The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-09
Baby Love
By ETHEL HOLMES
By ETHEL HOLMES

happening, so Is the beginning of love.
Young love has its measles, its whoop-
ing cough and its collie.
Charlie Edmonds was twenty-one
and Rosa Lee eighteen when they be-
came engaged. There was a cyclone of
ecstasy for twenty-four hours, then
revulsion. Charlie wondered IL he
hadn't done something dreadful. He
wanted to go right of and put himself
back where he was before; but, be-
ing a man of honor and not seeing
how he could honorably do so, he hest
tated. Besides, he shrank from going
back on the wild enthusiasm Of the
initial transports and coffessing that
be was so unstable. The truth is he
was staggered by the responsibilities
he had assumed.
Forty eight hours absence from his
love was quite enough to cause him to
forget the responsibilities and to long
for another kiss. 1t was s o'clock in
the afternoon when this new phase
came over him, and he resolved to go
to see her after dinner. That would
be O'clock. How would he get
through those intervening three hours?
At half past Z he could stand 1t no
longer and started for her home Fortu-
nately it required fifteen minutes to
get there. He saw a figure at the
froEt window and on entering the
drawing room saw the girl sitting In
the cleaning. He advanced to en-
brace her. She waved him back.
II suppose it is all mistake" she
said.
"All mistaken His heart sank
within him.
Eyes. 1t is impossible that you can
love me and remain away from me all
these long days"
"All these long days! Why, we have
been engaged only since the night be-
fore last"
II sat here in this window waiting
for you till o'clock, then went to bed
and cried all night"
"Poor, dear little girl" he said. wind
ing his arms about her and smuggling
her face-or. rather, her lips-against
his.
The first spasm of baby love had
passed and was succeeded by six hours
of rapture.
He started to go at 2 a. m, got to
the drawing room door at 2:15 and the
last kiss was at 2:30 in the vestibule.
Baby love didn't have spasm or
anything else for another two days,
Meanwhile Charlie was getting down
to engaged life quite rapidly. A man
moves from one position to another; q
woman. I'm certain respects, is apt to
remain where she finds herself. Baby
love had all the children's ills, but
with every one Charlie gained by ex-
perience and came to consider them q
matter of course, Three months after
his engagement he called on his flance
one evening to find symptoms that
shortly before would have been alarm.
ing.
Its perfectly evident" said Rosa
withdrawing from him as he advanced
to give the usual lovers salute, "that
this cannot go on any longer"
What can't go on any longerT
why, your indifference to me when
we are In other company"
what have done nowT'
"Doyou think that your treatment OF
me at Mrs. Randall's garden party was
such as have right to expectT
What did I dol"
you know very well what you did.
When asked YOU to get me an ice, In
stead Of doing so at once you continued
your conversation with Mrs. Fitz Ger.
aid, paying no attention to me what
ever"
MRS. Fitz Gerald was telling me an
incident that happened to her. could
not break away from her in the mid
die of her story, could IT'
'You didn't wish to break away from
her. You were listening with rapt at
tention."
Surely you're not
Jealous? Oh, dear, no. I wouldn't
think Of being jealous of an old woman
like that She's twenty eight II she's a
day"
For the first time since his engage
ment w0man's unreasonableness began
to rub the wrong way. His brow low
cred.
you say that things can't go on any
longer In this way. Do you mean that
our engagement must be brokenT'
"Unless can be assured that you
are not to be caught by any married
woman who chooses to throw a spell
over you"
81 thought you said you were not
Jealous of Mrs. Fitz Gerald"
I'm not Mrs. .Fitz Gerald is not the
only designing woman there is in the
world"
What do you wish me to dor
This was a poser. Rosa, not having
any reply to make. was silent She had
had her say and was ready to make 1t
up. She stood looking down at the
door. and as there was no antagonism
In her expression Charlie went to her
and took her In bis arms.
Charlie hoped that the end Of these
parOxysms would come with marriage.
They did not end with the wedding
day nor with the honeymoon. Not till
a real baby came was there a per
ceptiblA change. Then Charlie sudden
" discovered that his wife had found
another love which took the edge OF
the first A genuine rival had dis
placed him.