The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-24
THAT BUNGALOW
BY KEITH KENYON.

Miss Candy was not a follower Of |
establishment at the age of forty in a |
profitable business as a contractor in
stead OF being a public stenographer, |
or milliner, or schoolteacher, as her |
friends had advised. One Monday |
morning, as she arrived at her Office |
in her usual stunning tailored clothes, |
she found no stenographer at the desk
where competent but comedy maiden
had busted herself for the past year.
Miss Candy felt a sickening sense Of
things gone awry as she saw on the
desk letter addressed to her.
when you read this I'll be far
away on my honeymoon" was the first
astounding statement. Miss Candy
scowled and dropped Imply into her
swivel chair, but she shrugged her
shoulders and reached for the tele-
phone to ask the typewriter agency to
send her a good stenographer.
Half an hour later her name was
Questioningly pronounced by a slim,
saucy-eyed little girl Of about twenty,
modishly dressed in a rose-colored
linen gown. with a white sports hat and
high white shoes. A white-gloved hand
passed the typewriter agency's card
of introduction to Miss Candy, who
felt many misgivings about the appli-
cant's capabilities. But her need of a
stenographer was immediate and dire,
! so she rose and began to outline the
service she required.
After the first few days Of Bessie's
service, Miss Candy began to hope
that she had found a treasure and
after the first few weeks she began
to fear that the treasure she had
found was too good to last. AS for Bes-
sic, she admired Miss Canby's dignity
and poise SO much that she sometimes
felt fleeting desire to become per-
manently settled in the business world.
Invariably, though, when Miss Candy
would leave her alone to go on a long
afternoon trip to some building site,
Bessie would find herself with little
to do and would turn through book
of bungalow plans, alluringly illus
| tldlCu III anu WOulu VI
some day sitting in a Powered gown
on bungalow porch while the dear
est boy in the world came up the
walk with a smile of loving greeting
for her
What on earth has happened to
you, Bessie Elkins?" asked Miss Can
by one morning, as Bessie appeared
with hollow eyes in which no smile
lurked and with colorless cheeks and
drooHng mouth. 81 suppose you've
quarreled with your sweetheart"
why, how do you known" Bessie's
surprise broke through her tears.
How could any woman help know
ing?" Miss Candy smiled. But cheer
up. 1t will all blow over in a day or
two"
"Not this time-it's real quarrel"
flood of tears swept speech tempo
rarily away, but, under Miss Canby's
encouragement, the turbulence sub
, sided and Bessie explained further.
"You see, we'd been spatting over lit
tie things and just to be pert, said:
oh, well, I've decided to be big
business woman like Miss Candy, any
how He told me to go and be a
carpenter-which he pretended to
think you were-since I'd made up my
mind not to live the sort of life every
woman ought to live. l told him he
had his nerve to map out a program
for every woman in the world, but he
could understand he wasn't to map out
any part of my program. So he went
off in huff and | haven't seen him
since, but" here sobs interfered with
the story-"but happened to learn
today that he has advertised the lot
he'd bought for sale, the lot we we're
going to have bungalow on"
Bessie's head went down on her
crossed hands upon her desk. Miss
Candy stood beside her and laid
hand on her shoulder. Then she drew
chair to Bessie's side and spoke
quietly, but determinedly.
This is serious, but it's going to
stop before 1t gets more serious. I'm
going to see your sweetheart and
straighten out this tangle."
Before Bessie could protest, Miss
Candy had gone. She moved about
slowly, stopping often to stare at moth
ing. After she had bathed her face
and powdered her nose she felt and
looked better. When her desk was al.
most in order, the telephone rang.
"Put on your hat and meet me at
Markham's in ten minutes" said Miss
Canby's voice commandingly.
Markham's confectionery shop was
a favorite downtown rendezvous for
women, and, just as Bessie entered it,
Miss Candy emerged from a telephone
booth in the entry.
| Come" she said, with mock for
mality, my lady's carriage awaits
her." Taking Bessie's arm she escort
ed her through the store and out
through a side entrance opening on
another street At the curb a taxicab
stood throbbing, and from the cab
sprang Robert Davis. whose eyes
pleaded eloquently as he held out his
hand to Bessie. She extended her
own hand timidly and the next minute
found herself in the cab with Miss
Candy speaking to her from the curb.
"You and Robert are going to look
over that lot once more, and If | can
dispose of some matters by telephone
I'll follow" A moment later, with
sly smile, she added: But for fear
shouldn't get out after all today,
want to say that the contractors job
on the bungalow for that lot is to be
my wedding gift to you two bungling