The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-05-27

/ lie Titan, called out halt i dozen
newspaper men across Tie room
The Titan" repeated the masiS-
trate. Then this offense WAS connlit-
ted on the high seas under the English
tag. cannot imagine why il is
brought into this court. Prisoner, have
you anything to say"
Soothing, your honor" The answer
came In a kind Of dry Sob
The magistrate scanned the ashen
faced man in rags and said to the clerk
" the court, Change this charge tc
vagrancy. ch'-
The clerk. instigated by the newspa.
per men. was at his elbow. He laid
morning paper before him. pointed to
certain big letters and retired. Then
the business Of the court suspended
while the court read the news. After
a moment or two the magistrate look
ed up.
PRISONER. he said sharply: take
Your left sleeve out Of your breast"
Rowland obeyed mechanically, and It
danS!ed ut his side. The magistrate
noticed and read on Then he folded
the paper and said:
You ere the man who was rescued
from an iceberg. are you not" The
Prisoner bowed his head.
"l'i>clarsci." The word came forth
IN an nnindir:al roar. Madam" add
Ell the magistrate, with Il kndling light
III his eye. this man has merely saved
your chi'ds life If You will read Of
his defending 1t from Il polar bear
when you 80 home. | doubt that You
VIII tell 1t any more bear stories.
Sharp intrument- umph! Which was
equally unjudicial on the part Of the
court.
Mrs. Sclfrilge, with mystified and
rather aggricved expression Of face,
left the courtroom with her indignant
father and friends. while Myra shout
Ell profancly for Rowland. who had
fallen into the hands OF the reporters.
They would have entertained him MT.
er the manner Of the craft. but he
would not be entertained, neither
would he talk
lie escaped and was very speedily
swallowed up in the world without.
ana when the evening papers appeared
that day the events Of the trial were
all that could he added to the story
of the morning.
On the morning Of the next dav 4
one armed dock lounger found an old
fishh"ok and some pieces of string.
which he knottcd together; then he
dug some bait and caught a fish. Be
ing hungry and without fire, he traded
with Il coasters cook for Il meal. and
before night caught two more, one Of
which he traded. the other sold lie
slept under the docks paying no rent
fiShed. traded and sold for a month:
then paid for II secondhand suit of
clothes and the services Of n barber
His changed appearance induced a
boss stevclore to hire him tallying
cargo, which was more lucrative than
fishing. and furnished In time hat,
pair OF shoes and an OvercOat. lie
then rented a room and slept In bed
Before long he found employment ad-
dressing envelopes for mailing firm,
ut which his fine and rapid pcnman.
ship secured him steady work, and In
a few months he asked his employers
to indorse his application for a civil
service examination. The favor was
granted, the examination easily pass
cd. and he addressed envelopes while
he waited.
Meanwhile Rowland purchased new
AMI better clothing and seemed Ia
have no difficulty IN impressing those
whom he met with the fact that he
was gentleman. Two years from the
time Of his examination he was ap
pointed 10 n lucrative position under
the government and rs he seated him
self ut the desk IN his office could
have been heard to remark: Now,
John Rowland, your future Is your
own. You have merely suffered In
the past from mistaken estimate OF
the importance Of women and whisky
But he was wrong, for In six months
he received letter which In part read
MS follows
DO not think me Indifferent or migrate
ful. have watched from a distance
while you made your wonderful fight fol
| your old standards. You have won. and
I, am glad and | congratulate you. Blu
Myra will not let me rest She asks fo
you continually and cries at times. l car
i bear It no longer Will you not come ant
| see Myra?
And the man went to see-Myra.