The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-08-20


' = son for Il years
He, the late un
lamented, had not enjoyed the best 0
regulations when Mrs. Stefferson mar
ried him She was warned how !
would be. She might have forgotten
1t, but all her friends told her so
They knew that the kind OF son Stef
ferson had shown himself to be woulc
not make the best kind Of husband
The undutiful son had proved tc
be faithless husband. Marriage, sc
far from curbing his appetite for
strong liquors, seemed to have re
moved any slight restraint he might
have felt
He was relieved Of the necessity OF
working for living because Mrs
Stefferson had money. Luckily, It
was tied up in such a way that she
was unable to touch the principal.
1t was nearly two years after that
Mrs. Steferson had altogether dis,
carded her mourning. The rest had
done her good. She was getting com.
fortably stout and had regained quite
little of her youthful good looks.
She was sitting in her prettily fur
nished little parlor attired In a par
ticularly becoming house gown A
large Angora cat was purring in her
lap. occasionally turning lazy yellow
eye up at the cheerfully trilling ca
nary. The piano was open and there
was music on the rack A vase on a
bookcase held some vivid La France
roses and on the sill of the sunny bay
window there were embroidery mate.
rlais and box of bonbons.
Mrs. Stefferson laid down her novel
when her visitor was announced and
got up, to the profound disgust of the
cat The visitor was an elderly, gray.
haired woman, with a decided chin.
Mrs, Stefferson embraced her quite
affectionately and asked her to take
off her things.
NO, thank you, my dear" said the
elderly woman. I've only a very few
minutes to stay. No; no tea, thank
you. My, but It's pleasant in here!
1t looks a little different from
Bessie that's what | called to see
you about. ! heard something today
that shocked me more than | can tell
you. | didn't believe It, and won't
believe It, until you tell me it's true
Bessie. dear, you're not going to get
married again, are you?"
Mrs. Stefferson> smiled, blushed and
nodded
The visitor gasped But not-not
Mr.. Crawley? Oh, Bessie, hope YOU
are not going to do anything SO foolish
as that.
Mrs. Stefferson colored again, but
this time with Indignation. Il think
am the best Judge of whether it is
'oolish or not, she said Il don't con.
slider that it will be foolish at all.
expect to be perfectly happy and If I'm
lappy | don't think it is anybody else's
business"
But you can't possibly know what
you are doing persisted the elderly
woman. Bessie, you know that am
friend Of yours and | wouldn't have
'ou anything but happy. You NAV
lot think it's my business, but | feel
t is my duty to tell you that Mr..
'rawley is bad, bad man"
oh, not at heart"
At heart and all through. Nv dear
o you know his habits? Do YOU know
is character? Neither could be worse
is my plain duty to tell you that. and
you have the least doubt Of it | can
rove II TO you"
I'm not going to listen to Won" said
irs. Stenerson. You don't know him
| do Nobody does. I've heard all
hose tales about him, and | don't saw !
hat he has been perfect, but what he :
eeus' ana always has needed. is a 9
God woman's influence. :
Pah!" exclaimed the visitor "Bes. .
ie, you must be a fool. Is il possib,a :
1at after all the misery you experi. $
need IN your first marriage you can {
Ill delude yourself with that idea .
ID your influence help Stefferson?"
Mrs, Steferson sighed. You forget
y dear, that he died." she said gen. !
J. DO you know, often think that {:
he had lived might have made him !:
ee his faults and repent of them. Who !:
noWs but he might have become q /:
loroughly good man."
Altogether an extraordinary case {