The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-06-28

here, lei was SoAh6 " S~s
low bachelors; alas, l can call you
such no longer!-I took that first step
which leads to the final, inevitable fall.
l turned and Joined her. Like the In
ebriate who sips the first glass OF WINE
that he knows will drag him down to
his ruin. submitted myself to pres
ence which l knew would steal away
my brains. | might as well have swal'
lowed laudanum."
run for a stomach pump!
walk him.
Pour water down his throat!"
These and other such calls came
from the unsympathetic members or
the club. The benedict continued bis
confession:
"My intention, gentlemen, in joining
her-so persuaded myself; whom the
gods wish to destroy they first make
mad'-was to say something to her to
cause her to desist in her intention to
enslave me- 1 began in this wise: III
my circumstances were such as to en-
able me to marry l should esteem my
self honored beyond measure in being
invited by lady in every way so cal
culated to inspire my esteem. But my
income, only $4,000 year, is barely
enough for my own
Cries Of Dead give awayW Selfish
brute!" "I'll bet she's going to cry!
"Who said cry? asked the confessor.
surprised
II did, replied the homeliest member.
"Thats exactly what she did"
II knew it," said the homeliest mem
Der. "a member of the club told me
In confidence that certain instructions
are laid down for the girls, the princi-
pal of which Is to cry"
The confessor groaned and went on:
1--WE were walking toward the girls
home and at this point reached her
door. She burst into passion Of tears
and ran into the house, shutting the
door behind her.
Il stood looking vaguely about me-
not knowing just what to do. I wished
q policeman would come along and run
me In. l had an underlined sense Of
having cOmk.itted crime. 1t seemed
to me that l had plunged dagger into
the heart Of the girl who had left me.
went to my club, lighted a cigar,
smoked it two minutes and threw it
away. I went into the billiard room,
knocked the balls about for two min
t1tes more, threw down my cue and,
showing my hands in my pockets, walk
ed up and down in the hallway. Sew
eral Of my friends came in. but some
how i wanted to get rid Of them. They
all wanted to know what was the mat
ter with me. One Of them pestered
me, telling me about some liver pills
he had used with great effect,
Il dined at the club with another
I. surprised him by ordering my des-
sert Immediately after the soup and
undertook to carve g bird IN cross sec
tions. You see, the poison had entered
my blood and was crawling through
the veins to the heart. When the din
ner was over l told my friend l was
sick and was going home to bed. !
lied. had never before told deliber
ate lie. You see, the effect Of this In.
dian flower with its noxious but ecstat
ic perfume, Facilis descensus Averni
which. being interpreted, means, When
a man makes false step the descent
into iniquity Is easy
when one has committed crime ht
feels an irresistible desire to visit tht
spot whore it was enacted. The spo
where my crime had been perpetrate(
was few steps from the home Of tho
girl who had inoculated me. I won
there. l was possessed with desire
to apologize for a sin I hadn't commit
ted. l rang the bell, went into the
house and sent up my card"
Gone up" cried a voice.
Hell never go there any more," sal.
another
'Gentlemen," continued the confes
sor. Il sat with wildly beating heart II
the drawing room till heard a ru~ III
Of skirts and tap of tiny heel OF
the staircase. y moment later there
In the doorway stood-what shall
call it?-a vision of loveliness, :
dream
Gentlemen. | have finished"
"Go on" Don't wish Id had on;
like thatr' Peaches and cream ar,
nothing to it, and other such inJo,i
cate. or. at least. irreverent. cries f! e,
the room. The president raped fo
order.
Fellow bachelors he said, I'VE hav,
all listened to the confession Of ou
unfortunate eX-member, and know
there is not one of MS who has NOT lis
tened with exuberant sympathy. Ex
pressionS of opinion as to the amour
Of the fine he shall pay are now in or
der. You are aware that the amour
lies between 500 and $500"
II move" cried a voice. that on ac
count of the united pressure brought I,
bear and the boycott Unusual circum
stancesl the fine he remitted entirely ,
And | move said another. "tha
the fine be doubled. Its nv op,nio,
that our exhrother was a willing vic
tim"
And l move" said the homeless