The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-02
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY
BY CATHERINE cRANMER.

ably dutiful SON He was also sue
cessful young lawyer. The one thing
about him which worried his doting
mother was his Indifference to matri-
mony and his bookwormish tendency
One day Mrs. Williams returned
from q visit to an old friend and an
nounced to her astonished son at the
dinner table that the young daughter
of this friend was coming to remain
as their guest while her mother went
on q protracted visit to Panama to be
with her engineer son.
I'm afraid It will be deuced awk-
ward having a young lady in the fam
lily, as it we're. 1t will doubtless mean
that we'll have to sacrifice to frivolity
many an evening which might be put
to uses worth while" Stanley objected
which from one of his dutiful hab-
it's was little short Of open rebellion,
but his mother only smiled in a whim-
sically pleased way.
"Oh, Pussy won't demand any sac
rifices that will be hard for anybody
to make" she said, still smiling
PUSSY! Mother. you don't mean
that the girls name is-that?"
Its q nickname only. Her real
name is Augusta. and both are clearly
misnomers.
Stanley rose from the table and
passed into the library. where he
picked up a copy Of Flammarion's
Wonders of the Heavens" which he
had reluctantly laid aside when dinner
was announced.
A few days afterward. Stanley was
called to neighboring city on busi-
ness. Absorbed in his work for sew
eral days, he quite lost count OF the
time, and on the day Of his return
he saw in a book store window a new
Unpublished book.
1t was a cold. bleak day in January.
and Stanley strobe from the street car
to the house with his soft black hat
pulled low over his eyes and his over
| coat collar turned UP, while he held
the treasured new book under his arm.
He went straight to the library, ex-
pecting to find his mother quietly GRO
umn in the evening paper.
The warmth of the wood fire was
soothing to his chilled body. and he
walked across the room before remov.
ing his hat or overcoat. When he
reached the hearth, he was astounded
to see a diminutive young woman
snugly tucked into the shelter Of his
capacious armchair. One tiny foot
was tucked under her and the
other dangled within foot Of
the floor Hearing footsteps. the
young woman opened two very
bright brown eyes and looked In.
quiringly up at him without moving
even the dangling foot from which q
tiny suede pump was in imminent dan.
ger of dropping.
Just as the girl began to uncurl her.
self from her snug position. Mrs. VIII.
liams entered the room from the din
ing room.
why, Stanley! We've been wish.
ing you'd come tonight; haven't we,
Fussy?" AS the girls name was spok-
en- by his mother, Stanley realized the
situation, and in the introduction
which followed he stammered out his
acknowledgment and his stiff welcome
to their guest.
Mercy, but I'm relieved" said
Pussy. You looked so serious stand
ing there all in black that thought
the minister had come to dinner"
Now that we have man at our
command, Pussy" began Mrs. Will
liams. as they left the dinner table,
where shall we station him for duty
this evening""
"Oh, let's make 1t musical comedy.
with glitter and gayety. and pretty
girls and pretty gowns. and perhaps q
bit Of supper at one Of those dance
awhile. eat-awhile places I've heard
so much about! Is that too much for
tired traveller to tackle in one eve
ning?"
mot at ALL" said the dutiful host.
forcing himself to look away from the
table. where the new book lay tanta-
lizingly near his hand as he passed
into the library.
The next evening when Pussy came
into the library all dressed in a soft
gown Of pale pink, she found Stanley
absorbed in the new book
please don't let me break up all
your honey habits she pleaded, as
she approached him so closely that he
caught the faint perfume from her
hair. Wont you sit down and go
on reading. or won't you read aloud
: to me?"
"Oh, this book can wait" said Stan
ley. with strange absence of resent
ment. land I'm afraid it might be dry
} reading for you. The writer interests
} me particularly In his chapter on ORR
: on's Belt" Stanley fingered the open
book absentmindedly as he concluded
I. "O'what?' asked Pussy, big-eyed
3 with curiosity.
"Orions Belt" said Stanley with 6
/ smile. And. seeing her blank look, he
!. added That's a constellation o.
e planets, you know. Haven't you evel
2 seen 1t on a starry night?"
Mercy, no; but IL can see the rea
. thing itself. show it to me instead O
reading to me about It," And she lee
e the way to the glass-inclosed SUI
r porch. 1t proved to be the beginnin,
4 of journey into an undiscovered
J. country for Stanley, for long befor,
u Fussys visit came to an end Flam
marion's Wonders of the Heavens
|. and the book by the new author wer
: undisturbed in high shelf of the i