The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-09-13
LORNA MAKES HAY
WHILE sun SHINES
ey DOROTHY DOUGLAS.


year, and through all those months
Lorna had fought against the hints.
from kindly neighbors. that her hus.
band had married her out Of pique.
But Lorna had believed In her hap
piness until the moment the ship had
pulled away from the wharf with her
husband on board. Then. she had
looked up suddenly at him as he leaned
over the bulwark and was surprised to
see an expression of relief, as from a
released burden. in his eyes.
She had taken the blow like little
soldier, with smiling lips and a happy
waving of farewells. When the boat
was well out in the bay the hand that
held her handkerchief swept across
her eyes and she stood for moment
in blank misery. After that she
braced her shoulders and went home.
She knew, first of all. that she had
come upon blank wall In the path OF
her life.
Il am married to a man who does
not love me-" she told herself with a
peculiar sense Of aloofness stealing
over her.
So, with her fighting blood aroused
and her pride hurt, Lorna probed deep
into the heart OF things in order to
discover the lack, for she knew the
lack was in herself.
Il will make hay while the sun
Shines" she smiled at her own ex
travagance.
As Lorna descended the stairs the
big living room struck her as being
dull and tOneless. This, too, was her
fault.
II will also make over the rooms"
She laughed quite like the old Lorna
who had not known David Brooks. Il
will buy yards and yards Of cretonne
with big pink roses in II. and when
David comes home he will think the
garden has walked into the house"
When Lorna first beheld herself In
her new raiment she blushed at her
own extravagant beauty. Her hair was
huffed as If from lovers caresses.
and her eyes were aglOw.
but David will not know me- she
reminded herself
Even in her new view of life Lorna
was not without her moments OF blank
dismay. What if David could not
stamp the memory Of Beth Cornish
from his heart? Could 1t be possible
that the gossip She had heard was not
true-that merely her own careless
ness had made David Indifferent?
Fortunately these morbid thoughts
were short lived.
As the weeks passed swiftly, Lorna
realized that she was indeed improv-
ing the hours.
perhaps. after ALL" she reasoned,
1T is good for us TO come against
blank walls in our paths. might
| never have known that the biggest
things in life were passing me by
perhaps I was really cOntented with
only half of David's love"
So In the end Lorna came to look
upon her cross as a blessing. She
seemed to have made new friends:
she seemed to hold them firmly at her
side. She gave one or two dinner par
ties and found herself branching out
In many directions.
Lorna had not ceased to love her
husband, but she began TO feel indie
pendcntly strong
When the letter came which men
toned the day of her husbands ar
rival. Lorna sank down into her big
chair and trcmblcd. After all. now
that he was coming. she felt strangely
weak There was so much at stake.
She knew that she could never again
be happy with half his love. She had
struggled for the whole and she must
have it.
She did not 20 down to the wharf,
but waited for him at home. Lorna
had dressed with unusual care Her
gown of traily blue and her little blue
slippers peeping from beneath were
only the setting for her exquisite beau.
~ She knew that she was locking
well. and the knowledge lent a certain
proud carriage to her figure
David saw her through the French
! windows before he entered the house.
He caught his breath and WAS con-
scious of a thrill Whether il was rom
surprise or longing he knew not But
certain il was that he quickened his
step and took her into his arms With
an emotion for which he had not bar
gained. II left him breathless and a
trifle confused.
Lorna" he said. and stopped
What is it. DAVID" she asked with
little unsteady laugh She looked up
at him and the glow in her eyes left
him dazed
You are not the same Lorna
whom lett hardly feel that YOU
are really mine
"l'ut am. Davy boy" She smiled.
because she knew that she had won.
His arms held her in way that made
her knowledge certain. Il have made
the house over. though See" She
turned and swept in the changed sur
roundings.
David looked over her head, but did
not release her. Lorna" he PIT a
firm hand under her chin Lorna