The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-16
A GAME OF BLUFF
BY HOPE AINsLlE.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Bruce Fleming idly scanned the
want column as he waited for MS
Uncle Robert to finish debating so
they could give Bruce's new roadster
a trial spin to the Country club. AS
he read an advertisement second
time, he sat for moment with his
gray eyes looking thoughtfully ahead.
Then he chuckled softly, and sang,
"She's the Lass for Me-" just as his
uncle came from a private ONCE. cap
and light overcoat In hand.
Who's the lass this timer" asked
his uncle.
Miss Letitia B. Addington OF Add
ingtonia," read Bruce, referring to the
advertisement. do you happen to
know herr"
yes, do, but as she is old enough
to be your grandmother, / can't quite
see her as the lass for you"
But I'm going to be her landscape
gardener, not her gallant lover. Uncle
Bob. Just hear her plea: Wanted,
landscape gardener to advise and In
struct, for reasonable compensation,
about municipal and private gardens
in conservative town of FIVE thou
sand But tell me how did you come
to know the lady?"
Used to hold court in Addingtonia
when was on the judicial circuit, and
that woman owned half the town and
was close as the bark on Q tree"
well, II she is going in for mu-
nicipal gardens at her own expense,
she must have had a change OF heart, !"
ventured Bruce.
"she must have lest her mind"
bluntly.
When Bruce left the house the next
day he remembered that it was Friday
and that the regular directors meet
ing had been postponed until Monday.
+, That left nothing Of great importance
awaiting him at the office, and as he
slipped into his snug seat in his shiny
new roadster, he deliberately turned
his car from a downtown direction
and shot out toward the wood beyond
the City park. The farther he went
the more he thought he would like to
take the SO-mile run to Addingtonia,
and make bluff at qualifying for a
landscape gardener for the ancient
lady. Consequently, little after
noon, his shiny green roadster,
dimmed by the dust, slipped smoothly
along the shady streets Of Addingtonia
and street corner loafer readily an
swered his inquiry about the location
of Miss Addington's place.
In answer to his knock. the door
was opened by diminutive woman In
a gown Of vast dimensions, regular
hoop-skirt affair with fiounces and
Dolly Warden designs which became q
confused blur in the dim light of the
broad hall. But the incongruity of an
1860 ball gown worn as morning
house gown in 1916 made him recall
his urcle's suggestion that Miss Add
ington had probably lost her mind.
She sat in dark corner of the
drawing room and Bruce couldn't
make out enough of her face to tel
whether she looked sane.
In desperation, Bruce began to tall
of the garden plan he had evolved 81
he came in. Miss Addington sat or
the edge of her chair and nodded af
firmatively more than once, but die
not speak. He felt stifled thus shut
up in the darkened drawing room with
the mysterious woman, and suggested
that they inspect the grounds. The
lady rose In silence and rustled out In
to the hall where she snatched up {
huge poke bonnet and quickly put 4
on, pulling It so far down that wheI
walking beside her Bruce could no
see even the tip of her nose.
But the spell Of the quaint old plac,
was on him, and he began really to en-
thuse about the possibilities of thu
grounds. To his amazement. the lad,
responded with like enthusiasm, ant
in voice of wondrous sweetness. Sh'
even withdrew her hands from the ca
pacious folds of her gown and fun
them wide. AS she did 30, Bruce
eyes went wide with wonder. for tn,
hands were soft and plump and white
with pinkish, oval nails.
Puzzled at his silence. the lady CAV
the big bonnet a backward push, ant
turned her face directly up toward his
The climax OF his amazement cam
when he saw within that old bonnet
lovely, girlish face, lighted with starr
brown eyes and framed with brow
hair.
"Of course, I'll have to explain now,
she said, with defiant toss of her hea
and twinkle in her eyes. you see,
. slipped on one of dear Aunt Letitia'
: gowns just for comparison with tn
. . new styles. You clicked the old knocl
! er Just as l passed the door. so
.. thought II would be fun to go on an
make believe was a real antebelluI
lady. But I've made a sad failure"
You succeeded admirably until 20
!. let me see those hands," Bruce reai
sured her.
Poor Aunt Letitia died thre
months ago and left me this lovely oil
/. place with the request that give I
! 1t and to the town some of the brigh
ness she might have given them"