The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-20
A Painful
Experience
BY SADIE oLcoTT

those incidents trifling in themselves,
| but which have caused the Separation
of lovers. This led TO a 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 a man
who would doubtless have proposed to
her. He had sent ball that struck
her on the nose, drawing blood that
had stained a newly Numbered skirt
There We're 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 l
have been grown l have admired not
youths who talk of trivial subjects, but
men of caliber. Professor Poindexter
caught my fancy by his dignified ap-
pearance and the depth of his under
standing. l first saw him at a lecture
he delivered on Antiquity Of Litera-
ture.' 1t seemed to me that every
word he uttered weighed a ton. The
party | was with remained after the
lecture, and was introduced. l shall
never forget the courtly bow with
which he greeted me, and my heart
fiuttered at the look of admiration he
gave me.
THE very next day l was informed
by one of the ladies of the party with
whom | had attended the lecture that
Professor PoindeXter desired to know
me, and she asked permission to bring
him to call upon me. OF course l as
scented and, | admit counted the days.
almost the hours, till he came. He
was YER, 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 1t would be fatal for me
to make display of my shallowness,
l contented myself with leading him
to speak on ponderous subjects, then
listened, with my eyes fixed upon him
In rapt admiration, though I confess
| seldom understood what he was say
ing. Occasionally when a glimmer Of
his meaning permeated my duh brain
l 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 |. but that only added rever-
ence to the love felt for him.
Il cannot refer to the evening he
proposed to me without emotion" Here
the speaker wiped away a tear. 1--WE
were in the drawing room, lighted by
lamps with shades of various hues. l
was sitting on 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. "It's too
affecting. Pass on to what caused the
separation"
The speaker composed herself, wiped
away her tears and proceeded:
I'VE had been engaged a month. l.
had introduced Professor Poindexter
to my friends, proud of him and his
learning. One day we went shopping
together. Among other things my
fiance bought was an alarm clock. He |
said he wished to put in a few hours |
of study before breakfast and needed |
to be awakened. The clerk showed us
how to set 1t and gave us specimen
OF the alarm, which was loud enough |
to wake the dead. My flance conclud-
ed to take 1t home himself since he |
needed 1t the next morning, so he put |
1t in his coattail pocket. We went
home IN a trolley car. Among the pas
sengers I recognized several of my ac-
So proud of my capture
was I and so DESTROYS of showing of
his learning that l led him to talk on
an abstract subject. Those who were
near enough to hear what he said
were listening intently when
The speakers sobs burst forth again,
shaking her utterance
Poor thing! Calm yourselfP' came
from the listeners, while one curious
ady cried impatiently. "Stop your
and go onW Finally the de-
came:
1.-THE alarm clock in his pocket went
III"
Nothing was heard for time but
he speakers sobs till a lady asked:
did 1t ring very longT"
Forever" gasped the narrator.
"Then what?"
when we left the car, both red as
'eets, cried. You old fool. why didn't
you have it sent homer"