The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-11-21
A Man Halter
How She Was Con-
verted From Her
AntaGonism
BY ESTHER VANDEvEER

j.
TheIe 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 chfldren?' she was
asked. "There must be fathers as well
as mothers. If women hate men, where
will the babies come in?"
Miss Bedford had no reply for this.
Unreasonable persons don't seem to
need reply to questions that tumble
their theories about their heads; their
confidence in what they believe is nor
whit lessened from the want of rea-
son. They go right ON just as If they
had an answer and perfectly salts
factory one.
Nevertheless, Miss Bedford was
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 tract of land in New Hamp-
shire upon which she built cottage.
There she went with servants and
| few companions of her own sex, re-
solved that If 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 tent. What
was worse than the tent was q man
walking away from 1t. 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.
What was her establishment to see
lying OH bed of boughs a child-a it,
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
err. The fine hair was tumbled, the
cheeks were round and rosy, in the
chin was dimpS. The lips were
parted and showed a few little white
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 a little kick, opened its eyes
and frowned at the trespasser. Then
its brow smoothing, 1t 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 it, 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 to get you, dear little child,
any dindin?" She looked about her
and went on, There's nothing here for
grown person to eat, much less for a
child" There were cup and saucer
and spoon, but not n morsel to eat
| rnnnotn1 tho-oh;JJ
I'D like to know where that horrid
man is who left you here to starve."
said Miss Bedford
81 am here" said a voice. and 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. / presume
| you are the owner OF the cow / MIXED
| THAT'S not enough. You'd better get
some more"
The man poured the milk into anoth-
er cup and without word went away
While he was gone Miss Bedford gave
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 tC
bring baby on to her property and
feed it with milk from her cows. Had
i not been for the innocent little baby
she might have upbraided him, though
he wore n sad countenance. She re
membered her principles and resolved
to give him piece of her mind as sooI
as he returned.
But by this time the child had dranl
the milk and was ready for more
"Is there not morserof bread In tn
4 tent?" asked Miss Bedford.
mot crust" replied the man sadly
go to my house and tell the cook t
! give you some of the cereal she is pre-
pairing for breakfast and such othe
food as she can find that will do for
baby's food"
"You are very kind. / am surprised
was told that you would permit n
trespassing on your property, so l di
not camp on 1t. am just beyond you
border"
what do you mean by keeping TIL
child in a tent with nothing to eat e,
cept what you can get By foragingy'
Il L ap0rartr ~ ha lar