The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-11-23


any reference to him in her letters to
Tom.
Tom was looking forward anxiously
to seeing her when her vacation came.
the following month. Perhaps then
she would tell Tom. Perhaps
She went to bed with conscience
not wholly free from problems.
1t was a day or two later that Miss
Elizabeth spoke of her vacation to the
colonel.
why, have been thinking Of that"
he said. Il shall want you-at least, !
should like to have-you help me. if you
can. You see, Miss Elizabeth, / am
taking a little yachting party to Key
West, and l ought to keep in touch
with business affairs. If you could &C.
company us, you can have another
holiday when we get back"
The yachting trip was to take about
six weeks. Miss Elizabeth had never
been at sea; much as she wanted to
see Tom again the invitation was IT.
resistible. The colonel told her that
there were to be three or four other
ladies. They were to so aboard the
vessel at the little private dock at
seven in the evening, a week thence.
Miss Elizabeth wrote a letter to
! Tom, explaining the situation and
promising to come home as soon as
! she returned. Then, at the appointed
hour, she accompanied the colonel.
! who called at her boarding house in a
! taXicab, to the pier
The yacht lay alongside the wharf.
A Waterman paced her decks. but.
, though they inspected her from stem
to stern, there was no sign OF the 9th
ers. They had sat down for mo-
ment in the dining saloon. The girl
was becoming a little nervous.
I'VE will have dinner now," said the
| colonel.
wait a minute" said the girl hur-
riedly. when will the others be
here? Your SISTERS she not expect
ed before we dine?"
The colonel pulled his mustache and
looked hard at her. Then he stretched
out one hand and patted hers gently.
My dear" he said, 1--WE are going to
! be the only two passengers aboard this
! trip"
The girl locked at him with terrified
| eyes and rose from her chair with a
little gasp. To the last d. OF her life
she always pictured the colonel thus,
seated before her. pulling his dropping
| mustache, and smiling at her with
such a kind expression on his face.
Il thought you understood, Eliza
BETH" said the colonel in tones of
! in his woke, hut Colonel Slice could
| never be anything but gentleman.
"But-you said-you said" the girl
exclaimed; and even then she could
| not quite believe it. But presently she
! understood. She was not at all angry.
| She felt the tears of humiliation rush
to her eyes, that lie should have mis-
understood her so. And there was
| more than humiliation--there was real
| sorrow for the loss Of friend, the
only friend she had had. except Tom,
since her parents died
Are you going Elizabeth" asked
| the colonel, watching her.
She began buttoning her coat you
ought not TO ask me that-O, what
have done to make you think other
wise?" she pleaded.
my DEAR" said the colonel, 81
thought you understood the situation.
Perhaps was wrong; had no wish to
deceive you. That is not my way.
| There are certain conventions
why did you think was taking you
out to luncheons and dinners?"
| "As friend" she cried holly, feel
ing her checks burning.
. He shook his head. MEN of fifty do
not make friends of their lady en-
ployees in that way, my DEAR" he an
swered. 81 am sorry. Let me help
you with your coat"
They went up the stairs to the deck
and stood side by side there for mo-
ment. Everything in Elizabeth's life
seemed to have crumbled into ashes
She turned.
81 am sorry" she said 'I wish I
had understood. Good-by."
For the life of her she could not
summon any indignation against him.
She did not feel the insult then, only
the unbearable ltss.
Colonel S'ec took her hand in his
and bent over t. They strolled up the
| dock; he called a taNicab and escorted
| her to her door. Then he raised his
| hat and left her.
! On the following morning special
delivery MESSAGE arrived for the girl,
asking her TO hold her position at the
store till the colonels return. They
| need not meet, Re said, but he trusted
she would take charge of his interests
| till he could make arrangements.
! Elijah tn went back to business.
She cid not see him again. The
yacht was wrecked in the great storm
that ravaged the Florida coast that
summer. Colonel Slice never appeared
again. He doubtless died, with all the
crew. But he had had time to make
certain arrangements. The girl found
herself the poSseSSor of a substantial