The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-11

| tO"CA hCh W Ill LIS CJ Ccg anu u Ch'
permitted any other boy to be devoted
to her Roger was seized at once witt
| the sulks.
Rosa appeared to reciprocate his at
tachment- Why. no one could under
stand, because of the marked differ
ence in them. But we are apt to for
get that Opposites attract each other
Many hoyden has married a stiff
necked clergyman who was never
known to smile
Roger grew older, while Rosa re
manned chit. When he was eighteen
and beginning to think Of a career
Rosa was still fitting about In mad
cap style. while her girl friends were
beginning to consider themselves
young ladies. When Roger was nine.
teen and removing a growth Of hair on
bis face twice week Rosa was still
absorbed In trif1es. Then he went
away to be educated In his profession,
and Rosa did not see him for several
years.
When at twenty-five Roger returned
to his native place he found his boyish
love the same half child, half woman
as when he had paired with her In the
days Of the bunch" with which they
had both trained. A man of twenty to
twenty-five is likely to covet the So
ciety of a woman older than himself.
Roger found his little sweetheart still
his little sweetheart, but nothing more.
Her prattle seemed altogether too
childish for man Of his age. On one
occasion upon calling upon her he
found her jumping a rope. On another
occasion she was playing tag with a boy
OF her own age. While Roger was dis
appointed. he could only set down the
attraction he had felt for her as one of
those first loves which are considered
later to have been ridiculous. He grad
ually came to look upon Rosa as one
who had failed to develop and In time
withdrew from her.
Twenty years after Rosa had begun
to take the antitoxin she still used Il.
But there were times when she regret.
ted having ever begun 1t. She was con-
scious Of being a queer mixture. On
body appearing to be but fifteen she
put clothing appropriate for a woman
or from twenty to thirty. The friends
OF her youth were married, and their
daughters were now about the age that
she had been when she ceased to grow
older. In some respects she was fitted
to associate with misses and In other
respects she was not. Her BODY and
her mind. the latter being an emana-
ton from the physical brain, had re-
NAMED the same as they had been
twenty years before. But she had lived
thirty-hve years. and while physically
she did not become wearied with hay
Ing lived that period, the ennui that is
to be expected in such a case had set
tied upon her. She had neither lover,
husband, children nor intimate friends.
Experience prevented her enjoyment of
those things that pleased her when fif-
teen. While she retained her freshness.
things had not retained their freshness
Tor her. She now understood that they
were not In themselves delightful, but
had been made so by their novelty.
Nevertheless, she was still young.
She had not seen Roger Ashurst since
she was twenty-five. She remembered
him as growing into manhood and
pined for him as he was then. Not only
had he retained his place in her heart,
but she was deprived of other men to
take his place. Young men attracted
to her through her maidenly beauty
soon grew tired of her. considering her
lnsipid
One evening she was introduced 10 a
man OF forty or Whereabouts He did
not remember ever having seen her be.
Tore. Her face was familiar to him,
but he could not place her. He was a
man of intellect, and prominent. He
seemed pleased with her prattle. After
man passes middle life he is attract.
I'd by women much younger than him
self. This is in obedience to the law.
Like Is antitoxin for like. Physically he
round in her girl just budding into
Womanhood. Had she talked like a
woman of his own age he would have
.ired of her; as it was, she was re-
freshing to him. When he was en-
gagged with the serious work of life he
had no use for her; when he threw of
care she was like a sparkling wine, a
pretty play, soothing music.
They met several times In company
without either having heard the 9TH
sr's name. Then she learned that he
was Roger Ashurst.
She was at. first Mortified at the
'hange In her youthful lover, but there
was something about him that from
he moment she met him in middle age
her Of him as boy. She re-
trained from telling him who she was:
The could not bear to let him know that
Ills old love had remained a chit while
le had developed. But she sought ey.
Try opportunity to be with him and
was pleased that she seemed to rest
him.
One day he said to her: Little girl.
when was boy loved a girl about
your age. AS grew older l left her
'ehind me-that is, while l developed
The did not When I was twenty-five
The seemed frivolous to me. Today