The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-11-13

left Is beside Mrs. Curtis. l did not
expect you, sir, and had arranged that
seat for Baron Sternhold. Now you ap.
pear Unexpectedly and this moment
receive note from the baron that he
is unexpectedly detained. was sure
Mrs. Curtis said you would not be
here. Well. Of all things-that a man
and his wife should be seated visa.
Wis at box party"
And there was q ripple Of laughter
as Mr.. Curtis gravely seated himself
beside his wife. Her fan trembled
just perceptibly and the eyes still scan.
ming the audience were unseeing eyes.
"lnasmuch as we are on dress pa.
rade and in full public view," he said.
leaning over and whispering in her
ear, 1T might be best to act 1t out
and display enough decent interest in
each other so as not to crafty the
fierce longing for scandal which per.
vades the kind hearts about u.s."
you are quite right" she replied
coldly. Il did not expect you. I
thought you started for Mexico to.
day."
II decided to defer It until tomor.
row." he replied. III It were possible
for you to smile pleasantly-not at
me. you know, but at somebody in tho
audience. 1t might serve to lessen the
interest Of the dear friends about
u.s."
III you could think Of some subject
for sustained conversation it might be
easier" she said.
Il WILL" he answered sharply, turn.
Ing toward her. Il will tell you the
story Of great love and Its unhappy
end.
THE hero was but an uniformed
boy, thrown into the realities of life
early because he happened to have
been born into the dollhouse atmos.
phere Of money and society. He
thought he was mature. experienced
and even blaze. when really he was
more ignorant himself than the com.
monest clod
We'll, this pathetically unequipped
hero fell in love with the heroine, Of
course. Yes, he truly fell in love. He
hardly knew it at the time, for he was
a selfish young animal and little I'm.
derstood what love really meant. Per.
haps it was more desire than love.
Anyway he won the heroine.
And then, you see. trouble began.
He was primitive sort OF animal and
his real civilization only began to be
foreshadowed when he married the
heroine. He demanded everything,
gave little, and thought less. And all
the time he knew that she loved him.
And he loved her, too, more blindly
and passionately every moment that
he did the very things to kill her love.
"Of course the end was bound to
come. There were chickering's and
scenes and there was brutal indiffer.
ence and exasperating sights.
! And finally the crash came. The
bitter things she said in answer to
the bitter things he said ranked In
his heart until Ire no longer could
stand it, and he determined to 30
away and forget. So the hero and the
heroine agreed to disagree and the
hero was to have left for Mexico to-
day-and never trouble the heroine
more"
And why did he not go?" asked the
woman.
He went to the train and boarded
it, the man replied, regarding her
steadily. but the flood gates Of his
emory opened and the tide OF his
great love swept over him and the
knowledge that there was to be this
box party came to him, and he knew
she would be here-and the hunger Of
his heart drove him to leave the
train to come here and see her once
more. II only from a distance. And
he Is a boy no longer. but a man who
has put away boyis' +. ings forever"
The heroine" Sc he woman very
softly. was also ysy .oung and had
never been taugh, q. ~ things she
should have known. a never knew
about tact and aaG hat sort of
thing. She also hat Efet love which
grew with the years. but did not know
how to express It."
Don't you think the hero might
have another chance-that they
might start over again?" he said Gag.
erly.
The smile she turned toward him
was so soft and ~omanly that the lace