The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-20
Little Sammy
Dresser
BY ESTHER VANDEVEER

WI ike that. exclaimed Sam
dresser as he opened and read a let.
yer lett by the postman ON his morn.
ing round.
The letter referred TO was addressa,,
10 samuel Z. Dresser. sam had no
uliuuie name. Ii notified him that his
uncle William Dresser. had died and
'ei' son. Samuel. six years old vii.
nam Dresser had provided in his viii
'nat TINS boy. having no mother. should
80 10 I'VE with his cousin. Samuel T..
p'essef. who was TO be his guardian.
IN case Mr.. Dresser declined fhe
charge. then Miss Amelia Wilkins. n
Instant relative. was to take his Mace
Tue writer had no knowledge of Miss
wilkins except that the testator had
attached to the will her Photograph.
with her address written on the back
This he Enclosed.
Dresser looked at the photoyra nh and
'el III loNe with II Ii may seem sin
guar That man should fall In love
Win photograph. But why not? This
slrl looked al Dresser out of a pair
oi honest. merry eyes that seemed to
say to him. You are nv fate and
WI love You forever Ii is difficult
or some persons while looking at pic
'ufe plays 20 remember that the play
ers are mere photographs. One can
imagine man falling in love with a
woman on the screen Is il much
more to fan in love with single pho
;ograph of her?
Anyway Miss Wilkins in the photo
graph looked at Dresser in a way that
made him long TO meet her. The letter
uad evidently been delivered to the
wrong Dresser Sam concluded that
he would try to find the right one
through Miss wilkins lie wrote her n
note stating the case ms il was. but
tore IL NJ aud wrote another in the
name OF the orphan. stating that his
father had died and left him to the
care of "Unclc Sam" but Uncle Sam
wouldn't have him. So. according to the
will, he was to 20 to Cousin Amelia
Back came "A reply stating that I'm
lie Sam was II hard hearted wretch
and Sammie must come to Cousin
melia She would take care Of him
ID love hm dearly.
"All Of which means" said Sam to
mSelf. that | will he glad to take
re of her and love her dearly
The photograph did not represent
: ri over seventeen or eighteen, and
'am was only nineteen What did the
scamp do but dress himself up IN
inickerbockers and short coat aud.
aking carriage. drive up To Miss
Wilkins house There he told the
laaid who admitted him to tell Cousin
AMELIA that he vas Sammie Dresser
When Amelia Wilkins came down
,tairs to greet her cousin she was
somewhat astonished 10 see an over
,roWn boy who looked too old for his
'lothes Her first thought was What
shall | do with him She received
him as kindly as possible, then. going
Upstairs, consulted an aunt with whom
she lived. for Amelia. too, was an Or
phan. and the two sat down to the
problem of whether to turn out little
Sammie Dresser TO the mercies of the
world or take charge OF him.
Upon the advice Of her aunt, Amelia
eturned to Sammie and told him that
he had supposed him to he a child,
out. seeing that lie was old enough to
AXE care of himself. she did not think
would he proper for her to adopt him
sam replied that he had been thinking
here NEST be some mistake.
Sam departed. leaving her the letter
which had induced him TO call upon
ler. Ia the course OF a week he call
ii In propra persona. When Miss
wilkins looked at him she was as
much astunshed as she was when he
allied on her before.
You lind me changed. don't your"
-aid sam iunocently aud In his own
natural deep voice He had used
alSetto before My father kept me
lack. treating me as u child You
made me see how much behind my age
was When ! left You resolved to
q a man.
Miss wilkins was 50 puzzled that for
while she did not know what to do
lr say. Tut Dresser looked SO proud OF
himself for throwing or the coddinr
Mt eu,cs which had Rep him back
hat size gradually became accustomed
% the change aud Sam spent very
lappy evening with her.
When Dresser departed he was cor
tally invited To- call again. Before do
NJ SO he sent a basket Of cut flowers
20 Miss Wilkins with a note confess
NJ the fact that when her photograph
lad fallen into his hands lie had been
SO bewitched by II that he could not
-esiSt the temptation 10 use the mis-
,ake that had been made to make her
icquaintance lie threw himself on
Ter mercy
Miss wilkins was very merciful. In
deed she had a keen eye for the ludi
crons and was very mirthful over her
,dmirers attempt to personate small