The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-29
The Girl
Next Door
A Sketch of Juvenile
Love
By F. A. mitchell

love, as has been remarked before Ii
seems, to the present writer. He does
not claim originality for the remark.
But 1t Is as true now as it was when
first made. some centuries ago, and all
English and American poets from
Chaucer 10 the present poet laureate
have enlarged on the theme.
Why not use it, therefore, to intro
duce a little tale, or sketch, rather, of
very young man and very young
maid and flowers and -four?
Billy Atherton was nearing sixteen
that Is, he was at an age when two
things monopolized the limited space
there was In his undeyeloped brain.
the first being his clothes. the second
a girl. Ii may seem absurd TO put
the clothes before the girl, but such is
the proper relation. There are n great
many girls. but only one wardrobe, for
a young man. and lie requires that
wardrobe to be exactly in vogue
The first sign Billy showed Of ap-
! preaching manhood was when be WAS
fourteen Then he displayed marked
concern about his neckwear. Later
a new complication developed: then
the period for long trousers came on.
The color Of his neck wear must match
the color of his socks. Nothing would
induce him TO wear socks that were
not clocked His fayorite shade for.
his scarf and socks was brilliant
yellow. and woe bctide the tailor who
produced pair of trousers for him
| that were not short enough to display
seven-eighths of his hosiery.
When BILLY was invited to his first
formal dance he was confronted with
the most important question thus far
of his life. Should he wear swallow
tail or tuxedo? If tuxedo. should
he wear white or black vest, white
or black tie? In Billy's time boys of
his age were supposed to pass upward
and onward to full dress through a
tuxedo. SO, Notwithstanding that he
was invited to formal dance. he must
wear tuxedo.
i Consultation with half dozen other
boys Of his age soon cleared the way
through the vest and tie problems
They were to be both black. But Billy
struck snag on the collar. There was
unfortunately a division of opinion
Some of the boys ruled for a standing,
some for a rundown collar. During
the afternoon before the dance Billy
was in fever of suspense whether 1t
should be standing or rundown. Final
~ the matter was settled by IA telc-
phone message from his haberdasher,
who. after consulting periodical Civ.
| ing such fashions assured Billy that If
| he wore anything except n rundown
collar the bottom would drop out of
the universe. That settled the final
| momentous question as TO how Billy
| should be arrayed on going to his first
| formal dance,
/ Since Billy was to enter upon his
first love affair during the evening OF
this dance one would suppose that the
| apparel of the girl he was to fall In
love with should be also described
Betty llinsdale, aged fourteen and
ten months. was us much concerned
about her party get up as was Billy
about his apparel. A dress had been
: especially prepared for the occasion
But If her costume were to he as mi
: nutely described as Billys has been II
would require a woman to do the job
This would involve two persons to
write the story. Hence ! can only say
II that when Betty was paraded before
her father in her party dress he i'm
mediately ordered It heightened at boti
ends This IS all the information
can give on the subject
II The apparel of these two young per
sons being the most important part OF
this story has neccssitatcd its being
introduced In rhc beginning. II is now
necessary To- mention certain sprln.
: DAY when Billy had put on his base
BAH suit and was III his back yard
: summing himself. occasionally throwin-
ball against the brick wall OF hi'
home
Billy was standing within few
feet Of the house examining tear II
the bah he had been tossing when h'
was surprised ut fine powder settiin.
all over him lie brushed II OF. bu
more settled In its place. He looked
IN TO see whence it came. All he saw
was that Il had emanated from win
dow i'm the house next door.
Bily was puzzled Nevertheless h
suspected that some one was shower
,nc him BENDING his head over hi
hall for awhile. he raised bis eyes sud
denly and saw the laughing face OF
Girl M a window. II was drawn u
with astonishing rapidity Billy wait
Oh and watched for some time bu
there was no temperance OF eithe
tho girl or the -four that had whitene'
him.
Re II remembered that this wa
snrinctime. one morning when BIZ
was getting himself late for breakfas
nv painful indecision as to whici
cravat out Of more than twenty 2
sbonld wear be cast his eyes asia
from the mirror before him-n wa
worry close TO a window-and saw
Girl nlauting seeds or roots In the var
noyt door. lie at once OWNED ina
sba was the maid who bad houre'
a. ..-s.tod for Ssmpf hin