The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-12-30
The Girl
He Forgot

Henshaw laughed when he asked
Elizabeth Blake to accept Wharton.
whom she had never met, as her par
ticular escort at the theater party
which Henshaw was planning to give
the following week.
I'll be delighted" said Elizabeth.
but what's the joke?"
Jim Wharton's the joke" replied
Henshaw. Il don't suppose he ever
took a girl anywhere in his life. He
boards where | do
The night of the party Jim's cos.
tune was certainly irreproachable.
and but for certain shyness, which
troubled him more than it did any one
else, his manners were irreproachable.
Elizabeth was the most tact nj Of
her sex. so. when she found that her
attempts at conversation seemed
merely to startle and embarrass her
escort she alked most of the time to
Henshaw and Pauline Curtis. who
were her neiehbors on the other side.
BEING thus left to himself Jim was
free to enjoy the play.
It was several minutes after the
curtain had fallen on the final act be-
fore Elizabeth who had been busily
collecting her possessions. looked
around in search of Jim and discov.
cred that there was no such person
anywhere to be seen. She gave lit
tie surslc of mingled surprise and
amusement llcnslaw turned toward
her at the sound. and when he saw
the vacant chair he too. laughed.
you followed instructions too we'll,
Elizabeth" he said. Il didn't mean
for y0u to oblitcrate yourself so en-.
tirely that he could go beating it off
alone like that"
Not until Jim. still chuckling to him.
self in retrospective enjoyment of the
play. took out his watch and began to
wind it. which was his first step IN the
process of going to bed, was he as.
sailed by an unpleasant and all too
familiar sensation. he recognized it..
''Ivc lost something" he said TO
himself. beginning TO feel about in his
pockets. He knit his brows and tried
to think It couldn't have been his
ticket to the play for he had been
there and come home again. Great
play he solloQui2pd. II don't know
when I've enjoyed anything so much.
! wonder if Toni"
Here he struck a Glow. "Why,
where is Tom he asked, thoughtful.
ly. we certainly Went together"
Then like "A fash. il all cam" back
IN enc horrible. overwhelmin. food.
When Tom returned and stopped in
inns room on his way to his own. ho
found Il Pale. dishcvclcd, detected
creature sitting on the side Of the bed.
one large shoe in his hand, gazing
wildly into spare Jim turned a bag.
ctrd face toward the intruder.
Nice man Won are" said Tom. dis.
eustcdly. any time | undertake to
make a social butterfly out of you
again."
Wharton groanoh. SAY" he asked,
what does fellow do when things
ike this happen
Tom started for the door. smother.
ing a veil Of delight "They don't hap
pen" he said, chokins,y'' as he disap
poared
About & o'clock the next morning
Iienshaw was awakened by a knock
on his door. When the door was
opened slightly Wharton's detected
conntenance appeared in the crack.
Tom" he said. I've hardly slept
wink. I've just got to do some
thing"
Tom reached for pillow and threw
It at the long. sad face. Go and do
il then" he shouted but II you
bother me again. I'll"
The door closed on the nncomplet.
90 sentence.
n Wharton could have seen Eliza.
beth's mirthful cOnntenance that eve
ming when she read his name on the
card which the maid handed her he
would have been tempted 10 dive
headlong out of the window. When
she entered the room in which he was
waiting for her however, she was url.
smiling enough.
Good evening, Mr. Wharton" she
said, with cold politeness. Won't
you have a chair"
"A chair" repeated Jim. looking
about wildly. "T-T-don't believe l
need one, thank you. That is. ] cant
stay but a minute. Miss Bake.
wanted Tom to come with me to tell
you what fool I am. He knew I'd
do something awful He hadn't any
business to make me go last night.
Miss Blake, don't know what to
say" he went on. cheerlessly. III
there's anything can do TO square
myself. I'd be glad TO do it. I know