The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-04-09
MEMORY HELD HIM
And His Reyarie Took Him Back
to a Parkway Country
Home.
By RICHARD POST.

sASo SUeo W0eu lT4vl0 cav her. Eve
then he was doubtful. In the MAJ
Of pretty girls who weaved throux
the intricate and bswildering combin,
! lions Of dances and marches on Ii
stage hs could not b certain that Ii
shsht glrlish figure was Cecilo RAJ
noa6 Nov the chorus formed In
b0lewy line q white and surged fos
Ward 6to . losm-crested w9vo "a, IL
ceodishts. Tho girl hs watched Va
third from the end In the second lin,
and the young man could not distiu
guish her features.
"A very commonplace chorus" Mis-
Davis commented to her escort. % Ii,
curtain fell.
! Il thought that little brunette neal
the end in the second row was, we'll
quite pretty" he ventured.
i Miss Lorene Davis glanced 1t hin
sharply. ITS all Z matter Of opinion
Of course" she replied. acridly. IA
for myself, I haven't seen ever a pass
ably good-looking woman on the stage
tonight"
! But Ralph Davis was paying scant
attention to her remarks. For a mo.
ment memory held him. Was It Cecile
Raymond! Could It be she!
why not!" he asked himself bit.
terly. who knows where she went or
how far may have fallen since she
slipped away from Lancaster two
years ago? Then Cecile wished to be
. grand opera star" He smiled with
= synicism beyond his years. "They
80 often end up in the chorus-it may
be after ALL" he concluded.
III she" and then his honesty Of
thought drove back the reproaches he
started to heap upon Cecile. mo. it
was my fault. just mine." he admitted.
i was too ambitious. l didn't dare to
ask her when had little to offer &c.
Gle on her part was impatient and
went away to make a name for her
self. 1t was all my fault" he repeated.
unconscious that he spoke aloud.
Whats your FAULT" Miss Davis ask.
ed. turning wondering glance upon
him.
Ralph came out OF his reverie sud.
denly. THAT didn't bring a box Of
candy for YOU" he replied with quick
self.possession. He hailed a boy and
bought an expensive two-pOund mack.
age.
For an instant Travis eyes rested
on the woman at his side. Superbly
gowned, Miss Davis possessed regu.
lar II somewhat colorless beauty. Her
good breeding showed itself in every
line OF her face and IL there was n
certain hardness In her features, too
much Of a stccly glitter In the pale
blue eyes, the amount of her fathers /
fortune atoned for any deficiencies.
Certainly Travis, two years before a
nobody and now only rising young
man. perhaps undcscrvedly credited
with two engineering triumphs, should
thank his stars Of fortune that It was
he who was favored to sit at Miss
Divis' side.
Travis knew well that In the next
box was Edgerton Green, contender
Tor the hand of the girl who that eve
ming favored Ralph with her smiles.
TO be in his placc the young man
doubted not that Green would have
given all he possessed. Certainly"
Travis reflected. Il should consider i.
myself lucky"
But strangely enough ne was dis
satisfied The girl was probably not
5eclle. Even If she were. what was
he to him. i.
Two years on the stage. In the bal
ct! With his somewhat austere train.
ng he shuddered to think what her
lie must have been No; II the dancer !,
Mould prove to be Cecile, she held
o interest for him. \
Yet. when the curtain rose he for. i.
OF the woman beside him and with =
n unconscious eagerness leaned for. \
ard in his seat, his eyes strained to
atch the first sight OF the diminu. .
We figure. third from the end-second /.
w.
The pretty conceit Of the second act -
as the appearance OF the "Tiger.Lu. ~
s." The ballet. few minutes before
owned In dainty white, now appeared
flaming crimson. their heads crown. :,
with scarlet and yellow caps. fash. y
ned In the shape of lily. Then h
as that Travis knew the one whom !.
s eyes sought was indeed Cecile Raw. -
ond. The gorgeousness of her cos.
me only accentuated the pallor Of 20
r cheeks. the feverish luster OF no, =,
rye. brown eyes. the dead blacknes,
her massed hair. -
Cecile knew him. He read thar IN -,
e first glance. Despite stage de. 4.
rum her eyes continually wandered
ward his box She executed the live.
rollicking dance mechanically Keen
time and step with the skill of -.
lg habit. Eut the man, leaning for ~.
I'd in his seat. unconscious of th.. =.
tely girl at his side. of the multi. -.
- ~