The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-01-06
What a Kiss
Cost
a Story of Southern
Persons Long Ago
Blu F. A. mitchell


favorite Of all my descendants Of her
generation. What was the cause of |,
my feeling for her II hard to specify. |
She was Marian whitlock. and there
was but one Marian whitlock. II was
not that she was q strong character.
for she was not. She was not only |
needless, but blind to the result Of her |
heedlessness. But she was lovable. In |
deed, she was loved through her faults |
rather than her good qualities. At |
least /, her grandmother, loved her on
that account.
Marian used to tell her grandmoth- |
er more about what was going on be-
tween her and her young men asso- J
ciates than any one else. Why she did
this / don't know unless 1t was be-
cause 1 realized and therefore sympa-
thized with the conditions under which
she labored. Candor compels me to ad
NIT that she possessed traits which had
shown themselves In me when i was
her age, and it is more than probable
that she inherited them from me.
While / endeavored to guide her out of
the effects of her indiscretions i never
lectured her for having been indiscreet.
/ realized that indiscretion was a trait
born in her and was not likely to be
eradicated till she had grown beyond
the age when 1t would lead her into
trouble.
Marian used to come to me in a light
hearted way with her perplexties, but
one day she gave evidence that what
she had to tell was of a serious nature.
"Grandma," she said, II have gone
and done it now and no mistake"
what is 1t, child?' asked.
"You know Elliot WalkerT"
Eyes"
"Well. Elliot and were in the mu-
sic room, at the piano. he turning
over the Sheets"
She paused. l gave her time.
"Elliot bent lower and lower over
my shoulder. suppose should have
moved, but I didn't"
| "Wellr"
| HE kissed me-"
refrained from comment on this
and waited for the denouement.
II don't know what 1t was that
prompted me to act a. I did. was
certainly not offended. had expected
when didn't move that he would kiss
me and should not have thought much
q him II he hadn't 1t was not that
was prudish; 1t was-well, don't
know what It was, unless It was Old
Nick got into me. But arose from
the piano. looked daggers at him and,
turning, started to leave the room.
What was my surpriee to see Herbert
Kenworthy standing in the door OF the
music room. Elliot ans I had not
been aware Of his approach, and he
had seen the whole performance"
what did you do nextT I asked
anxiously.
"Why, you see, couldn't very well
say that I had encouraged Elliot to
kiss me, could Ir'
"Go on"
And l couldn't say that I was not
really offended"
what did you do?"
"Why, / went on out Of the room"
"And didn't go back"
"Yes, after a few minutes"
"And what did you sayT
Nothing about what had happened.
began to chat with Herbert, while
Elliot sat looking very much embar-
rassed''
"Oh, Marianv'
l was aware that these two young
men were rivals for Marian's favor.
We were southern persons, and in the
south our men are hot blooded. Her
bert Kenworthy had seen Elliot Wal
ker give Marian what appeared to be
an insult, which she could only resent
as woman. IL trouble between the
young men did not result then was
no judge of human nature. All this
flashed through my brain, and / said
to Marian:
"Did your two visitors show any
animosity toward each other?''
None whatever. But, grandma, ]
have heard since that which leads me
to fear
"What?'
81 have been told that this morning
they were playing billiards together at
the club and Elliot charged Herbert
with showing up points that he had
not made. Herbert called Elliot a
liar, and Elliot struck him"
did not ask to hear any more. I
knew well that the young men would
not play billiards together after what
had occurred except for a purpose, that
purpose beiLs to make It appear that
different cause from the real one had
resulted in an animosity which would
doubtless lead to a duel, their object
being to keep Marian's name from be-
ing involved in the affair.
"What have you heard SINGER l ask
ed anxiously of Marian.
Nothing"
I doubted IL Marian foresaw what
would be the probable result of all
this, and l dreaded to tell her Never
theless If she did not prevent a meet
ing between these two young men and