The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-03
HOW ONE AWKWARD
YOUNG MAN WON OUT
Sought Cure for Embarrassment
in the Country and Found
a Wife.
BY LAWRENCE ALFRED CLAY.

Copyright 1912, by Associated Literary
PressD
] In the world of today young man
/, who has been about is credited with
| a full share of self-confidence, and
If he had any rough points to begin
with to have had them polished down
| by contact with society.
Franklin Graham was an exception.
Nature had given him handsome
face, as 1t had many Grahams before
him. His figure was good too. but
he went about in a continual state OF
embarrassment and awkwardness.
Mischievous young women and the
jokers at his clubs kept him on edge
all the time He realized his draw
backs. man may realize that he
has a backache, but that doesn't cure
the ache He would brace up now
and then and try to be assertive, but
the effort only made things worse.
When man is embarrassed and awk-
ward and has stammer added to 1t
and he steps on a girls train and sits
down on a fifty-dollar fan and refers
to Renfew as Jones, what's the use
of struggling further?
When was your age ! was just
that way" said "a middle-aged club
man who liked the boy and felt pity
for him.
He lied when he said he was just
that way, but he lied with good in
tent. If all liars had good intentions
there would be no evil in tipping
chairs back on their hind legs and
lying for half day at time.
Did you see doctor about it,"
asked young Graham
Certainly not doctor can cure
the measles. but he's got no remedy
for your case
Then wh-what shall ] d-do?"
Cut out the town for awhile and
go down the country to some village
and begin on the ground floor Rub
elbows with Tom, Dick and Harry.
Mingle with the people Talk, fish,
loaf around. You've seen Europe, but
there are villages twenty miles away
you haven't seen. You've attended
functions and high teas, but you've
never taken straw ride You've seen
grand danes and angel girls in eve
ming attire, but you've not fiirted with
the village belle. Go to, young mani"
And week later young Graham
went to Harpersville. Nice little town,
nice river, nice people. good fishing,
nice air, He was surprised at find
ing such place in America. Some.
what embarrassed and somewhat awk-
ward, but not SO much as he expected
to be, he found the old-fashioned inn,
but he had stopped at worse in Eu.
rope and felt the romance of it
There was Uncle Hiram Buzz to wei
come him as he had welcomed every
stranger for the last fifteen years.
We'll. my son. come to stay a
while?" he began.
Il hope So
Glad to hear It, Well treat you
right Cost of living has gone way
up, but we are not robbers here. Come
from the city. ! s'pose?"
Yes, sir"
Folks there all well when you
left?"
81 think So"
Glad to hear It. Some one has
predicted that the cholera would be
along this summer but we amt a BIZ
skeered of 1t up here Dye like the
looks of the town."
Yes. sir"
Glad to hear that. because know
We shall all like you You jest pitcf
right in and be one of us. There's
dog fights every day or two-picnics
swimming, fishing. dancing, goins
after berries-oh, wen take keer o.
you
And there We're three or four youns
men that wore very large cuffs ant
very high collars who called and in
vited the stranger to have game o
pool on the dusty old table. and tn,
landlords daughter introduced hin
to several girls. and within a weel
the young man was surprised him
self 1t seemed that he had neve
moved among real people before
There was no polish-no formality
The boys laughed loudly, and tn
girls chewed gum. Franklin Graham
was learning something new ever,
day, and he was rather glad of It.
He had been in Harpersville tel
days when he went fishing. A freckl
| fon>H hav ~,,fAnA Atv,, - a .o.x -
hind the old sawmill. and befor
running away whispered to him tba
the girl sitting there with the pol
and line was Miss Greenleaf. Nj
Graham's bashfulness returned wit
rush. He realized that the girl wa
superior to any one he had yet see
or met In the village. She didn't ca
out to him that fishing was good. I
fact, she didn't even appear to motto
his presence Was there a certai
etiquette about fishing? What wa
IT. Was young man supposed I
advance. hat In hand. and ask a gi
II please might he fish In that river
He had been standing undecide
for two or three minutes when II
girl looked up and queried:
Come to fish,"
Yes"
We'll, why don't you fish, them"
Thereupon, in his excitement, M
Graham stepped on his own feet ar
fell down and rolled over on Il
planks.
Queer way to fish," said the 81
as she hauled up her hook to rebs