The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-10-23
SYNOPSIS
BY
T. LLOYD OsBOURNE

John Mort on Pacific island to return to
America Mort gives him valuable ring
Broughton promises TO say nothing about
the mysterious Mort and his woman COM
panion He is shipwrecked and must
realize in San Francisco on the ring
Raising $1,000 on the ring, to be repaid,
Broughton returns to his old home at
Manaswan He thinks Of going into the
mule business with Victor Daggancourt,
q colored garage keeper Broughton IL
visited by the local >dtor. who calls him
liking :"
The king is due to IA fake nrwSpi
per story about Broushton adventures in
the Pacific, At a church fair he meets
Christine Marshall. laughter OF locti
magnate
Does that mean you've found Mana
swan horribly dull? But Of course it
does People only stay here who have
to- like barnacles on Il rock"
81 don't know I've liked It well
enough" Stammered Matt. though
You make me ashamed to admit 1t.
think I'm sorry to leave the old place,
specially now"
"That settles 1t. Mr.. Broughton You
simply must conner exclaimed the
young lady. please tell me that you
will"
Matt listened eagerly as she laughed
again and then struck his flag The
sound of his voice startled him with
its earneStneSS.
"Certainly, if YOU wish it." he said
ITS too charming IN invitation from
too charming Il person for me to re-
fuse
Apparently Miss Marshall was a lit
tie taken ahack. There seemed a
shade less corClalty in her tone as She
replied, "Oh, if you would much rather
not, you kuow-f its incnnvenicnt or
anything please don't let me put you
out"
"Oh. but Id love to come Really
and truly would"
With an even more ambiguous: "Oh
thanks. Then we will expect you
Goodbye the phone was closed.
Poor Daggancourt was terribly cast
down at the news and eypostulated
tremblingly. with tears in his eyes. He
was so humble. so qliaveringly re
strained, that his reproaches were
harder to bear than If they had been
more outSpoken Mrs. Sattane and the
others We're merely surprised. very
much surprised indeed, and listened
with the grcedieSt Of ears and the
most evident inrredulity to the tale Of
forgotten promise to Mr.. Doty.
An unre;Eoning citation possessed
Matt. He was eager to he alone with
himself and dream. for had not a love
~ queen stopped to notice him and
thrown him a flower?
Never was Saturday night more
slow of arrival. yet when at last Matt
stood Mt the entrance of the church
and heard the babel Of voices within
he was stricken with a sort of terror
He entered Guiltily and once inside
had fresh SpaSm Of diSmay to find he
was apparently the only man there in
evening dress The place was crowd
ed aud hot and noisy and discomfort
Ing; committeeman with roSetteS grab
bed his hand and welcomed him rs
"brnthpr:" excited young ladies sur
rounded him. holding mp objects for
sale and overwhelming him with
,fiAp..1t,ttsihS. litt1n ,rt,ls u
Immense huwS in their hair. tried to
DRAG him toward the booths. of which
there WAS a row on either side of the
church forming a sort of street or
promenade between.
over I'LL, here. there and every
where was Mr. Doty. fcvcriShly cor
dat rrrsprngly gay, "imlrting his
way through the crush To make sure
that every one was having u good
time
II WAS all very kindly and simple
ard good natured and genuine. ana
had il not been for dcvouring SnS
rcnsr. aud restleSSncSS that kept
M2tt ever on the ;liart. he would have
entered into the affair with his usual
amiahility But nj the moment il was
m"ddcuing lie hid to laugh ana
chatter: 10 eat things he didn't want
to eat: to buy things he didn't want 10
huy: TO he hilarious when arrested BY
the comic policeman-ini after
intlicti0n to one whose heart was in a
tumult. aud whose eyes were ever on
the watch.