The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-02-23

Its this lamp house fellow that mas
nut the idea into your head. qulelly
, said the lover What will you do IN
the city,"
Il shall be stenographer at slo pei
week. Miss Basset pays me 80, ana
what is life here?'
Your father and mother-are they
willing?"
II haven't talked 1t over WIN
] them yet. 1t is none Of your business
| to question me the way you have.
am not going to marry anyone IN inns
peky old village"
Very well, Goodnight
Mr.. Dayton could have argued ana
recriminated and advised and threat
ened suicide and violence, but ne
walked calmly out of the house lie
could have gone to the girls father
and mother and had his say but ne
/ didn't approach them. He could nave
| gone to Miss Basset and begged her
/ to advise the girl. but he did not 90
! near her.
| Minnie had expected row over the
parting. There had always been row
! in every love story she had ever read
/ End in her pique and disappC .ntment al
The quiet ending she said to herself;
Roscoe always was a poke, and TINS
/ proves it"
The gossips had predicted a falling
cut. and We're waiting for the news, but
| there was no news Roscoe was plan.
ung and Minnie was Keeping very
quiet Instead OF The Tilted lover hang
| ing himself to a sour apple tree, ne
dropped into the inn and had look at
and talk with young Barrie. lie was
a poke of a man, Roscoe was, but not
withstandng that drawback he man
aged to size up his rival as closely as
| If he had been a lawyer from the city
Miss Rasset wouldn't know that Min.
ME Long contemplated going away
| Her parents wouldn't know it. No one
| in the village would know it. 1t would
| be an elopen,ent. The couple would
| not take a night train from the village
| for fear OF being seen. Young Barrie
would get a livery rig and drive across
| the country, a distance of ten miles to
| another railroad
Minnie could not get a trunk out OF
| the house, but would take what cloth.
| ing she could in a suitcase. Young
Barrie would have to settle his bill at
the inn before he left, and there was
only the one livery stable in the village
to get rig at Therefore taking 1t all
around, it WAS not difficult case to
handle, though the Tilted lover had a
constable beside him in the buggy
when he finally TOOK up the trail OF the
clippers they We're permitted to get
two miles away from the village when
they were overtaken
The first act OF the girl was to faint
away
The first act Of young Barrie was to
Jump from The vehicle and take to his
heels
lie was overtaken and brought back,
and he then discovered that a warrant
and pair of handouts awaited him.
The girl recovered from her faint to
hear him lyuoh and CIV.
oh, I'm caught right enough, She
tas fool enough to elope with me, but
suppose they will call it abduction. :
And it probably isn't the first case,
said the constable
Not by five or six There are more
fools among the girls than in idiot asy.
lums."
You were going to get her a place
in the Cit rs a stenographer at SIS
per week."
She didn't have any more sense
than to believe So You see, she want.
ed TO GET ont of the poky village OF
Hinkly and see the world Shed have
seen it, too. if you hadn't overtaken
us,"
The girl heard every word and she
sobbed in her throat The man she
had Tilted climbed into the buggy be.
side her and drove slowly back to the
village.
You must get into your house and
your room without awakening your
parents" he said You must get up
at the usual hour and go to your place.
You must say no word Ct this to any.
one You have been foolish, but it
was not too late"
1t was long weeks after this when
she saw Roscoe again Then it was in
response to a note in which she asked
Can a poke of man find it in his
heart TO foy2lve fool of girl?"
of course he can-that's what a
poke of man is fort" was the prompt
answer.
And the gossips of Hnkly never
heard word of the incident,
copyright, 1913. by the Mcclure News
paper SyndiCate)