The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-06-18

At this point IN the speech Iuerc
were groans and cries Of Poor boy!
Innocent birdv' where's his moth
err Hes going to cryT' and the like.
Here, fell was going to say fel-
low bachelors; alas, can call you
such no longerLI took that first step
which leads to the final, inevitable fall
/ turned and Joined her. Like the in
ebriate who sips the first glass of wine
that he knows will drag him down to
his ruin, l submitted myself to a pres
ence which l knew would steal away
my brains. l might as well have swal.
lowed laudanum."
run for a stomach pumpr'
"Walk him.
Pour water down his throat"
These and other such calls came
from the unsympathetic members Of
the club. The benedict continued his
confession:
my intention, gentlemen, in joining
her-so persuaded myself; whom the
gods wish to destroy they first make
mad'-was to say something to her to
enslave me. I began in this wise: IT
my circumstances were such as to ell
,, able me to marry should esteem my
self honored beyond measure in being
invited by lady in every way so cal
culated to inspire my esteem. But my
enough for my own
Cries of Dead give away" Selfish
brute" "I'll bet she's going to cry!
"Who said cry? asked the confessor,
surprised.
II did, replied the homeliest member.
"That's exactly what she did"
II knew it," said the homeliest men,
Der. "a member Of the club told me
in confidence that certain instructions
are laid down for the girls, the princi-
pal of which is to cry"
The confessor groaned and went on:
1--WE were walking toward the girls
home and at this point reached her
door. She burst into passion Of tears
and ran into the house, shutting the
| door behind her.
II stood looking vaguely about me,
not knowing just what to do. wished
| a policeman would come along and run
me in. l had an underlined sense of
| having coms.itted crime. 1t seemed
to me that had plunged n dagger into
the heart of the girl who had left me.
went to my club. lighted cigar
smoked It two minutes and threw II
! away. l went into the billiard room
knocked the balls about for two min
utes more, threw down my cue and
showing my hands in my pockets, walk
| ed up and down in the hallway. Sew
eral of my friends came in, but some
how wanted to get rid Of them. They
all wanted to know what was the mat
ter with me. One Of them pestered
me, telling me about some liver pills
he had used with great effect.
II dined at the club with another
surprised him by ordering my des
sert Immediately after the soup and
undertook to carve bird in cross sec
lions. You see, the poison had entered
my blood and was crawling through
the veins to the heart. When the din
ner was over l told my friend l wal
sick and was going home to bed.
lied. had never before told a deliber
ate lie. You see, the effect Of this In
dian flower with its noxious but ecstat
ic perfume, Facilis ,descensus Averni
which, being interpreted, means, 'WheI
man makes false step the descent
into iniquity is easy
when one has committed crime h,
feels an Irresistible desire to visit tn,
spot where it was enacted. The spo
where my crime had been perpetratet
was few steps from the home of til,
girl who had inoculated me. wen
there. l was possessed with desir
to apologize for n sin hadn't commit
ted. rang the bell, went into tn,
house and sent up my card"
Gone up!' cried voice.
Hell never go there any more" sal,
another.
Gentlemen continued the confes
sor, 81 sat with wildly beating heart II
the drawing room till l heard rustl
Of skirts and tap of tiny heel Oh
the staircase. A moment later Their
In the doorway stood-what shall
call it?-a vision of loneliness.
dream.
Gentlemen, have finished"
go on" Don't wish I'd had on
like that!' Peaches and cream ar
nothing to it, and other such indeli
cate, or, at least. irreverent, cries file
the room. The president raped 70
order.
"Fellow bachelors" he said, 1--WE hav
all listened to the confession of on
unfortunate ex-member. and l knoy
there is not one of us who has not lis
tened with exuberant sympathy. E>
pressions of opinion as to the amour
of the fine he shall pay are now in OIL
der. You are aware that the amour
lies between 500 and $780,"
81 move" cried voice, that on az
count Of the united pressure brought t
bear and the boycott Unusual circun
stances) the fine be RENTED entirely
"And l move,' said another, "tha
the fine be doubled It's my opinio
! that our ex-brother was a willing viz