The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-01-05
Three Meetings
By +. A. Mitchell
Copyright BY American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.
By :. A. Mitchell


nearer TO her before I knew her sor
row.
was riding on q railroad train to m!
home In the suburbs Of q great city
wnen looking up saw girl who facet
me gazing at me with a pair Of larg.
brown eyes. There was In her face
something like sadness. but not sud
ness. rather the appearance Of one born
under different conditions from OF lleI
m0rtals-a resignation. yet u content
ment in resignation. | have tried by
these words to describe it. but am con
scious Of having failed.
Though her eyes were fixed upon me
there was no holiness in them Rather
she seemed unconscious Of meetin. my
gaze Perhaps. | thought. she is think
Ing OF something so absorbing that
though she is looking straight at me
Sne does not see me. or II may lM
that she Is looking at something btA
yOnd me- have often returned a
salute from a person who meant il
for one behind me. So l continued to
gaze at the girl and she ut me till she
turned her face In another direction.
She was sitting by lady double her
age. and the likeness between them In
dicated that they were mother and
daughter. Presently the train stopped
at a station. and the two left the car
together. had noticed by the affer.
tionate gances the mother gave tho
daughter that she idOlized her. and
when they passed out il was hand IN
hand
! did not forget the face. and Il year
later l saw 1t again. This time il
was in a church. She was. IA before.
accompanied by her mother. was
sitting in Il transcp,; tn .;rl was fac
Ing the pulpit There WAS the same
look. indescrbahle in words. that had
impressed mo twelve months ago. Tier
gaze was fixed on the clergyman
though occasionally she would drop il
as though looking into her lap There
was in mo II vague feeling Snmrihng
Ike 4 hope that when had seen her
on The train She had been. IL least Il
part If the time. lacking at me. cecnl
zant - my presence: thai she hal r.
mclNhrrcd me as | remembered her
wal hri 10 see il She would not hook
In NJ direction. Just before the close
of t'h' services | was rewarded by see
Ing her turn and her eyes rested upon
me | looked for something 10 indi
cate That she was conscious Of my
presence and that she had seen me
before. But there was only that
strange look Of resignation | had seen
before After the hcneiictiOn she and
her mother left the church IN the same
manner MS they had left the train.
The third meeting. Having a law
rase was waiting In the courtroom
Tor 1t to bc tried a criminal case was
Of Evelyn Bryce. Who
should come into court to answer 10
he charge Of forgery but the girl I
lad seen twice before She came hand
md hand with her mother
Naturally | was wrapped in the
rial The prisoners attorney was evi.
lcntly trying to prove conspiracy on
he part OF certain persons against his
lent When he made a point In her
avor or her ease appeared to m going
gainst her | looked TO see what effect
had upon her could SEQ very
tile. was not sure that ! could
GO any. noticed that ID" Jury in
iced. all those in the courtroom were
poking nj her; that they seemed ms
luch impressed with that look of
lngled resignation and content as !.
The defendants counsel exhibited the
ocument that the girl was accused Of
Drging and showed that the name had
cen written o, the line intended for
without the raising or depression
( a single letter and without incline
'her up or down.
You see. gentlemen Of the jury" he
aid. "that whoever wrote that name
rust have written II In n bright light.
ust have written with Il pair OF eyes
rat worked thoroughly In concert. fOi
lere are defects of eyesight that
,use persons SO affected to write
anting the lines downward or up
ard"
II presume. interrupted the pros
'uting attorney. that DEFENDANTS
,unsel proposes TO prove that his
lent has the defect he mentions. !
ould call your honor's attention to the
ct that the prisoner has very b~an-
full pair of eyes. Indeed. greatly
ar that she is using them upon the
ry with a view TO securing her ac-
liital"
The 3ccused's counsel received in 81
lce for n few moments this attempt
prejudice the court and ia" jnrI
-linst his client Then he sad
The prosecuting attorney = mis'ak
J.. YOUR honor am hot in'cudii.. TO
owe that my client h4~ This c>rr.li
feet. would for her sak" that il