The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-05-13

zee am looking for a letter. an old let
ter one of these boys left here" e1'
planned Muriel.
"Ah indeed" muttered the tramp
valuable, ma'am?"
II will pay for its return"
~Mebbe I'll flnd it, said the man,
and Muriel left the place hoping the
wind had blown 1t away among the
rubbish at the rear of the lot.
"Oh. Aunt Muriel," said Willie. as
they reached home, II just remem'
bered The man l gave the letter to
looked q good deal like that photo
graph I noticed in your desk"
Muriel flushed, with a new pang at
her heart at the allusion. She tried
to hope that one letter was lost and
that the other would be tossed aside
unread. She sat on the porch that
evening. trying to forget the distress
ing incident and Ranald Dyer, when
some one came up the steps. It was
the tramp she had met that day.
About that letter now" he began
with q leer. What will you give for
it,"
Have you found it," inquired Mu.
riel eagerly. ri will gladly pay you
ten dollars"
why, ma'am," derided the tramp.
I'm these days of sensations any news
paper would give one hundred dol
lars. Just to show its readers how a
real genuine love letter reads, don't
you sect"
The covert insinuation appalled, Mu-
riel. Not that the letters contained
anything but the most respectful and
commonplace sentiments Of love. She
shrank from the thought Of others per
using these treasured epistles. sacred
to her as the heart breathings Of .
man she had loved devotedly.
ITS q hundred or nothing" added
the tramp menacingly.
mot q cent" interrupted ringing
voice that thrilled Muriel through and
through.
And then the tramp was seized by
the collar by . vigorous hand, was
pulled over the porch railing, arrest
threatened, the letter demanded and
produced. and the blackmailer sent
headlong into the road.
His ready captor returned to tho pet
rified Muriel. He lifted his hat cour
teously. but very gravely.
There Is the letter that man had
here is one a little boy handed me to
day, passing out letters he called it.
"Ranald-Ransld Dyer" murmured
Muriel weakly.
Eyes, 1t Is T." replied her lover Of
the past. II came to visit the old town
after my long absence. You seem To
have thought enough Of those old let
tiers. Of mine to preserve them"
Her head sank low, she could no,
utter . word. It was 4 strained stu
alton.
III 80, why them" proceeded Ranald
did you not make some reply whom
sent word by my friend, Edward Ross
seven years ago7"
II never received It," spoke Nh
riel quickly. And then: HE was no
i, your friend-I see 1t all now!"
She recalled how suddenly Ranalt
had left the town with no word Of ex
PLANTATION. She remembered. too, how
Edward Ross had proposed to her. ant
had been rejected a month later.
He was dead now, and she did no
wish to prove his falseness. 1t CAM
out reluctantly--the story.
"Muriel," said Ranald. leaning close
to that pleading. longing. beautiful
face, "a true man tells his love once
and never regrets it. Is It, then
somebody else's fault that We parted
Can It be possible that all these year
you have thought of me as Of old!"
Would | have treasured these lei
tiers otherwise" asked Muriel softly
and the next moment she was claspe,
in his arms.
Copyright. 1873 by W. G. Chapman.)