The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-07-10
MANS GREATEST LOVE
ey ARTHUR W. BEER.

situation into which he had been so
abruptly plunged
He had not meant to kill him. An.
no! such a thought had never found
Judgment in his brain for an instant
Why should he harm the father OF the
woman he loved?
He had gone more to plead his cause
with the old man. Words had passed
between them, and the old man. IN
senile rage, had attacked him. Even
then he had not meant to show re-
sistance. His sole thought was to
quiet the old man But as he had
struggled with him with that end IN
view tLey had slipped on the polished
surface OF the oaken floor Of the IL
brary, and In falling the old mans
head had struck against the iron
bound corner of massive ancient
chest, and he had lain still.
Presently, in the deep gloom OF his
inner being a spark Of hope glowered'
What If the old man were not really
dead? True, he had thought to make
sure, but he should not have given up
so soon. At any rate, he should have
faced the situation manfully; should
have aroused old Sarah. the sole 90
nestle of the old widower's big house;
and Clarice-no! he never could have
told Clarice.
He began to retrace his steps fe-
verishly. What a distance he had
Travelled in his insane fight! Suppose
that he found the household aroused
upon his return?
AS at length he neared the house,
he perceived that the lowered win
dows were lighted up.
But surely that fitful, flaring light
was no ordinary illumination? He
suddenly recalled that in his struggle
with the old man the burning logs OF
the great open fire in the library had
been scattered. He had afterward
thrown them back, but some stray
Goals must have remained behind and
now on fire!
He rushed forward but he might
as we'll have hurled himself against .
rock as against that massive front
door: and as for tho lower windows,
they were heavily crossed with iron
bars -
And Clarice? Clsyice was 40 doubt
sleeping calmly enough upstairs. He
knew her window.
He dashed madly in the direction Of
the barn, where ne remembered to
have seen a ladder only the other day.
Presently he returned, dragging its
weight after him, and raised it to the
upper window.
He broke the glass with his bare
hands. unmindfult Of the wounds 1t
caused him, and, raising the sash, en-
te.ed the apartment
"Clarice." he called. "The house Is
afire; come quickly"
He ran to the head of the stairs.
The lower portion Of the house was all
aflame.
IIo gathered her yielding body In his
arms and hurried to the window.
But where il father? Oh, you must
save him." she gasped.
II will, darling" he said. shudder-
ing involuntaYily.
He gazed below. Neighbors, at.
tracted by the glare, had commenced
to assemble. One man was already
halfway up the ladder.
He passed her fainting form to the
man on the ladder and rushed back
to arouse old Sarah and direct her to
the means of escape.
Then he began to make his way to
the hell Of fire below.
1t was then that the great tempta-
ton came to him Why should he risk
his life for a dead man? Already he
had done all that could reasonably be
required Of him, and the fire would
soon obliterate the traces Of that
dread mishap
But, no, he could not live with that
stain upon his soul He could not
hear the plauditS of the crowd, nor
her proud words of praise for his he
roism, with the knowledge of the true
state OF affairs guawing at his heart.
He fought his way to the library
and dragged out the singed body of
his late adversary Through the hall.
and to the doorway he strur gled with
his burden, but the smoke I'D flames
overcame him, and he sank down Just
within the portal
Meanwhile, from the outside they
we're battering down the door with
axes. and presently they rushed in,
regardless of the flames that belched
forth, and carried out the blackened
bodies.
One grave contained them; and,
kneeling by the marble shaft that
marks its site, you may of-en see a
sad faced, black-sarbed woman. Be
sides names and dates, the Shaft bears
this inscriptions:
Greater love hath no man than
this, that man lay down his life for
his friend"