The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-05
The Effects of a
Club Breakfast
By EDWARD T. STEWART

Scanning the menu, he saw, what he
had seen every morning. that II he or
dered a breakfast made up of different
dishes he would have enough for half
dozen persons and at a great cost, SO
he gave his usual order, Oatmeal and
coffee" He ate a quarter of the oat-
meal and left the table unsatisfied.
muttering anathemas against the man
agement for not serving a different
kind of breakfast.
I'm going into bachelor quarters"
he said to himself, "and keep cook"
Going to his office by a different
route from the usual one, he passed a
house on which was sign, ITO Let"
1t was a dainty edifice and would
furnish him with just about the room
he needed. Pushing the bell button,
the summons was answered by a wo-
man just as dainty as the house. She
was In mourning. Bowling told her he
was thinking of taking a house and
was invited inside. After he had been
rental, etc, he remarked:
Il wonder that you can bear to part
with such pleasant little home"
Tears stood in the lady's eyes as she
! replied that she had been married
year before and her husband had died
soon after the expiration of the honey
moon. She had not been able TO tear
herself away from the home In which
she had been so happy and would not
do SO now, but she had found living
alone Improbable.
The rental would be satisfactory 20
me-" said Bowling. May | look
through the premises
The widow led him from the living
room to the dining room. On the table
was a breakfast that made his mouth
water-a dish of fruit, silver of ba-
con, an omelet, with little parsley to
garnish It, and slices of toast. The cof
fee urn was of artistic shape, and the
cups were Dresden china
| Il wds just sitting down to breakfast
when you called said the lady.
isn't ii an elaborate breakfast for
| one pcrson?" asked bowling.
Il eat little or nothing between
| blcakiAst and dinner" was the reply.
Hovi'ag locked longingly at the vi
anas.
| Madam" he said, II have just break
tasted at my club. | have had my
lirSl course of oatmeal and am ready
for the rest. If you will permit me to
finish the meal here of these viands l
will rent your house at the price you
ask, with II liberal bonus"
The widow. seeing the hungry look
on Dowlings face, assented and, set
ting II plate for him, seated herself be-
fore the coffee urn. There was no
bountiful supply for healthy man OF
thirty, but everything was SO delicious
that the quality made up for the lack
of quantity.
Il supposed" she said, that club
table comprised every delicacy, no mat
ter how costly"
"'No matter how costly Is correct"
replied Bowling. "As to delicacy, you
have been misinformed."
bowling spent an hour at the table,
but the principal part Of it was In
chatting with the widow. When he
arose to go he said that he would call
again In the evening with a lease and
the transaction would be completed.
but you have not seen the upper
part of the house." said the lady.
"I've seen the breakfast room and
eaten in It," replied Bowling. with
such delightful lower story those
above cannot need an examination"
"When will you require possesslonT p
THAT depends"
The widow would have asked "On
what?" had not Dowlings look be.
trayed what was in his mind. She dared
not go further, for his expression said
plainly Just as soon as you will con.
sent to remain with me here In wed.
lock"
Bowling called in the evening with a
blank lease, which he filled In and
signed, and the widow signed 1t, and
then he handed her check for the
first months rent, with an additional
$40.
What's the SO forf"
Bowling didn't like to say that II
was for the breakfast, so he said that
IL was to bind the bargain.
IL suppose" said the lady ruefully
that must move out at once"
"Remain as long as you like"
The terms did not suit the widow at
all. She had no idea of remaining In
her house while receiving rent for 1t,
so she handed back the check. Dowl-
ing persuaded her to let the lease
stand. payment OF rent to begin when
possession was given.
Meanwhile he spent most OF his even
ings calling on his landlady and within
a fortnight proposed to her. She spent
a week looking up his credentials. then
threw of her mourning for her first
husband and began work on trous,
seau for the second. The lease that
had been drawn up between them was
torn up, and a document was drawn by
~.10 In m n -