The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-02
PLAYING
GRANDMA
By Nj. QUAD
By nj. QUAD
Copyright 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

It was Mildred Bennett herself, who,
with a ladylike yawn, laid aside her
book and answered:
Almost as old as Methuselah."
"And do you know that you ought to
have been married two or three years
ago7 Here you are twenty-five years
old. and, as far as you have told me,
you have not even been in love yet
What Is the matter, dear?"
well, grandma, there's good many
things the matter. / am a sort of
talk fiancee; talk war"
"Pshaw, Mildred. You are too hard
on yourself. Go put ON your hat and
take long walk"
"Yes, / guess l WILL" was the an
swer and with the words a bright lit
tie thought flashed into the girls
brain, and her eyes sparkled with fun.
"If l am old enough to match Me-
thuselah's age am old enough to
wear spectacles and be a grandma"
laughed the girl as she took OF her
own outfit and brought from grand
mas room a different one.
When attired in grandma's best the
deception was q fair one.
Once outside of the gate she headed
down the road and began at once to
practice the gait that naturally goes
with old age. There was a small
grove beside the highway a quarter Of
a mile away, which she was bound
for.
Miss Mildred reached the grove with
out adventure. but one was coming
and close at hand. She took a seat on
a log and was wondering If anything
further would happen, when some
thing did. A man came out of the
woods on the other side of the high
way, and, as he saw her, he stopped
and asked:
Grandma, did you see a rabbit run
across the road here? / want to shoot
one and get one of its feet for luck"
"No; l didn't" was the reply as the
girl noticed that the man had a gun
and from his bearing was evidently
from the city.
well, there goes my chance" sigh
ed the young man, who was evidently
about twenty-five years old, as he
came across the road and sat down on
the same log and wiped the perspira-
alton from his forehead.
Miss Mildred turned a shoulder to
him to hide her face as much as pos
sible, but after a minute he continued:
Grandma, do you believe there's
any luck in carrying rabbits foot"
There may be-" was the muffied
rejoinder.
II have an old grandma myself" said
the man after pause of minute or
two. "She keeps to the old fashioned
ways, same as you do. and we never
try to modernize her. / beg your par
don when say that your attire is not
emily unique. but very becoming. Might
ask without rudeness how old you
areT'
II feel about hundred and. twenty
FIVE years DID," replied Miss Mildred.
well. that's a good old age" said
the stranger with laugh, ''and 1 hope
you'll live to be a hundred and fifty.
hope have not intruded, but must
go now. want to get that rabbit If
possible"
And Brian Moore, who did live in the
city and was out in the country for a
weeks holiday. rose up and lifted his
hat and went on. When he was out of
sight Miss Mildred lifted her spectacles
and placed them on the log beside her
and laughed heartily for the next ten
minutes. She must go back and tell
Grandma Parsons about it, and she did
go back. but when she rose up to go
she left the spectacles behind her. She
had been In the house ten minutes or
more, and she and grandma were max
ing merry over the adventure, when a
knock was heard at the front door.
"Pll see who is there" said the girl,
and, forgetting that she still wore the
ancient costume which she had donned
when she set out for the grove, she
walked through the hall and at the
door she came face to face with the
man who was hunting rabbits foot
He started back at sight Of her, and
she started back at sight of him. He
recovered first. and, handing out the
spectacles, he demurely said. and smil-
ed as he said 1t:
please, grandma, but you left your
spectacles behind on the log. 1 had to
go back there to see If the rabbit had
taken refuge under it,
Miss Mildred reached out and took
the spectacles, but she did not thank
him. She tried to, but failed. In
stead of thanks. she found herself say
Ing:
You look tired and hot. Shan't !
bring you a glass of water?"
IF you please" he half laughed.
The water was brought, and then
the two sat down on the veranda, and
when the girl confessed her crime,
with many a blush and giggle, and the
young man confessed that he was not
after rabbits, there was talk of other
matters.
! How should such an adventure end?
The answer came three months later,
when Grandma Parsons said to her
| granddaughter:
Mildred, Mr.. Moore has been call