The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-16
A Painful
Experience
By SADIE oLCOTT

those incidents trifling in themselves,
but which have caused the separation
Of lovers. This led TO narration of
experiences. Miss Dartmore said that
she had broken with a lover because
she had invited him to dinner and, In
stead of appearing in evening dress, he
had worn a business suit. Miss Win
tiers confessed that she had shown tenn
, per while playing tennis with man
who would doubtless have proposed to
her. He had sent a ball that struck
her on the nose, drawing blood that
had stained a newly Numbered skirt.
There were other omissions, mishaps
and displays of natural imperfections
| which lovers do not expect to find In
each other and which had the par
ties been wedlocked would not have
been considered of the slightest conse-
quence.
One lady of the party, still young
enough to repair any such damage,
sat mutely listening to these recitals,
wearing the while a woebegone coun-
tenance. Being asked If she had not
had such an experience, she admitted
that she had, but she had suffered so
severely In consequence that she could
not bear to talk about It Every one
present urged her to tell the story,
promising sympathy, and all were sure
that she could not herself in anyway
have been at fault. Being finally per-
suaded, she spoke as follows:
"In my girlhood l always favored
boys older than myself, and since 1
have been grown have admired not
youths who talk of trivial subjects, but
men of caliber. Professor PoindeXter
caught my fancy by his dignihed APP
pearance and the depth of his under
standing. l first saw him at lecture
he delivered on Antiquity Of Litera-
| ture.' 1t seemed to me that every
word he uttered weighed ton. The
party l was with remained after the
lecture, and was introduced. shall
never forget the courtly bow with
which he greeted me, and my heart
fiuttered at the look of admiration he
! gave me.
1.-The very next day l was informed
/ by one of the ladies of the party with
whom l had attended the lecture that
Professor Poindexter desired to know
me, and she asked permission to bring
him to call upon me. OF course as
scented and. l admit. counted the days,
almost the hours. till he came. He
was very formal, but this only added
to the admiration l felt for him. Dur
ing the rest of our acquaintance he
never unbent, but always treated me
with the most profound reverence,
which at times melted to tenderness.
Aware that it would be fatal for me
to make display of my shallowness.
contented myself with leading him
to speak on ponderous subjects, then
listened, with my eyes fixed upon bin
In rapt admiration, though l confess
! seldom understood what he was say
ing. Occasionally when glimmer Of
his meaning permeated my dun brain
would venture some question per-
tanning to the subject, whereupon he
would kindly say that what failed to
grasp had puzzled many Of the strong
est intellects. and he would thus en-
ter upon an explanation that would
drown me in sea of unintelligible-
ness.
MY admirer was twenty years old
er than l, but that only added rever
ence to the love felt for him.
81 cannot refer to the evening he
proposed to me without emotion" Herr
the speaker wiped away a tear. 1--WE
were in the drawing room, lighted by
lamps with shades Of various hues.
was sitting on a sofa, he in an easy
chair directly before me. He took my
hand in his and
: The narrative was interrupted by
food of tears.
. "Never mind the proposal, dear,
said several ladies at once. ITS to-
} affecting. Pass on to what caused tn
separation"
The speaker composed herself, wipe,
away her tears and proceeded
I'VE had been engaged a month.
I had introduced Professor Poindexte
to my friends, proud of him and hi
learning. One day we went shoppin
together. Among other things IN
i fiance bought was an alarm clock. H
3 said he wished to put in few hour
8 of study before breakfast and needle
9 to be awakened. The clerk showed u
: how to set it and gave US a specime
: of the alarm, which was loud enoug
u | 70 bo dn0d ~ oNnnIfrs
ed to take 1t home himself since b
! needed 1t the next morning, so he pU
l. It in his coattail pocket We wer
! home In a trolley car. Among the pa
, sengers l recognized several Of my a
= quaintances. So proud of my captuI
> was I and so DESTROYS of showing o
his learning that led him to talk @
an abstract subject. Those who wei
near enough to hear what he sal
were listening intently when
The speakers sobs burst forth agai
shaking her utterance.
70 Poor thing! Calm yourselfr' can
d from the listeners, while one curiol
70 lady cried impatiently, "Stop 70,
' sniveling and go onP Finally the d
. nouement came:
THE alarm clock in his pocket we
y off,"
70 Nothing was heard for a time b
. the speakers sobs till lady asked:
" did it ring very long?"
:, Forever gasped the narrator.
III "Then what?"
10 "When we left the car, both red
le beets, cried. You old fool, why did
T. you have it sent homer"
Is.
be f.
Wanted Help.
Four-year-old Mac had been playi
with the hammer and mislaid Il. Ds