The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-02-21

through the door at the opposite emu
OF the ward, while the house surgeon
looked after him IN wonder, seeming
tragedy. hut Hamlin fastened down
the stairs. needless of the impression
he gave What an irony. that he shouio
have been the means of saving ne5
child riam's child!
Yet the next morning he found
letter upon his table which Get the
blood hurrying through his veins
Too well he knew that writing. no
opened it slowly. fighting down mo
impulse to fling it into the dre IN
read.
Dear Or llamlin." It began.
want to see you to thank you for sav-
ing Ronald's life Will you forget ana
forgive everything that has passed!
| cannot rest until have your Tor
giveness Now all my views have
changed MIRIAM.
| The house of the Keiths was oppo-
site the park-four miles away from
the dingy. old-fashioned quarter IN
which st Marks was set Hamltn
had not been near the place for
years Yet that afternoon. being free.
he did tramp into the park. and, so
tramping through the cool groves that
eased the oppression OF that fiery July
day. he found his footsteps inevitably
trendiny toward the place which had
been forbidden him.
And at last. toward the cool OF the
afternoon, he found himself seated
upon bench facing the Keith man
sion dreaming vain dreams. he re-
membered that spot we'll: there MI
RAM and he had sat together when
sion. dreaming vain dreams.
Tie had been dreaming for half an
hour when he was suddenly recalled
to himself A quiet. elderly man was
standing in front Of him. The face
seemed familiar The man stretched
out his hand.
Are you not DR.. Hamlin. sir!" he
asked. Yes. l was sure knew your
| lace. MY IlduIC ID hUCS INOssus 0OsOsS
you remember me?"
Indeed do, MIR. Keith" said Ham
lin. springing to his feet courteously
So this WAS Miriam's husband. he
could well imagine how the disparity
In tastes and years must have weigh
ed on her
Miriam sent you q letter yester
day" said MIR Keith, taking q place
beside him. We hoped that you
would cali. My wife and her sister
will BE- passing this way in few
moments on their return from the
hospital; they always walk through
the park Now. you must stay and
meet them--indeed you must. doctor.
I cannot. OF myself. thank you sui.
hciently for having given 10 back our
child II il our only one." he added
wistfully
- can't" IIamlin stammered. Il
have an engagement. T."
"Now. my dear fellow" answered
the other. smiling. pray don't be 20
foolish. | know all about that misun'
dcrstanding Of yours with Miriam. and
| don't say | regret It now. for It gave
me a wife Put old friends must moi
BE- unforgiving. Stay while. doctor!'
Hamlin looked at him In disgust
The old dotard! Did he. then, know
nothing. immersed as he was In biz
bookshelf he know nothing OF the In
tensity of his love for Miriam. that
he should seek thus to revive It?
Mr.. Keith was prattling beside him
telling Of a hundred little things that
narrowed IIamlins heart. lie would
lind that Miriam had not changed II
the least. he said
Il won't deny" continued thu
scholar. that when Miriam told mt
she had changed her views and re
pented having broken the engagement
between you / wont deny that ! dit
have hopes that things might be ad
4 justed."
Now Ilamln was sure that he wal
dreaming. The old man babbled on
u I'm going to tell you about my lit
q tie romance, my boy for you are ;
% boy in years, compared with mo. ant
| feel that ! have you to thank TO
% having given me the most charming
= wife in the world You know | wa
q engaged TO Miriam, but | always fel
Il she didn't love me. And I offered he
her freedom three times. but she re
= fused to accept it. And so thing
. went on until the very day before on
marriage And then II WEIGHED"
i You what. sir?" exclaimed tn
q other.
+, "Wclchcd' Made myself scarce
. Rejected her. Yes, my boy, wa
., absent in Europe a year. and when
came back Miriam saw things tn
IL same way that did And you know
il always had been Evelyn whom reall
/ loved She is older and our tastes ar
y more alike. So that is how | came I
marry Evelyn"
r. You married-Evclyn? said Han
a lin, choking.
"a Indeed I did. and very happily. too.
z answered the old scholar. Don