The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-09-29

For this was not the ordinary school.
girls letter. II was the outpourins
of heart that had never known
companionship. Those few short.
pithy sentences would have done
credit to q Balzac or q Turgenief1, q
Thackeray or q Flaubert. 90 incisive.
ly did she paint herself. her longings,
her poor aspirations. And all that
she asked was that Mr.. Trefusis
would write her . letter, to her id.
dress (which she gave the editor In
solemn conhdence) and tell her
something Of his life. And would he
send her q photograph! She would
treasure both, and he would never
know how much she would thank
him.
And then-this was the most des-
perately wicked thing Of all-in or.
der that he might not misunderstood,
she signed her letter MRS. Harry
Lesson"
That. Of course. would prove to
Mr.. Trefusis that she was no school.
girl. but q woman with whom there
could be no possibility Of personal
relationship. she being the wife Of
another
well. I'm blowed!" exclaimed the
editor.
Being q good editor, his first i'm.
pulse was to print the letter. Then,
being also gentleman. he changed
his mind. Then he wrote q short
note to the author. as follows:
Our readers are still writing Us by
the bushel about you You sure have
made hit with the girls. Keep up
the stun and you cant drown u.s.
Well be able to take q couple more
serials from you this summer. and
try to turn them out during the NEXT
month II possible. 30 that we can
put our artist on the Job. BY the
way. Mrs. Harry Lesson has written
US a letter asking to meet you in an
epistolary way. Queer sort of note
to send you. Of all people. How.
ever. we're not parting with It, b.
cause she doesn't want you to know
her address. but this IL the gist of
It. So II you feel inclined.
send us . kind word to hand out TO
the poor lady"
Tho letter went OF at flve In tho
afternoon. At nine the next morning
Mr.. Harold Trefusis was waiting out,
side Mr.. Demands ONCE for him or
the stenographer or somebody, no
matter whom. to como along and Let
him in. It happened to be the editor
who had come down early
to finish up some work.
"Why, hello!" he began. extending
his hand.
Show me that letter or I'll strange
you!" yelled Mr.. Trefusis.
What's wrong?" inquired Bernard,
as he unlocked the door. He shook
his finger archly under the writer's
nose Il didn't know you were that |
sort of chap" he said in mock re.
proach. Say" he continued, 1T
ISN'T serious. is It? thought some
body was putting q horse on you"
Bernard" said Trefusis, with tho
calmness of despair. you're a kind |
man and you mean we'll. and you've
raised my price again. but unless you
turn over that letter to me right
smart I'll pulp you in your own type
writer"
The editor put the letter in the
writer's hands. Trefusis cast one
glance at the address. and a moment
later he was in the street and speed.
ing toward the place where Miss
Mayo lived.
Miss Mayo was out. Trefusis
waited till noon: then, realizing that
she would probably not return till
evening. he went home But that eve.
hing he was back, and at eight o'clock
Miss Mayo was amazed to hear q
ing at her bell.
This was an unprecedented event,
With beating heart and fingers that
:rembled SO that she could hardly
press the opener, she waited in her
apartment. But. remembering that
The ringer would have hard work
inding 1t. she did what we all have to
10, we fat-dwellers. She went out
and leaned over the banisters. |
And there 1t was that she set eyes
Upon Harry Lesson again. He was
coming up the stairs, two at a time.
Fear held her to the spot. Her
brain was whirling. Had Harry heard
of the use that she had made Of his
name and come to threaten the law? 1
How had he found her? What was
he doing here? Anyway, she would |
lie Of shame and humiliation. She
must kill herself-she must-if she
could only get back into her apart.
ment.
Bue since she was too terrified to
move she did the best thing possible
lnder the circumstances. Miss Mayo
tainted.
She must have tainted dead away.
Tor when she opened her eyes she
was lying back In the old chair where
she had passed SO many adventures,
and Harry was-kissing her!
"Darling!" he cried. Darling, III
couldn't find you'll have wanted you
al these years. You are not mar
Red? That message was for me,
wasn't It? And you took my Lame So
that I should understand"
20, let me die!" murmured Miss
Mayo. Il shall die Of shame"
why not get married flrst?" sug-