The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-04-27

III he had any sense at ali ne wvu,u
Just stay where he was"
She hardly knew why she had called
him to her. When he came, with an
expectant look in his brown eyes, she
said, rather coldly: "Well?"
u thought you wanted me-" he said
You were mistaken" declared Miss
Bessie; II did not"
Conway smiled spontaneously, and
was turning away with a bow when
she stopped him.
Suppose had?" she said. "Why
should you rush over that instant as
IT,"
He waited a moment, politely, for
her to complete the statement, and
then, as she seemed to have no inten.
ton of doing SO, said. calmly: BE.
cause you wanted me-"
That's reasoning In a vicious cir.
cle," she said. in slight confusion, "or,
rather, 1t isn't reason at ALL"
Then l will give you the reason
more fully" he said. ITS because
love you, and it is my highest pleas.
ure to obey wish Of yours. Will you
try me?"
1t was rather sudden, but of course
Bessie knew better than to tell him
that. She told him, however, that 1t
was impossible and hopeless. He was
foolish enough to press her for a
reason, and in fit of nervous irrita-
ton she told him he was too good,
too inoffensive, too polite and too dig.
nified. He assured her that she was
altogether mistaken, but he took his
refusal in manner that proved his
title to the virtues she had mentioned,
and 1t was some time before she saw
him again.
She was in a street car-one Of the
open summer variety, and she heard
his voice behind her with a pc.
culiar thrill. He was not speaking
to her, though. He was addressing a
burly looking person with stubble Of
black beard on a particularly promi.
nent jaw, He spoke politely, begging
this individual to refrain from thrust
ing his arm in his face as he spread
his newspaper before him.
whats the matter with your
grOwled the big man.
Nothing at all serious" said Con.
way, evenly. Its merely unpleasant
know you don't realize that you were
making nuisance Of yourself so you
must excuse me for calling your at.
tention to the fact for the third and
last time"
Bessie noticed that his color was
heightened as he and the burly man
glared at each other. She thought,
though 1t alarmed her, that Conway's
glare was becoming. At last the burly
man, with snort of contempt, trans
ferred his gaze to his newspaper,
which be held in the same objection.
able position. Conway instantly
snatched It from his hands and threw
1t from the car, and as the burly man
rose he struck him, under the chin,
using at the same time decidedly
bad word. AS the burly man staggered
back, he clutched at Conway to save
himself, and the next instant the
two had fallen from the car and were
rolling in the muddy street.
Bessie got of at the next corner.
When she reached Conway, he was
sitting on the curbstone. looking
rather sick and faint. One eye was
swollen almost shut, and his nose had
bled little. His collar was half OF
and his necktie was hanging over his
back. His coat was torn in several
places. The remark Of one Of the
crowd that he looked as II he had
been up against It" was certainly
justified.
Bessie helped him into the providen-
tial cab with the assistance Of the cab
man, and to his horror followed him
herself. He rather brokenly explained
his sense Of humiliation, but she
stopped him by wiping his face with
her dainty little handkerchief. The
way she did It was-well!
Il wouldn't have had this happen for
you to see for the world" protested
Conway II sprained my ankle and
the brute got away. II ever get my
hands on him.