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


worth wasting ammunition on them?"
and when she flushed guiltily he con-
tinued:
Don't worry, EVE; | won't give you
away. and the rest are too bl I'd 70
see"
Evelyn had been with her sister four
years, years that had taught her to
discipline her pride and subdue her
ego, when Gay Travis returned sud
denly from abroad, He had proposed
to Evelyn the week before her faith
er's death, aud having been courteous
ly but firmly refused had gone away,
seeking in travel to stifie the restless
hopes whose denial had broken his
life Convinced finally that it was of
no use, and like moth eager to SINCE
its wings again, he returned to Amer
lea and to Evelyns home, only to learn
that she had moved to Westwood.
day later found him sitting in
Mrs. Reade's library with Barbara
serving tea and Betty talking witty
nothings, while Evelyn in a big chair
by the fire listened silently.
Her attitude puzzled him, and he set
himself to unravel it. Her greeting Of
him, for instance, had been kinder
than he had anticipated. but upon the
entrance of her nieces she had with
drawn into herself and subsidized into
mere spectator. 1t was not that she
was bored. Patiently she enjoyed the
girls nonsense-it was rather that
she felt herself outside of it all and
ing her with the brilliant, animated
girl she had been, he found her hard
to understand.
While not profound, Travis loved
Evelyn devotedly, and for the next
week he studied her closely. He asked
seemingly idle questions of the girls
he won the boys opinions upon divers
subjects. He talked earnestly with
Mrs Reade. and tlippantly with her
husband and in the end he mastered
the problem. Once assured OF this
fact, he FASTENED in search of Evelyn
finding her in the library mending
Betty'S music She was somberly
clad her hair drawn severely back
from her forehead
i When he entered she looked up
i carelessly
Evelyn" he exclaimed, Il want you
! to do me a favor
"A favor, Gay-why, of course
what do you want me to do?"
q want you to go upstairs and brush
your hair as you used to-
She stared at him wonderingly
What an extraordinary request
aud why should | make myself ridicu-
lous?"
is it ridiculous to make yourself
attractive?'
Possibly not but must dress ap
propriately,"
You and have different ideas OF
the appropriate. See here, Evelyn-li
hadn't seen this thing with my own
eyes | wouldn't have believed it. How
old are you, anyhow"
Thirty iive.'
And far more beautiful today ir
that impossible gown you have or
than either of your nieces! Go up anc
get into some of the tloaty feecy
clothes you used to wear. Put furs
about your throat and wear a ha
such as Barbara had on yesterday
Take hers if you haven't any of you
own"
Il haven't" she admitted with sud
, den bitter distaste for the appropriate
toque selected by Alicia for her tina
morning.
, "Rouse up, Evelyn, it is time thl
absurd farce ended. DO you reallz
) what has happened to you? You hav
been submerged-th youth in thl
house has overwhelmed you"
l "Oh, Gay" she cried, touched an
. surprised by his comprehension, 1T
5 quite true-they take my breath away
/ But how did you ever guess it? Nc
/ body else ever did
\ Nobody else ever loved you as
G do. viii you marry me, Evelyn?
/. Thank you kindly, sir she sale
t with the old arch smile he had lovet
and as she came into his opened arm
l. he calculated over her gold-brow
/ head: Great heavens, what fool
S these young people are!'
Copyright, 1913, by the Mcclure News
s. .,nper Syndicate