The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-09-14
PATRIOTISM THAT
WINS IN THE END
ey BELLE K. MANDATES.

81 wonder if am an ex-patriot'
soliloquized May Hampton. as she
looked up from the parusa! Of let
ter from hone. demonstrating Will
her for her PROLONGED absence.
1t was two years ROW since she
had come to this land OF sunny s,.ies
10 study music and Italian for siA
months. At the end Of that tiMo
the people with whom she had conc
returned home, but May had for, Il
the acquaintance Of an English i m
ily who had taken up residence IN
Florence. and they offered to lalr
/ her in charge. Her parents relucl IL
ly consented to continuance OF
! sojourn and she was now more r. h
/ than ever to return The charm d
sunny Italy had worked its spell, and
! then, too. her voice was develoli 9
! so marvelously that she began &c
have visions OF grand opera. Mem
cries of home ties We're becOmine
! dimmed. and three months ago she
had broken her engagement with Tom
ROwden. She could never have dor :
this except by letter for there had
been fascination about Tom. and her
resolutions generally weakened in his
| presence.
The letter twitting her of being eX
patriated was from her father, who sc
rarely wrote to her He had launched
into a eulogy over the United States
and her duty to her family.
| With a sigh Kate laid down the let
ter and began to dress for dinner
Her friends, the Gordons. were hav
ing some repairs made to their house
and in the meantime they were all
staying at a boarding place.
She was reused from her rehec
lions of the stars and stripes by the
entrance of Gwendolen Gordon
There is a countryman of yours
below. May, who has just arrived
straight from the states"
Really" asked May interestedly
TITS so long since | have seen any
one Just over"
"You will doubtless meet him at
dinner. He Is tall, well-formed. good
color, bright eyes, well-tubbed. Really
hc might almost pass for an English
man"
And May was not yet 80 "eXpatri
ated" Ss not to experience tinge OF
resentment at Gwendolon's Inference
that his passing for an Englshman
was the highest compliment she could
pay an American. The description
reminded her of Tom, and memories
Of Tom always brought vague dis
comfort. He had merely acknowl
edged the receipt of the ring she had
returned, and had formally regretted
her Change Of heart" After the
long, friendly letter she had writ
ten him explaining her career
she had certainly looked fol
more notice than that She had
anticipated opposition. remonstrance
IT a besccching letter from him, pos
sibly visit from him Maybe he. too
had changed" And there had beer
an unaccountable silence on the par
Of her family. who adored Tom. Hei
father. whose views on "honor" and
tho keeping of promise were so i'm
| placablc. had never mentioned OF
limited n. her action--simply indi:ct
III Grafton on her country.
She went down to dinner with :
thrill of anticipation at the thought O
meeting a live man" again. for sh'
had secretly disdained the Italian.
and the men she had met al the Cor
dcns. She was doomed to disap
pnintment. No stranger appeared
though she prolonged the meal a
much rs possible
Later in the evening she was sittin.
on the balcony Of her sitting room
when she heard the piano below
There we're A few random chords, auC
then there fell graaily on the air ;
deep baritone voice rendering th'
Star Spangled Banner"
oh" she cried with indraW,
breath by the thrill of ccstacy sh'
sncw she was not an alien from he
lative shores.
She fastened down TO the sailor
which was crowded with America
tourists drawn thence by the magic O
the home song. VI the end OF III
second verse, MAY was suffering NJ
1 The pangs of NOSTALGIA There Wa
] something familiar in the voice, ar
: she worked her way nearer the plan
for glimpse Of the musician. Sh
was q little faint when she reccl
nized George Amsden. Toms partic,
lar friend. The sight of him brough
vivid recollections of home, HON
friends and Tom.
She slipped into an adjoining littl
room TO compose and adjust h.
thoughts before meeting him. i
vain she tried to stifle her emotions
She crossed the room which wa
anoccupied. and stepped out to tn
balcony
4 man turned. and in the COLDER
rayed moonlight she saw Tom, cage