The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-08-11

from the district school trustees ex-
actly week previous. The name OF
her new post of duty was Fairville.
Hawkins picked up piece of addi-
tional information that spurred him
on magically. A young lady, stran-
ger, had visited the school teacher at
Ferndale the day she left for her new
school charge. In fact they had gone
away together
Miss Markley," decided Hawkins
promptly. I'm on the right trail
But when he arrived at Fairville he
found himself mistaken. Miss Doug
las had arrived there week previous,
had delivered her credentials and was
teaching at little corner schoolhouse
four miles from town. She had come
to Fairville alone. Every morning the
hired man OF the house where she
boarded drove her to her post Of duty
and every afternoon back home.
We'll, my only play is to get &C.
quainted with the school teacher de-
cided Hawkins, watch her and try to
find out where the heiress has gone.
Pursuant to this plan Hawkins
strolled down towards the little red
schoolhouse the following day. About
two miles progressed, he was merged
into an incident of unusual excitement.
A buggy came tearing down the road.
The driver, a man, was thrown out as
| the animal attached to 1t swung
around sharp curve In the highway.
| The other occupant, a young lady,
shrank back in the seat, terrified and
helpless.
Hawkins did his duty. At some risk
he halted the runaway. OF course he
was thanked, and of course this led to
Just what he hoped-a close acquain-
lance with the grateful attractive
school marm."
In the course OF few days the cub
reporter made momentous discov-
cry. He was In love. Every evening
he was with his charming new &C
quaintance and her eyes frightened at
his coming. Love seemed to daunt his
journalistic ardor. He cared little
now whether he ever discovered the
missing heiress or not. His manliness
however, made him vince when he
analysed his former motives In trac
ing down Miss Douglas. Hawkins
looked pretty serious one evening as
he said to her:
Miss Douglas, l have a confession
to make. / have learned to love you
And | am a cad-that's right, and
deserve no consideration from you.
came here to wilfully sneak into your
confidence, to lure you to betray a
dear friend | deserve to be punished
and | suppose when you hear what
villain | was you will tell me to go
All right, I'll be man and confess the
truth" and he blurted out his story.
Miss Douglas regarded him with
startled, wonder-fllled eyes. They die
not lose their softness, however The
poor ingenious fellow was so earnest
so pathetic, so contrite
: "And you really care for me--a poo
homeless schoolteacher?" she muir
: INJURED
II shall never love anybody else,
; declared Hawkins. Say you forgive
me! Say that after am gone ava!
you won't quite think me the wretchet
sneak have been"
, why go away?" asked Mary naive
ly. 'Why, you never asked me
word about Miss Marley"
mo, | was too ashamed to think o
: such a thing"
Il certainly forgive you" said Mar
with fond smile. Nov for my con
fession: I am not Mary Douglas, blu
Evelyn Marley"
> Hawkins was thunderstruck. H
listened like one in dream as tn
young lady told how her tired on
friend had been sent by her on pleas
ure Journey, how she herself ha'
sought a quiet humble life, where sh
could be with nature and real friends
There was a quiet marriage. HaV
kins did not write up the finding q
the missing heiress He simply sen
u, to the Eagle the wedding cards and
y, fellow-reporter made a full column &
=. the mystery that had turned out to b
q first.class romance.
Copyright. 1914. By ". C. Chapman)