The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-10
| little Sammy
Dresser
Nv ESTHER VANDEVEER

left 10y the postman on his morn
round.
rhe letter referred to was addressed
samuel +. Dresser. Sam had no
Idle name 1t notified him that his
cle William Dresser. had died and
son. Samuel. six years old. vii
nj Dresser had provided in his will
This boy. having no mother. should
~ live with his cousin. Samuel +.
kes>er. who was to be his guardian.
case Mr.. Dresser declined the
are then Miss Amelia Wilkins, a
ktant relative. was to take his place.
writer had no knowledge of Miss
ilkins except that the testator bad
tached to the will her photograph.
nh her address written on the back.
his lie inclosed.
Dresser looked at the photograph ami
IN loye with il. 1t may seem sin
liar that man should fall in love
|th a photograph. But why not? This
II looked at Dresser out of a pair
honest. merry eyes that seemed to
10 him. you are my fate. and
IN love you forever. Ii is difficult
some persons while looking at pic
re plays 10 remember that the play
/ are mere photographs One can
basine a man falling in love with
ioman on the screen Is it much
ofc TO fall in love with q single pho
graph Of her?
anyway. Miss wilkins in the photo
taph looked ut Dresser in "a way that
adc him long to meet her. The letter
hi evidently been delivered to the
roug Dresser Sam concluded that
would try to find the right one
rough Miss Wilkins. He wrote her
BITE stating the case as ii was. but
ire il up and wrote another in the
bmc of the orphan. stating that his
ther had died and left him to the
re of Uncle Sam but Uncle Sam
|oudn't have him. so. according to the
Sill, he was TO go to Cousin Amelia
Back came reply stating that Tn
e sam was a hard hearted wretch
BID Sammie must come to Cousin
lmeia She would take care of him
BID love HIM dearly.
"Al OF which means" said Sam to
mself. that | will be glad to take
re Of her and love her dearly"
The photograph did not represent "A
brl over seventeen or eighteen, and
am was only nineteen. What did the
lamp do but dress himself up in
blickerbockers and short coat and
liking carriage. drive up to Miss
Wilkins house. There he told the
pail who admitted him to tell Cousin
Imelia that he was Sammie Dresser
When Amelia wilkins came down
fairs to greet her cousin she was
pmewhat astonished TO see an over
rown boy who looked too old for his
lothes. Her first thought was What
ball do with him. She received
i'm as kindly as possible. then, going
pstairs, consulted an aunt with whom
pc lived, for Amelia. too, was an or
han, and the two sat down to the
roblem of whether to turn out little
annie Dresser to the mercies of the
forld or take charge of him.
Upon the advice of her aunt. Amelia
fturned to Sammie and told him that
be had supposed him to be a child.
pr, seeing that he was old enough to
axe care of himself, she did not think
would be proper for her to adopt him.
am replied that he had been thinking
lerc must be some mistake.
Sam departed, leaving her the letter
fhlch had induced him to call upon
ef In the course of week he call
III propria persona. When Miss
Nllkns looked at him she was as
puch aStonished as she was when he
f'lied on her before.
lou find me changed. don't your"
ND sam innocently and in his own
a'urll deep voice. He had used a
iiselto before. My father kept me
acA. treating me as a child. You
iade me see how much behind my age
Vas When | left you | resolved to
e a man"
Ms wilkins was so puzzled that for
WINE she did not know what to do
SN. but Dresser looked SO proud OF
iAlsef for throwing off the coddling
4eenees which had kept him back
ial She gradually became accustomed
tAe change, and Sam spent very
{all} evening with her.
Wien Dresser departed he was cor
iahs invited to call again. Before do
s. lie sent basket of cut flowers
Hiss Wilkins with a note confess
ie fact that when her photograph
az fallen into his hands he had been
beWltched by it that he could not
St the temptation to use the mis-
ne That had been made to make her
4aaintance He threw himself on
e mercy.
Mss Wilkins was very merciful. In
eea she had keen eye for the ludi
ous aud was very mirthful over her
aiiiiFers attempt to personate a small
-. sam followed nm the flowers with