The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-12-12
Forming an
Acquaintance
By RICHARD MARkLEY


straight at me with a pair Of great
dark, liquid eyes which bespoke an un-
conscious interest in me. On meeting
my gaze she half started. turned hers
away, and slight blush passed across
| her cheeks like the flush Of an aurora.
The conductor was passing through |
the car and at the moment called:
Fares, please"
This was evidently a relief to the !
girls embarrassment. Opening a porte
monnaie she carried In her hand, she |
began to look for change. She took out |
several samples, tiny bit of paper on
which were written voluminous memo |
randa, and finally bill. which she Of
fered to the conductor.
| Don't give change for more than a
dollar" he said. handing her back S.
bill.
"But l have nothing else." she said
lugubriously.
! Cant help it; you must pay your
| fare or get off,"
| In a jiffy l had a nickel out Of my
vest pocket and handed it to the con-
ductor. He dropped it in his pocket,
J rang his bell and passed out of this
story.
But the girl did not. She thanked me
In a melodious voice that penetrated
my soul and asked me for my address,
that she might return my loan. told
her that It would be lot Of trouble
for her to send coin, and the amount
was not worth 1t. She insisted. and I
gave her what she asked for.
But my giving her my address would
not necessarily gain me hers. And her
address l must have. OF course
would not think Of intruding myself
further upon her BY opening a conver-
sation with her, so we sat mute, keep
ing one eye on my paper. the other on
her.
I passed the place where l had in
tended to leave the car without alight-
ing, for l had settled upon a plan.
When I saw the girl glance at the
names Of the streets I, too, looked out
through the window and began to fold
my newspaper purposely doubling 1t
so that 1t would not ft In my pocket
This gave me an opportunity to refold
1t again and again, and only got 1t in
its place when the girl called on the
conductor to stop the car. We left the
platform together. I handing her down
"Since we aight at the same time"
said, raising my hat with all the def
erence could summon, 1--WE might get
the change for your bill, and you would
, not be put to the trouble Of sending me
7 a nickel"
-, THANK you for suggesting It," she
replied. 1--WE are near Hogan's drug
.. store. where there Is subpostoffice,
| and / can buy some stamps. That will
insure my getting the change need"
r We walked short distance together
to the drug store. 1t was evident from
the moment the girl entered that she
was known there. The clerk who sold
her the stamps asked her II she had
received the package he had sent her
the day before, calling her Miss Cum
( mings. This gave me her name. On
, receiving the change for her bill with
, the stamps. she handed me nickel
have It In box containing scarf pins,
studs, sleeve buttons and such other
articles as man must have.
!: Ha wing squared the financial account,
! she went to the toilet counter, where
she purchased some articles. turned
to the cigar stand and spent an equal
} amount Of time selecting something to
smoke. l was there long enough to
purchases 10 l25 Scovi! avenue.
So far, SO good. had her name and
address She passed out ahead Of me-
which intended she should do giving
me formal nod. Half an hour later
, passed l25 Scovil avenue. which was
several blocks from the drug store.
What shoud pe my next move was q
poser l spent week trying to find
} some one who could introduce me to
the girl desired to know and failed.
But ] must know her. One day | put
on my thinking cap and mused to this
effect: She wishes to know me. OF
that | am certain from the expression
In her eyes when l looked up from my
paper at her In the street car. She
will forgive every advance that indi-
Gates am trying to form her acquaint-
ance Improperly.
Having come to this conclusion,
\ wrote her note saying that I'had dis
covered the nickel she had given me to
be counterfeit. | would not trouble her
to return 1t, but with her permission
\ would bring 1t to her and receive real
nickel or five copper cents, whichever
she might choose to give me-
4 In return received a note from my
= correspondent stating that II would
call on an appointed afternoon at 8
o'clock would receive 8 cents.
1 feared ! would be handed 1t by a serv.
! ant
The statement that would receive
the money staggered me. What was
my delight on ringing the doorbell to
be ushered into drawing room, and a
few minutes later my charmer entered,
smiling and blushing.