The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-07-09
"a had become like a daughter

And at last tue udy eaio
turned his dreams into actual pians
he would return and humbly ask her 10
be his wife. -,
at was not until he actually de-
scended from the train at the OBSCURE
little Georgia village that the utility
of his dreams suddenly dawned upon
him. He had heard nothing from nef
during ten years. 1t might be that MS
money had never reached her' ="
might be that she was already mar
ried. thousand chances might nave
interviewed. And she was twenty-sl1
and he a man Of forty. He was bent
on the widest and most quixotlc er'
rand that had ever befallen man.
Another thing, too, came to MS
mind, He had educated her IN Parls
, and at the best college in the state
But he himself was . crude and ig.
norant man; he had even retrogradeo
in knowledge and manners, living IN
his western town. How could ne ASK
her to link her life with his?
And by the time when he saw the
peach orchard looming up in front OF
him all his resolutions had shrunk TO
this: that he would ask for drink OF
water and INQUIRE after her, learn how
she was and what life had brought her.
and 60 his way again.
when he heard the harsh voice OF
the mother at the door, he told me at
terward," continued the evangelist
'he was conscious of an absurd desire
to run away, just as when he had pass
!, ed by the house, tramp, ten years
before. But the woman, seeing that
, he was dressed like man of means,
. invited him in to rest, and she gos'
siped readily about her circumstances,
, and was loud in complaint Of her nus
! band. He had acquired good deal
, of money. she told my friend, and had
squandered it all in speculation. Ten
, wears before he had been on the verge
OF bankruptcy, and though things had
9 frightened he was still in the same pc
sition. She wished that they could
:. sell out and move into a city-but 1t
n was hard to find purchasers for peach
orchard land in that section of the
d state.
r "'How much do you want to sell
n for? he inquired.
r THE woman hesitated. -Four thou
I sand she said at last.
!. He had twice that sum. With the
@ farm he could live among the mem
cries that had controlled his life; he
wanted nothing better, I will buy IT
at that figure he answered. All this
time he had not found the heart to ash
, about the woman's daughter, but now
, she voluntarily spoke to her
There's one trouble I've got. she
grumbled and that's Bessie, She de
clares she won't go to city. She
hates city life and says if | 60 shes
, going to hire out Somewhere.
Hire OUT stammered the visitor
! eyes grumbed the woman. 'Sh'
! amt a bad girl, but somehow she new
! err quite saw her duty toward her ia
! Their and me after Jim refused to Civ,
her an education. She wanted to g
to high school, and Jim hadn't tn
money
AT that moment the farmer stamI
= ed into the room casting suspicion
look at the visitor. The woman II
troduced him, This gentleman talk
of buying the farm she announced
THE farmers visage cleared. Ma!
be you'd like to come and talk It owe
outside, he said. and my friend 70
lowed him. He followed him down I
the peach trees and then he turne
4 about and put his hand on his shou
y der. A wild, uncomfortable rage wa
.sr seething in his heart. This man ha
defrauded two lives, his daughter
and his own He had squandered Il
ne money with which the man had hope
70 to redeem this young life from l
norance and servitude; ten years
DID work had gone for nothing, dur
on away in foolish speculation or extra
me agance, OF which even his wife VI
= ignorant.
w. The habits Of ten years fell aw,
ID from him, and the old devil can
aer back. He would murder him as sui
Co. ~ az he himself must die for It.
a@1 The farmer, looking into his fat
.o' and seeing the wild passion there. 81
w. being a coward, like every thief, ire
bled He looked right and left
T ~. some escape, and the strangers clut
M was Ike steel upon his shoulders.
. . I'd then, coming through I
tree my friend saw the peach-bl,
-. som sri, and his hand fell from I
- mans shoulder and the old sense
49, peace came back to him. Except I
-. certain maturity OF face and figu
-. she was the same as when she v
-, sixteen, and the same serene I'M
~ cence looked out Of her eyes, and s
=. wore her tattered dress as que
might wear her robes. And in
arms she carried branches of pea
81 blossomy boughs."
W.. wy Well" said the psychologist. Il {
guess the rest. They were MARI