The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-06-19

blinded eyes. and $500 in her pocket.
David would not take the money
from her. she knew. but he had {
queer old cousin. Baxter Arden. wht
worked for a meager pittance in {
downtown Office. Alice had Away.
liked this shy. crumpled little man
and she was sure that she could per
suade him to send the money to David
In his name. She would tell him II
was loan, which David would not
let her repay.
At BaXter's lodgings. however. she
was disappointed Mr.. Arden was
ont of town and the landlady did not
know when he would return There
was nothing TO do but wait. so Alice
spent three miserable days with
G"ldsby's check burning in her purse
IKE blood money She could not bear
the emptiness OF her room: she wan
c'red in the parks all day. and at
night kept up her courage by writing
10Y" letters 10 David.
David WAS not allowed To write
a.ten. but The third day she received
III answer rom him. a letter full of
'f&nk alteration He had been rCceiv.
ll@ I've or six love letters a day from
l sweetheart who was usually rather
feSlcctinl. and he was fairly maudlin
win Joy For pages he rayed, hut at
W Very end of the letter he gave i'm
Nnrtant news. Old Baxter Arden was
there on 4 visit. And he's pathetic
ally proud OF my work." wrote David.
cuts out all my illustrations and
saves them. You ought to hear him
speak OF my cousin. the famous illus
traitor And here's the wonderful
thing. Alice the old man has saved
up quite small fortune by the SIM
pie method Of never spending any.
thing. and he offers to lend me all I
need. I'm to stay on here, and the
doctors tell me I'll be we'll before
many weeks. So get your wedding
dress made. for when | do get up you
can't put me OF again"
Then David did not need the money!
Alice saw that at glance. She sprang
up and ran dizzily. wildly. for her hat
II was not too late to compete for the
Daneleigh medal. she would give
Goldsby back his check. she would
snatch her little dream girl from the
pollnting gaze OF the vulgar herd that
filled his office and carry her to the
lofty atmosphere Of the Worton gal
lcricS
She hurried through the streets, so
intoxicated with her new happiness
that she WAS quite unconscious of the
attention her hrrathlcss haste attract.
cd Near Goldshy's office she was
forced to stop \ sign pastcr was put
ting up poster and "A crowd had
gathered cforc it They were shabby.
ordinary people hut they stared at
the picture In dumb admir-, ion Even
the policeman on the beat was steal
ing a peep at It. With sudden catch
at her heart. Alice made her way to.
ward the billboard. II was very
simple picture. yet It seemed as II one
turned from the din and filth Of the
street into the haunted forest. There
beneath n moss hung oak. knee-dcep In
bracken and fern, stood a little girl
with wide eyes and cxpectant face.
hut she would never zee tho fairies,
that child. though she knew that
fairies really lived. for all day and all
night the street before her was filed
with the roar Of traffic. and the pave
ment echoed with the footsteps Of the
worldly wise. the weary. tho sinful.
So poignant was the appeal Of the up
turned face that you would not notice
that she held small object tightly
claspcd in one hand, would not notice
II until the sign pastcr. with last
sweep Of his brush, stuck lurid cap
ti0n beneath the picture 'Iave you
used Lavina? The purest soap on
earth"
For n long time Alice gazcd In RI
lonco then 81 smiled, though there
We're tears in her eyes. "Yonll never
see the fairies" she whispered to the
child. hut you'll see a great deal 0i
life my i,il" dream girl and real peo
pie are hotter than make believes As
for me, I'll use the money for a trOus.
seau. Anybody can try TO be an art
list, but only one woman In the world
ran be David Ardcn's wife"