The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-11-29

outward, surveyed
the scene indif
ferently. 1t was very beautiful
yet, IN an exotic way; but he was
weary with it all and his heart faint
with hunger for home.
That was why he had weakened at
the eleventh hour and accepted Dora s
Observation-Disclosures he had been so
long away from home.
She chose to break the silence with
a careless question:
What vessel is that"
Jack glanced down toward the har-
Dor. A fussy steamer was putting in
to It's anchorage, like a fat, white
ghost with bright. staring eyes.
It's the mail boat" he told her
She's in late. Tomorrow" he con-
tinued in a half whisper, shell be
going on to Gibraltar and connecting
with the liner for homei'
Yes said the girl, abstractedly,
and lapsed again into her silence:
for she was considering how she
might say to him that which she
longed to say
Now" said Jack, presently, with.
out daring to look at the girl-whose
eyes never for an instant left his
strong, clean profile now, tell me
everything, please. Nora--alI tho
news about everyone know"
She obeyod quietly. in low voicsD
It seemed long account, but Jack
did not tire in the least
"And-and Gwynne and Beth Som
ers? They're married long since,
suppose"
mo. din't mention it, Jack, be-
cause"
81 Understandable thank you But
not married! I must know, Dora"
tom Gwynne," she said after a
pause, lis dead"
Dead" he whispered, incredulous-
ly. Dead" IIe drew a long breath. |
please he cried, please tell me!
Don't you sec Tn tortured, Dora? l |
know you only wish to spare me,
but-you see, there was a girl and
and"
"This makes it different" said the
girl, quietly, "Now you can ask her,
Jack She went on, while he listened,
aghast at his slip. That's why I
wanted to tell you-for the girls
sake You didn't think that we who
knew you believed you guilty-did
you? Because we didn't, and that is
why was glad, oh, so glad, to find
you, and to be the first, the very first
to tell you, You see, after you sacri-
feed everything, Jack, and ran away,
trying to save your chum, to make us
believe that you had-stolen the
and not Tom Gwynne.'
"But you mustn't blame him" Ben
on broke in QUICKLY "He didn't
'eally know what he was doing"
~ know" She nodded decidedly
I know that you sacrificed all to
save your friend. And when Tom
discovered what you had done, when {
t was too late, he told Beth, OF
curse that broke the engagement; |
md it was only a little later that
'om was thrown from his auto some
low-we never really knew what had
He loft a signed confess
ion; but we didn't know where you
ad buried yourself, Jack" (
ooh, you don't know, you don't
now" he cried brokenly, what this
1eans to me, Dora"
"Ah but do" she told him. j
emily. q know, very well, That's q
Thy ! came here ,Jack-to find you.
d heard it was a place where peo- y
lie went when they were in trouble,
nd wanted to tell you, because =
ecause"-again there sounded that
itiful little quaver in her voice =
because the girl is waiting for you" L
"Then I'll gol" he cried. I'll go!
ora, Dora. l don't know how to n
lank you! I'm off in the morning
? that mail steamer. Home! You 7
ont mind my hurying off to pack, !
iii you? She sails at sunrise-and 4
st think, In ten days I'll see Beth" u
And when he was gone she stood
r long time motionless, dry of eye II
Id lip, staring at the corner around
hich he had disappeared. Finally
% stretched forth both arms.
"Oh, my dear, my dear!" she sobbed
If her heart would break-but gen.
:. that none might hear.