The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-12
A Scraped
Acquaintance
By RICHARD MARLEY

Always made IL a point to Scrape ac-
quaIntance with my fellow travellers
by this means ! avoided much of the
tedium of my calling To facilitate
good fellowship ! carried cigars for
the men and sweetmeats for the
women.
was travelling one day in a train
from morning till evening. A pretty
girl was sitting alone by herself, uti-
llzing two seats, the one for herself,
the other for her belongings. l took
the seat facing her and peered steadi-
~ out through the window as though
looking for something. Then suddenly
turned from the window and covered
my face with my hands. When l re-
moved them the girl was looking at me
curiously
4 dare say" l said to her, that you
take me for lunatic. | will explain.
We have just passed the home Of my
childhood. There my parents both
died. there my sister was married.
From there | went forth poor boy
10 struggle with the world"
This cooked up tale excited a COM
miSeration that appeared in her fea-
lures, especially her beautiful eyes.
Having effected an acquaintance, |
dropped playing a part and acted my
own sane self l informed the young
lady truthfully where belonged and
as much about myself as l cared to
have her know. She returned my con-
tidcnee 10y telling me that she was
country girl going to the city to seek
employment.
During the afternoon the car filed
up, and one of the vacant seats we
were using for our hand baggage was
occupied by man, who set his suit
case in the aisle beside him there
upon lifted suit case of my own and
one belonging to the girl to the rack
and the newcomer concluded to do the
same with his own suit case.
This man seemed very Ill at ease
He was constantly changing his posi-
ton, and whenever the car door Open
cd behind him he would turn around
and look to see who had entered
AS we approached the terminal no
ticcd that this agitation increased.
had got so far with the girl as to
exchange addresses. and ! was to call
upon her She was going to n board
Ing house where, | took It, she would
stay till her money gave out ! had
really become interested in her and
fully intended If she got into trouble to
pack her off to her country home, pay
ing her way myself.
When we reached the terminal the
man who was sitting with us arose,
groped in the rack for his suit case
for there was little light in the car
and. swinging IL down. left with It.
handed the girl her suit case and took
the remaining one myself, On alight-
ing our paths parted. and l bade her
goodby. telling her that I would see
her soon.
And so intended But | was off on
another trip almost Immediately and
did not return for three months. By
this time she had passed out of my
memory. so far as any desire to pursue
the acquaintance was concerned, but
] was troubled for fear she had been
ground TO powder under the wheels
of the great destroyer. wrote her
note frankly stating the case and ask
ing her II she were In trouble and II
so I would gladly help her out.
received a reply from her homo in
the country she said that my letter
had been forwarded to her. She had
returned from the city under circum-
stances that had resulted from her
meeting with me. She seemed very
appreciative of the interest had taken
in her welfare and especially of my
offer to help her In case she were In
trouble. If in my travels | happened
TO visit the place where she lived and
would call upon her she would explain
more fully.
On one of my subsequent trips my
route lay through the town of her res
idence, and ! stopped over on purpose
to hear those circumstances connected
with her meeting with me. The same
evening | appeared at her home. She
was apparently living in comfort. This
was her statement:
"When | reached my boarding house
on the day ! met you | found that
had some one else's suit case. | forced
it open to see if it contained the adj
dress of the owner that | might eK-
change it for my own. Wrapped in
some mems underclothing / found a
package containing a large number of
what | was lold were securities.
knew | had hit on something OF i'm
uortance. but was afraid to ask for adj
vice as TO what to do with it. On ex-
aiming the securities | saw that some
of them bore the stamp OF a certain
bank. | took them to the bank and
called for one OF its officers. i was
taken into the presidents private office
and laid the securities on a desk before
him. He was much delighted and as
tonished. They had been stolen from
the bank several years before.
when told of my journey and the