The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-02-05
ALWAYS SUCH CnUMS
BY NEWTON sUNcEY.

ing a putter in her right hand.
Through his half-closed eyes Hewitt |
gazed at her critically. and he could
not help admitting that she made the
fairest of pictures The breeze caught
her curls. and with the sunlight turn
ed them into shimmering sea of
gold. 4 simple. wellcut gown of some
soft. white material showed the grace
of her figure as she walked. Her eyes
shone with an unmstakable light as
their gaze fell on Hewitt
Tell me asain that you love me.
Denis she whispered
Il love you. dear he answered.
Il shall always be hearing you say
that" she SAID in low tCncs later as
she turned to go into the house to
rack for n few days visit nj 4
! friends house You'll write 10 me
often. went YOU, nenis?"
| Hewitt; WINGED as though he had
been stabbed Several times he had
thought that while she was away he
would write ard tell her tho truth
that he did not love her But he was
TOO much of coward to tell her to
her face and see those deep blue
eyes grow heavy with misery.
Somehow 1t seemed quite a natural
thing for a man to love woman and
she not to love him. but for woman
to love a man who did not care in
the same way for her-it seemed
nothing short Of brutal
At length In one Of her letters
Mary wrote the following paragraph:
Il can't help thinking, Denis. that
your letters seem as though they are
written with an effort and 1t makes
me fear that what | have thought be-
fore is really true II seems dread
full to doubt you. dear. but 1t would
be more dreadful to let matters reach
an irreyocable stage and then to
doubt
I'VE have always been chums,
Denis, ard now we are promised for
something donpcr than friendship
Can you say from the bottom Of youi
heart that this is what YOU DESIRE
"Porhaps | am wrong in dothtnG
YOU: bu' il ana not, oh please do not
hesitate TO say SO Don't think you
viii be doing tho riaht and honorable
thing by mas'ng Your real feelings
How had She guessed? He had tried
50 hard to be all he WAS supposed to
be.
lie wanted her, and yet there was
sometime missing. and she had rec
ognized it,
He felt SO ashamed Of himself. 50
ignomnous He would have given the
world to have been able TO answer
Nary's letter as a true lover would
have done, but instead he wrote.
You were right to doubt me, Mary
There is no woman on earth | care
for like you. but ii is not the love /;
man should feel for his future wife
. 1t is cowardly to fly to excuses. but
hall always feel that our parents
we're Responsibilities rushed us in
. to the engagement
What will Yen think of me. Mary
We have alWars been such chums
and now | am refusing the best gii
J hat The world could give me |
5 makes me feel 50 mean and coz
X .cmp.blc, dear, but, ~ you say. it vii
4 be better to sever while We have tn
Y chance.
\ Il don't suppose YOU will see AZ
gain for long time. shall e
!, away somewhere ! don't care whcr
s but feel thai | want TO hide
= He walked down TO the village posi-
N Office and pO the letter himsc}
4 Then he turned away and walk
. slowly down a lane. his head bent j
E thought, trying to picture the futur
i without Mary.
\ He slept badly that night for thinl
q ing of Mary. lie began to feel tina
Z though they were not to be hvshan
4 and wife, he did not want to lose he
X Next morning he thought Of H.
reading the letter, and he felt i
4 would have given anything had l.
7 not written it or been able to rorg
I possession of it ere it reached IL
= hanas.
i lis thoughts were interrupted /
5 The arrival OF a servant with L.,
u ram Toarirg it open, a groan broh
! from his lips as he read:
4 Come at once Mary ill.,
5 "LIDTARD"
Il And in that moment Denis Howl
I knew he loved Mary, and FASTENED t
y her bedside
L lie seemed to wait an eternity o.
z side the door of the room. He did N
see the nurse who watched him cur
ously, and he scarcely saw Mr. al
Mrs. Lidiard as they came out of Il
\ room.
Then he entered, his gaze rivete
on the thin, white face framed in
mass of golden hair.
Mary" he said huskily; 20
Mary"
Then he stumbled forward ar
knelt at the bedside. holding her fra
hand and gazing beseechingly into h,
eyes.
\ I'm glad you've come. Denis" 81
said.
81 wanted to see Won an mneh"