The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-02-13
His
pondence
Course

bronzed, bearded chap who stood smil-
ing down into her upturned face.
Somehow those eyes were familiar,
and yet
Burt" she gasped. This can't
be you?"
1T can't be anyone else." he insist.
ed. MAY come in?"
Blushing, she stood aside to let him
pass. In her surprise she had forgot.
ten even to be hospitable. He made
his way into the parlor as though it
were only yesterday that he had paid
his last call.
The room was little changed; as
little changed as Ruth herself-and as
primly precise. Even his photograph
was still in the little leather frame on
the mantel. He crossed the room and
regarded 1t admiringly, though there
was little to call for admiration in the
somewhat faded cabinet Of the heavy
jowled ponderous bulked man with a
placent smile lowering on rather
weak mouth. Ruth stood beside him.
"Can you wonder" she asked. with
a nervous little laugh: that l did not
know you for a mOment?"
Il don't think you know mo YET"
was the unexpected reply. Lets sit
down and get acquainted"
He looked toward the old horsehair
covered sofa, but she moved toward a
rocker by stove. Beneath the beard
the lips parted in a half smile and he
sank into a nearby chair.
Got in last night" he rumblcd. In
answer to her question. I'm only here
for a week. Came on to see man
and he won't be back from Europe un.
til next Saturday"
81 take it then that you live In the
vest" Burton nodded.
Southwest would be more nearly
correct" he said. Down in Arizona
and Old Mexico mostly"
"And this Is your first visit east
since" She paused and colored.
my first since you opened your cor
respondcnce school Of character for.
nation" he chuckled.
"My WHAT" she gasped.
Maybe you forget just how I came
to go west" he suggested. She shook
her head. She remembered only too
well. Burton Brooks had given up a
position because he did not like the
work and saw no chance for advance.
ment. She had broken her engage.
ment in bitter letter in which she
had upbraided him for his lack Of con.
centration. She had been ready to for.
give and forget the day after, but II
was too late. Burton had gone on the
midnight train. Whalenville was a
flag station and none knew his desti.
nation. That had been four years ago
Evidently he had not forgotten.
"Do you think 1t kind to spoil It all
by referring to my unfortunate let
teri" she asked patiently.
ut wasn't unfortunate" he insisted
"You don't know what lot of good
that letter did me. That's what ]
came to tell yOu."
From his pocketbook he drew out a
sheet of tracing cloth and held II
toward her. "Thcre il Is" he said
cts been my Bible these last four
years.
"11l admit that when got It I was
sore, I was sore for an hour. Then
realized two things. You were more
than half true and the rest OF it was
that you had worried yourself sick
over me and most everyone else. You
always did have the trick Of wanting
to manage everyone you came in con.
tact with and sometimes the contract
grew too large for you. You were
worried because Jen Stevens ran
away with that actor fellOw-and got
Jen's share too.
$50 just packed up and lit out.
didn't blame you for not wanting to
marry me and didn't want to put
temptation in your way-or mine.
swell, I got out to Chicago and got
a job with a construction company.
Every morning l read your letter and
when 1t began to grow ragged on the
edges I copied It on tracing cloth.
Il simply couldn't talk back to my
boss, remembering what you said, and
SO got ahead. Down in Old Mexico
when I was living in box car and
bossing a section, took correspon-
dence course in engineering and after
that called your letter the Core
spondence course in character. 1t did
me a lot Of good"
Then I'm glad that wrote the let.
ter" she said softly. II was afraid
afterward that had spoken too
strongly"
1T was the best thing that ever hap
pened to me-" he declared. Il don't
need the course any more, bet do
need the teacher, Ruth. May | have
herr"
For moment she hesitated. It was
In her mind to hold off, to punish him
for those four years in which he had
given no sign. Then she realized that
he took his punishment very literally,
and that she, too, deserved a punish
ment for her scathing arraignment;