The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-15
A Man Halter
How She Was Con-
verted From Her
Antagonism
BY ESTHER vANDEvEER

Oy CSAuCN VANOEVEEN
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
There are all sorts Of persons in the
world, both men and women. Those
who have an abnormal development Of
some kind are usually called cranks.
Miss Clara Bedford was one of these.
There was no ism too radical for her.
One Of her idiosyncrasies was antag
| onism to man. Man had kept woman
under his heel for centuries, making
her what she is, or, rather, what she
was, for, thank heaven, she is now
every day asserting herself.
"How about children" she was
asked. There must be fathers as well
as mothers. II women hate men. where
will the babies come inr'
Miss Bedford had no reply for this
Unreasonable persons don't seem to
need a reply to questions that tumble
their theories about their heads; their
confidence in what they believe is not
q whit lessened from the want of rea-
son. They 60 right on Just as If they
had an answer and perfectly salts
factory one.
Nevertheless, Miss Bedford was q
very human being. Down In the bot
tom of her heart she loved an imagi-
nary man and yearned for child.
However, acting upon her prejudices,
she arranged for her summer to get
away from men. She was wealthy and
bought a tract Of land in New Hamp-
shire upon which she built a cottage.
There she went with servants and q
few companions Of her own sex, re.
solved that II any man trespassed on
her property she would call upon the
law to eject him.
She used to get up in the morning
early and take long walks. One morn.
ing on one Of these walks she saw on
the border Of her domain a tent. What
was worse than the tent was a man
walking away from It. Miss Bedford
started at once for the trespasser, but
before she reached him he had disap.
peared among the trees. Reaching the
tent, she pulled back the canvas In
front and peeped in.
w Aot was ACI overwhelmingly " 6G6
lying on bed Of boughs child-a 1T
tie girl about two years old-asleep.
One chubby arm was thrown back
upon the pillow-for there was some
bedding-the other was under the COW
, er. The fine hair was tumbled, the
cheeks were round and rosy, in the
chin was dlmpe. The lips were
/ md chau-nd 20
teeth set in pink gums.
Miss Bedford went into the tent and
approached the sleeping child. The
cover at the foot Of the bed was disar-
ranged and showed five little toes.
Miss Bedford could not resist a temp.
tation to take them in her fingers. The
child gave little kick, opened its eyes
and frowned at the trespasser, Then
its brow smoothing It said:
Mamma"
Miss Bedford bent over the little girl.
who put out both arms to her to be
taken up. She lifted the infantile bur.
den Of flesh from the rude couch, kiss.
Ing 1t as she did so, and pulling its
clothes about 1t, took wicker chair,
the only article in the tent on which to
sit, and Rugged the baby to her breast
"Dindin," said the little one.
"Dindin," repeated Miss Bedford.
How am I to get you, dear little child,
any dindinT She looked about her
and went on, There's nothing here for
a grown person to eat, much less for a
child" There were cup and a saucer
and spoon. but not a morsel to eat.
"Dindin." repeated the child.
I'D like to know where that horrid
man Is who left you here to starve, "
said Miss Bedford.
II am here" said voice, and a man,
with cup of milk in his hand, threw
back the tent flap. Miss Bedford saw
that he had gone for the baby's break
fast and forgave him.
where did you get the milk" she
asked.
| From one Of your cows. I presume
you are the owner of the COW I MIXED. E"
That's not enough. You'd better get
some more"
The man poured the milk into anoth.
er cup and without word went away.
w ANAS hS WIS 6OhC MISS oCulOAu kuN z
the little girl milk to drink, which, be
ing warm from the COW, did not need
to be heated. ;. As she sat holding the
white milk to the vermilion lips she
was wondering how the man came to
bring baby on to her property and
feed 1t with milk from her cows. Had
+ not been for the innocent little baby
she might have upbraided him, though
he wore a sad countenance. She re
membered her principles and resolved
to give him a piece Of her mind az soon
as he returned.
But by this time the child had drank
the milk and was ready for more.
is there not morsel Of bread In the
tentT asked Miss Bedford.
mot crust" replied the man sadly
go to my house and tell the cook to
give you some of the cereal she Is pre-
pairing for breakfast and such other
food as she can find that win do for a
baby's food"
You are very kind. I am surprised
II fold hat