The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-09-09
The ONE GREAT .::...ii
BY GUY MA;2.;;<<HAM.

"A'l, roses, arr | love i'.em so,'
snd he girl iif,ad lie great ar.lful of
erag an aud beaat;fGl flowers and
eru,ne4 them almost roughly to her
Sweiiine bosom
oh, VII, Why. rannot Will send me
such TINS" he Whispered passion.
ately 10 herself Il like him SO much
better thla lAy otter man-yes, yes,
Indeed fear love him; but cannot
no | cannot face life of love in a cot.
tage' and know that | must always do
without all the nice things of life"
Then she smiled wonderful smile
the smile which had made her the
most sought after girl in her set; and
she blushed rosy little flush and
whispered still more softly to herself:
But I'd rather live year with Will
I'm q cottage than lifetime in a pal
ACC with any other man. Besides
they say Will is bound to rise and all
the men say he will some day be an
ornament to the bar and-and all that
sort Of thing. Even papa approves OF
Will along with all the other men,"
Then she shivered little SILVER.
"But mamma does not take any
stock in WILL" she thought soberly,
~and mamma is the practical one In
eur family
The girl buried her face in the
great bunch of roses-they cost the
sender a cold twenty-five dollars-and
looked up defantly.
well, why should | not marry Mr.
Hadleyo" she solloquized He is a
man who has demonstrated his ability
and is not an offensive person in any
way
Thyn, without apparent excuse she
cried out, aloud; Twill never could
aaye sent me these roses-and love
them. | love them, love them"
Then exercising her woman's pre-.
Sogatre, she sat down and had a good
cry. Then she arose, glanced at the
Sit of pasteboard which came with
Ahe roses and which bore only the
words "Ncll-from w. T. H. Wear
them tomorrow night" and went to
her dainty desk 10 acknowledge them.
The note IIadley received at his
office the next morning puzzled him
not little, but delighted him great
deal. He never had been able to
pierce the reserve of the girl he de-
sired SO earnestly to marry, and being
keen Judge Of human nature he de-
&ected warmer and more receptive
ring to her words than there had been
any others she ever had addressed to
nim.
Roses" he exclaimed in puzzled
way TO himself There's mistake
somewhere, but inasmuch as it seems
70 have warmed her toward me |
reckon the way is to say nothing"
The incident SO interested him that
me lost all track of the market and
made SO many mistakes during the
day that he came out a considerable
loser-an unhoard Of thing for Walter
Aadley.
In the meantime the young man
who had gone broke to send the roses
to the fair Miss Nell, ate his heart
away in disappointment at receiving
no word of acknowledgment. Before
might he had decided that there was
no use trying any longer and hat
planned campaign in the Klondike
where he would acquire fortune o.
leave his bones to bleach.
Miserable as he was, however, h
could not refrain from sliding into hi
evening clothes that night and at
tending the ball at the Prices, wher'
he was assured to see the idol of hi
dreams and bis despair.
Hadley appeared at the ball early
easy and confident and proceeded i'm
mediately to take possession Of Mis-
Nellie Ross, whom he found as gra
eious as her note indicated. Hadle
knew we'll how to avail himself of al
opportunity and before he had talke
10 her Ave minutes she knew that tn
great question was to be asked an
that her answer was to be demande
that night. And she knew what tn
answer was to be. She was vaguel
glad that Will was not there.
It was about midnight, when, afte
walking through a quadrille with he
Hadley decided that the propitiou
moment had come and turned to lea
her to the conservatory. Pale an
trembling with excitement. for sh
zoo, saw the moment had arrived. sh
turned to take his arm.
At this particular time Will Hunte
who had pust come into the room. a.
Deared before them in state Of MOI
o. less suppressed excitement H
had arrived late and with the instin'
Of love his eyes had rested at ono
upon the object Of his devotion. Wi,
Q start he observed that she wore Il
Goses he had sent.
"As you wear my colors think
may claim a waltz" he said with cas-
assurance. And before Miss Nell fai