Bradford County telegraph. (Starke, Fla.) 1888-current, 1900-06-08


strung irregular Latin verbs to the
strokes of that racB=.er? feel in
clined to adopt the moiern pronHncia-
tion of the imlaort-i GATORS name
and say, Kik-er-o! o. heg your par.
don, Naomi; vas that your foot1
Well, I'm going ont. promised TO
run up and see Marie Leigham Co.
night. Perhaps when I come back
my tOrmentor will have r-own weary
or run down Let him run down,
NsomiI You don't mild being left
for q little while alone dear?"
"NOt at all, dear" answered Naomi
Romer, cheerfuIly.
Naomi is always cheerfuI-too cheer
ful, golden haired little LiIliard says
sometimes, petulantly. But then
Naomi Is thirty, and it 10 years that
"bring the philosophIc mind"
Eighteen years ago, when Naomi
Was twelve, she had received baby
Lilliard, her newly born stepsister, as
the legacy from the baIds Of . "dying
mother mild" who
said with accents indebted,
Child. be mother 10 this child"
And Naomi has fulfilled that trust
we'll When, ten years later, their
father, gay, debonair Ernest Romer,
LATEST and most charming Of men and
artists, had followed his wife, leaving
her two children utterly unprovided
for, Naomi had quietly and naturally
everything Naomi does is quiet and
natural-slipped into the position Of
bread winner and house provider.
Then had come e lover, too poor to
provide for both Naomi and Lilliard;
then he had gone away, to make Q for
tune in distant lands, and for eight
years Naomi had never heard OF him.
Nov LiIliard is able to help Naomi
in her little school, and the two sis
tiers are happy enough, onIy-Lilliard
is young and beautiful, and some
times she frets.
There comes a ring at the door bell,
and little Alice Sparrow, Naomi's maid
OF all work, puts in her head to say,
"a gentleman for you, please, miss. 1"
Naomi rises in surprise as q tall,
we'll built man, with n sunburnt COM
ple1ion and head of tswny hair, en-
tiers, and, striding to her side, takes
her hand.
Naomi, have you forgotten me,
Martin Colquhoun:"
For . moment the room svims
round Naomi, but the next she has
recovered herself, and ia saying quite
calmly-how it astonishes her to hear
her own voice:
"How do you do? I did not know
Jcu were in Washington.
II only came yesterday" he says,
eagerly, $50 you see have not lost
mush lime. Hound out your address
in the directory-what a grand in
stitut.on it isl Naomi, you
are 90. changed. Am II"
SIZE smiles Q little. II would know
you-bCt you are changed"
81 shall tell you all by and by, he
says, AID at that moment Lilliard
rushes in.
marie Is ont; is it not q shame?"
Then she pauses, blushing, and
Naomi introduces the two.
$50 You are LiIIiard?" says Martin
Colquhoun, smiling. 81 remember
you IS . tiny girl in short dresses,
who always searched in my pockets
for chocolates. Are you as fond of
them ystH"
ST believe I am" says Lilliazd,
laughing. Then she sits down, and
so does Martin Colquhoun, and they
sperd . pleasant. even gay, evening
together, Martin telling them all Of
the dangers he has passed in the
search for q fortuns-which il seems
he has found-and partsking Of the
homely little supper Naomi orders
with great 1est.
Martin Colquhoun sails again and
again. He comes in che evenings.
when Naomi plays, and he and Liiliard