The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-12-04

"And it was nothing to him whether
he killed US or mott"
Didn't he have to race when he
was challenger"
mol"
And shouldn't he want to win the
race?"
"Callie Floyd. you were within an
ace Of death, and yet you are ready
to excuse such recklessness!"
It was a week later, and Brian was
in the village on an errand and had
no thought of the young ladies, when
an auto. coming from the railroad
depot and containing a lady as q pas
senger. began to act in a very queer
manner. 1t ran from side to side OF
the street. and the screams Of the
lady soon collected q crowd. 1t was
Brian Jeffries who first made out
what the trouble was and sprang for
ward. The machine had not got be-
yond control, but the chauffeur was
too drunk to know what he was about.
The man was hauled from his seat
and cast into the road. and Brian ex-
pressed his willingness to drive the
lady to her home. 1t was then that
he noticed the Pryor runabout and
the two young ladies', and he thought
they regarded him with something
like horror.
isn't it brutally shameful" ex.
claimed Miss Pryor at she looked
down at the man on the ground, and
in voice meant to be overheard.
But why did he do it," queried
Miss Callie.
Because he is rufian!"
you are mistaken, young lady,"
said man beside their machine. He
did it because"
But the runabout was put in motion.
Miss Pryor didn't want to hear the
rest. There was something about the
incident in the village paper three
days later, but she refused to read it.
Miss Callie returned to the city q
week later, and although the young
man was in no sense smitten ne
hoped and believed that she wasn't SO
down on him as Miss Pryor.
A year elapsed and Miss Callie
came to spend the summer again, and
Brian was spending another vacation
with his law books. His father had
said: mo use wasting your time.
You will never make even shyster
lawyer. Why don't you 60 fishing?
It's far more fun"
And the young man had said to
himself: I'll just read up the law
on hog-stealing and pretend to my.
self that l have been admitted to the
bar"
He saw Miss Callie, but she was
twenty rods away and looking up an
apple tree.
He saw Miss Pryor, and she wasn't
but ten rods away and had a bludgeon
in her hand.
Brian Jeffries' time was coming,
however.
One morning when the whales gam.
boiled, the mermaids sang and the
waters Of the Sound were like bogus
half.dollar, the young man went down
to take a dip in the briny. Before
taking the dip he cast his eyes
abroad. and mile from shore he saw
female rowing a boat around with
one oar. He understood at once. She
had lost the other oar and the tide
was taking her toward Halifax at
the rate of four miles an hour. He
waved his towel, uttered shouts OF
encouragement, and sprang into q
boat and rowed as II life were at
stake.
As Brian drew nearer he saw that
the girl was Miss Callie Floyd. Near.
er yet, and he saw that she was not
bit perturbed. The other oar lay
in the boat.
why. IL thought" he began,
when she interrupted him with:
"Mr. Jetfries, why are you called
'Punch'?"
Because punched three fellows
who set out to punch me-"
Il see. Why did you try to smash
your runabout last summer"
why. 1t was merely close shave,
and knew l could do It, The chap
in the other auto was a ginx, and I |
didn't propose to let him crow over
me-"
"A very proper spirit, Mr.. JefIries,
but why did you assault that poor
chauffeur in the village?"
He was drunk and endangering the
life Of the lady In the tonneau."
Proper spirit again. How many
brawls have you had!"
mot one"
"Um! I'm! Mr.. Jeffries, you can
row back and l will follow at nv
leisure. And man of proper spirit |
ought to be able to think up a way
to handle Miss Pryor"