The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-24
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY
BY CATHERINE CRANMER.

about him which worried his dOtini
mother was his Indifference to matri
mony and his bookwormish tendency
One day Mrs. Williams returned
from visit to an old friend and an
nOunced to her astonished son at thu
dinner table that the young daughter
i of this friend was coming to remain
as their guest while her mother wen
on a prOtracted visit to Panama to b.
with her engineer son.
I'm afraid it will be deuced awk
ward having young lady in the fam
lily, as it were. 1t will doubtless NEAR
that well 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.
"Fussy! Mother, you don't mean
that the girls name is-7that?"
Its a nickname only. Her real
name is Augusta, and both are clearly
mispomers."
Stanley rose from the table and
passed into the library, where he
| picked up a copy of Flammarion' Is
Wonders of the Heavens" which he
had reluctantly laid aside when dinner
was announced.
/ A few days afterward, Stanley was
called to a neighboring city on bust
less. 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 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Unpublished book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
cheting or scanning the society col
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 diminutive young woman
spugly 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 a
tiny suede pump was in imminent dan
ger of dropping.
Just as the girl began to uncurl her
self from her snug position, Mrs. Will
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
NhlSu loiloWCu hC Gu out Ills
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 l thought
the minister had come to dinner"
i command, Pussy" began Mrs. vii.
liams, as they left the dinner table
where shall we station him for duty
this EVENING""
"Oh, let's make 1t a 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 fol-
a 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 al
your honey habits, she pleaded, as
she approached him so closely that he
caught the faint perfume from hel
hair Wont you sit down and &c
on reading, or won't you read alout
to me?"
"Oh, this book can wait said Stan
ley, with a strange absence of resent
ment, land I'm afraid 1t might be DIR!
! reading for you The writer interest:
me particularly IN his chapter on ORR
on's Belt" Stanley fingered the opeI
) book absentmindedly as he concluded
'O'what?" asked Pussy, big-eyet
( with curiosity.
"Orion's Belt" said Stanley with
9 smile. And, seeing her blank look. h
added; That's a constellation o
Q planets, you know. Haven't you eve
+ seen ii on starry night
Mercy, no; but if can see the rea
thing itself, show it to me instead o
reading to me about it And she LEI
= the way to the glass-inclose6 SUI
porch. 1t proved to be the beginnin
q of a journey into an undiscovere
, country for Stanley. for long befor
: Fussy's visit came to an end Elan
a marion's Wonders of the Heavens
: and the book by the new author wer
> undisturbed in high shelf of the
brary. and Stanley had come down t
!. earth. where he found wonders befor
= undreamed Of