and Gwen sup
posed she was receiving her future
stepfather.
/ 81 must confess, Mr.. Edmonds," said
, Gwen coldly, that you are quite diff
ferent man from the one expected to
see"
"And | confess" was the smiling re-
ply, chat am very agreeably disap-
pointed in YOU"
Gwen looked at him with n blank
stare "What kind of a person did
you expect to meet?' she asked
"A woman twice your age"
And | expected to find in you man
from fifty TO sixty"
MY father in that case would be
from eighty to hundred"
II am not considering your father
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 girl?"
It was now Mr.. Edmonds' turn tt
be astonished II was given to under
stand that both your parents were
dead" he said.
my father is dead. but assure yor
that if you are to talk as nonsensically
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 younl
girls"
"All have to say" rejoined Mr.. Ed
monds. with puzzled look on his face
sis that, while know nothing what
ever of the prospective mother-in-law
htsi.l la 10 In ic ~
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
well disposed man and am sure will
be able to get on with his bride. hn
as for mother-in-law. II she Is liki
the most of them it will be monke,
and parrot business between them"
Miss Fielding stood looking Mt Mr.
EdmOnds with amazement and grow
, ing anger for few moments, theI
swept out of the room. saying ms sh
went that her mother must have gon
stark. staring mad. Reaching tn
front door she went out shutting
behind her not over carefully.
II wonder what the governor means,
n said Mr.. Edmonds to himself, by ~
ing himself up to a young thing Xix
? that and evidently with fine temper
n 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 hal
erammed it down on his head, an
a went his way.
8 The next day Mrs. Fielding returned
learned that Mr.. Edmonds had Gale
n and asked Gwen if she was please
q with him.
g PLEASED with him. said GweI
: Mamma, have you gone mad to Ell
. gage yourself to young fellow VIII
v says he would like to change you f.
d two girls, each twenty years oldY'
Il Gwen! What do you meanT
h Why, mother; he's young enough I
n be your son."
e HE is sixty-two."
Mother and daughter looked at eac
II other without speaking.
II Are you sure that it was Mr.. T.,
monds who called?' asked the mothe
'. Gwen went to dresser, took a car
e, from 1t and handed it to her mother
why, this is Harry's card"
lie Harry"
Yes, stupid! Didn't you see IL
10 junior on it, Harry is Mr.. Edmond
t. only son. He is worth $250,000 in h
own right and would make a goo
to catch for you"
er Catch" cried Gwen in dismay.
ls expect he considers that he has caugl
a tartar"