The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-31
A Tactless
Wooing
BY EDWARD J. STEWART

The evacuation of Vera Cruz had
taken place, and the fleet was ready to
sail. The surgeon in charge of the hos
pital approached the medical director
to report that all invalids had been re-
moved.
There's a man." said the former,
"who, think, must have died without
his death getting on to the list. He
was dying yesterday afternoon. l
haven't seen him since and presume
his body was removed. Conover should
have seen to it that the record was
made"
"Wer, there's no time now" said the
medical director, ito investigate the
case. We must 20 aboard"
So 1t was that when the ships reach
ed the United States the name of Hor-
ace Morton, petty officer, was reported
Died in hospital
Now, 1T happened that the elimina-
ton of Horace Morton was very ac-
ceptable to Mrs. Martha Jones, the
mother of Ethel Jones, who had been
betrothed to the sailor before he de-
parted for Vera Cruz. He had nothing
to marry on, while Philip Thompson, a
plumber, who also wanted Ethel, had
made considerable funds In his bust
ness and was able to take care of her
in good style. Mrs. Jones had set her
face against her daughters marrying
Morton, and to quiet the old lady Ethel
promised that If her lover lost his life
in Mexico she would marry Thompson.
After this promise there was peace in
the Jones family, Mrs. Jones hoping
that the man who she considered stood
in the way Of her daughters welfare
would be snuffed out by Mexican bull
let
But there was only small scrap at
the landing at Vera Cruz, and greatly
to Mrs. Jones' disappointment, Morton
was not among the killed. Then came
the evacuation, and with 1t the mother
made preparations to renew the fight
in the matter of son-in-law. But
when she read in :. morning paper that
Morton had died mt Vera Cruz she NUT
tered silent thanks and with every APP
pearahce of heartfelt sympathy broke
the sad news to her daughter, all the
while laying plans for a wedding with
the plumber.
Ethel shut herself up in her room for
a week, then came out with a surren-
der, telling her mother that since her
lover was dead she cared not whom she
married and was perfectly willing to
take the plumber or any one else. Such
being the case, Mrs. Jones sent Mr.
Thompson word that the way was open
for him to win her daughter, but she
advised him to be very circumspect
and proceed slowly. She believed that
Ethel thought she loved another, but
that the girl was deceiving herself. A
few weeks cOurtship would do the
business.
Mr.. Thompson. who was not an adept
in wooing woman who had just lost
the man she loved, began by sending
Ethel an invitation to a plumbers ball.
Fortunately. he sent it through Mrs.
JOucS, WIN lultW II III the lEe WITH All
haste and wrote her daughters non
acceptance on account of indisposition.
Mr.. Thompson's next move was send
ing bouquet Of flowers. Mrs. Jones
intercepted them, separated the posy,
put them in a box and gave them TO
Ethel as an offering of sympathy from
the donor.
This was a beginning, and Mrs.
Jones hoped that by carefully heading
Off the indicate attentions of Mr.
Thompson to bring the affair to a sue
cessful termination In due time. Why
she took so much pains to prevent heI
daughters being ruffled by the plumb
ers want of tact is not plain, because
Ethel was not in state of mind t
| care whom she married. Perhaps hel
/ motive was looking to the future. 1t i.
| also a question as to why Mr.. Thomp
! son was anxious to marry a girl who's,