The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-13
Mary Jones
House Party
By RICHARD NlARKIEY


Howdy, Helen" she said ~ 49,.
an Idea | don't See why we con,tr'.
people shouldn't have house nartios -
Wei as city folk. ''s' a.
| What's house partv:" asta,
" ny. lot Of people all 20 70 soma-
oou! 5 house and stay there two or
me- aays or week or PERHAPS long
er' Ihey play games and dance an5
wen they don't do anything bur amrsa
themselves. Father and mother ara
Soins over to spend a week with Aunt
Jane pretty soon, ana I'm going 70
nave q house party. VIII YOU Gomez"
Il suppose So"
'iil cunningham will he one Of Ms =.
harys house party came of s,,ro
enough. We had the house all to our.
serves ahd there was every reason
why We should expect good time
Inc hrst evening We were together va
had a candy pulling. ana the next
morning The auto was brought our ana
ai' went Tor a ride. except myself.
dldil icel we'll ana concluded IA stnv
at nome, At least this is the reason /
gave Tor not going. but the true rea.
son was that Sarah Flint one If lin,
-.IiS' had undertaken To appropriate
jim Cunningham leo herself. and
! dluh I liae d. nr,au~r De didn't Iet bor
/ know She couldn't da il
Mhile tlhY We're -o.c there vas d
rap Of the knnckcr m the front Jnor
"eHt There and found Il girl who's >k.
cd lor Mary told her Init Marg bai
gone on a ride, and She looked very
much disappointed She said She was
Mary cousin AMI had come all the
way from Hanover Court House 10 sec
her. told her to come in and make
herself at home She did 50. and
went back Ia my room.
When went downstairs again she
had gone, The auto party didn't come
back till evening. ANA when they did |
lalied To get an opportunity to tell
Mary about her cousin who had been
TO see her. We had supper and in the
evening danced. | playing the piano
for the others. | didn't want to dance
with Jim, and | didn't want to refuse
him. That's the reason | did the play
ing
The next morning o change had come
over the house party. Something had
gone wrong Then | noticed that the
girls were giving me the cold shoulder.
Later on | went TO Mary and asked
her what was the matter She said
that while they were gone on the ride
the day before somebody had taken
things from their rooms. saw right
away what il meant. | was the only
one left to do the stealing, So was the
thief,
1t was very stupid Of me not to think
Of Mary cousin but was so broken
up 10y what had occurred that was
incapable of anything for awhile.
1t was plain that Sarah Flint was do
Ing all size could tu tN the theft on
me- /, sHpposius that She was turning
Jim against me, didn't give him "A
chance To show his faith in and SYM
pathy for me but just turned away
from him every time he approached
me l suppose this made him mad. for
he kept making NJ to Sarah and
when he passed me ne held his nose in
the air.
The evening after the day of the
theft | said to Mary
Il forgot to tell you that your cousin
came to see you all the way from Han
over Court House when you We're out
motoring
My cousin! haven't any cousin at
Hanover Court House"
Then | told her how the girl had gone
away without saying that She was go
ing or leaving any message.
why didn't you tell me that bc
fore?" said Mary. The girl was the
thief, of COURSE.
Il never thought Il that replied.
Marx went right away to the others
and told about the eirl who had pre-
tended to be her cousin and who had !
had the run of the house as long as she !
wanted to. OF course this put new |
face on the affair. and they came to !
me. all except Sarah Flint, aud asked !
nv pardon for su>uecting me OF THEFT I
though some Of them said they hadn |
thought was guilty at all. But knew !
better
Jim watched for his opportunity to /
speak to me. and purposely went on |
by myself to give him a chance. When
he came to Inc he seemed not 10 know
what to say
"Whv have you treated me so shah
bily?" he asked.
Il have simply treated you as you
deserve. When / was wrongfully ac-
cusel instead Of standing by me you
sided With my bitterest enemy.
y tried t. tell you that ! believed
Won innocent but you wouldn't give me
a chance
Not while you were listening to the
noison of that snake.
- was I. Ing to get away from her
bur Won threw me back to her
IF threw you back certainly
.t, bocf- m her lou