The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-26
AN INFORMAL TEA
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

-$'3'1f'FtF55't't't5 t''tt'''.''s''t'''t''tF33
Cornelia set out her favorite tea
service of black-and-gold china upon
the tray, lighted the samovar and got
the tiny cakes Dasie had left for ner,
and while waiting for the water to
boil opened a fresh box of caramels
and tore the wrapper from her latest
favorite magazine. Cornelia was SUI
pervisor of art, in a girls school near
the city. Every day at four, after
noisy, dirty trip on the cars, she had
her tea to wash the crayon, water
colors and carbon out of her system.
She filed her cup and took a sip,
pulled her chair nearer to the table,
prepared to enjoy her feast to the full.
Bang! The door of the living-room
opened like gunshot, breaking jar
diniere, and eXplosively closed again.
So quickly did it happen that Cornelia
would have thought she had been
dreaming except that in the place of
the jardiniere stood a redheaded
young man, robed. evidently just
emerged from the bath, in Cornelia's
little sitting room trying not to have
a chill.
Cornelia sprang up and in spite of
her establishment managed to get out:
Come over here by the fire and take
my chair. You're freezing"
II guess I surprised you'll" grinned
the newcomer.
"Rather!' answered Cornelia with
smile.
You see, it was this way he ex.
planned hastily. Il live in there" jerk
ing his head toward the wall, thereby
indicating the companion fiat to the
one Cornelia occupied. my bath is
across the hail. and when I was
through the spring lock on my door
had slipped and l couldn't get in.
Knocked at every door on my side of
the building and not a soul was at
home. Then l slipped down to the
entry and rang the janitor's bell, but
l guess he is out somewhere, for he
didn't come, either. l barely escaped
arrest by passing policeman who
looked in, so I made dash up your
side of the stairs, and then hap
pened to think we had a common We
randa out of our front windows. I
can get out here, smash pane in my
window and-presto! change - I'm
home"
I'll lend you my topcoat and ham
mer. I'll have to leave the rest of
YOUR rescue IN tho pods -
mo need when a goddess is so
kind"
You sound Hibernian.''
Il am as Irish as Paddy's pig, and
proud OF it," promptly answered he,
and my name, to prove it, is Dennis
Harrigan."
An opened and closed window, a
sound Of splintering glass, and the
robe was gone.
week later Cornelia was chaper.
oning bevy Of young girls to a pond
to skate. For while, they skated in
pairs, but when the girls decided to
crack the whip, Cornelia declined and
went upon a little excursion of her
own up a tiny stream that appeared
to be frozen solid. But suddenly the
ice cracked. and in an instant she was
in the frigid water.
Faith, it's the goddess" said a IA
miliar voice in her ringing ears. Co..
nelia's departed senses returned with
jump.
The tall Irishman was carrying wet
little Cornelia to the seminary, and
the little adventure was over for the
day.
But not for the next, and the next,
and so on ad infinitum, for Dennis had
to come over to the little fiat every
day to inquire for his neighbor and
bring rose of two. And then he got
to stopping longer, and finally sitting
for an hour or so. And then one eve
ming he said: "Cornelia darling. I've
been thinking that something was
meant when we saved one another
from an early grave
Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate)