The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-03-17

the college mems party.
Locke, aided by Kinks friend Higgins.
who thinks 1t Joke, drugs Kirk and puts
him aboard ship bound for Colon. Kirk
ID on the passenger list as Locke.
"Broke" and without baggage. aboard
the ship Kirk makes the acquaintance of
Mr.. and Mrs Stephen Cortlandt
Cortlandt Is in the American diplomatic
service and Is going to Panama on mis-
sion. In Colon Kirk. az the son Of big
railroad man, Is taken up by Weeks.
American consul.
Kinks father regulates him, and Weeks
casts him out as an impostor. Kirk meets
Allan, Jamaican negro canal worker out
Of a Job. The two are arrested by Colon
police for helping to put out fire.
Kirk and Allan are treated brutally In
q Colon jail by young Alfarez, command
ant of police. Alan's release Is obtained
by the British consul but Weeks refuses
70 aid Kirk. Mrs. Cortlandt gets phone
call.
Mrs. Cortlandt obtains Kinks release by
using influence with Colonel Jolson, head
Of the canal The Cortlandts are In
triguing to make Alfarez's father presl-
dent of Panama.
Kinks father casts him off finally. and
Mrs. Cortlandt obtains for him a position
on the Panama railroad under Runnels.
master of transportation
The girl tells him her name is "Chqui-
ia He learns later that that means only
'i,I
Mrs Cortlandt has learned who jefferson
locke is
Locke trea name Wellar) is a swindler
and has disappeared. His description fits
Kirk The latter tries in vain in Panama
to learn something of Chiquita and meets
Alfarez again
Kirk wins the capital prize. $4,000. IN
the lottery He and tunnels make plans
for advancement The Cortlandts. hav-
ing turned from the older Atarez. intend
to make Senior Garavel. a banker presi-
dent of Panama.
mo, no senior That is something
you should not ask. If ever we are to
meet again it must be with my fathers
consent Please! Do not urge. for truly
| would have to refuse" She let her
palm rest in his an instant, and her
cheek went scarlet as he pressed it to
his lips. Then she said: $50, Mr.. Bra
zen One. How greatly it surprised me
to find you here | cannot say. 1t gave
me such start! And, Senior Antonio
my father may be found any day at his
bank" Before he could detain her she
was gone, fitting up the path with Just
one flashing smile of mischief over her
shoulder.
Anthony went home with his head In
the clouds. All his doubts We're now at
rest; for while Chiquita had stubbornly
denied him all encouragement. he felt
sure that her heart had answered 1t
was in the highest spirits, therefore.
that he opened letter he found await
ing him and read as follows:
Dear Kirk-I hope you are heartily sick
| Of yourself and ready to do something
! decent for a change. Knowing your aris-
| tocratic habits as do, l realize you must
owe a lot of money by this time, and
your new friends must be getting tired Of
| you. / have been expecting you to draw
| on me daily and am taking this occasion
| to warn you in your own extensively ac-
| auired college English that there Is moth
ing doing''-except upon one condition. II
you will agree to behave yourself in flu
ture I will pay your debts. send you west
and give you job as operator at $40 a
month. But you will so where send you
and you will stay where you are put
will do the thinking for both of US and
Judge Of your associates. Maybe II you
prove to be any good at all l will arrange
with the police to let you spend your va
cations in that dear New York" which
still shows signs of your red paint brush
l would be pleased to have an apology by
return mail, so that I may meet you In
New Orleans and start you off once more
on the road to decency and self respect
You will never be success at anything
but am always ready to do my duty
This is my last offer, and II you refuse
you may distinctly and definitely go tC
the devil. As ever your loving father,
DARWIN X. ANTHONY.
p. ST. can get good operators for $50 a
month. The extra $40 is pure sentiment.
Spurred by his present exhilaration
Kirk wrote an answer, which he read
with a good deal of satisfaction before
sealing it up:
Dear Dad-You affectionate letter witt
the kind offer to taae charge of a siding
out in the Dakotas is at hand. l would
like to help you along with your business
but upward and Onward" is my motto
and you'll have to raise that salary a bit
l am drawing sos a month at present
quarters furnished and promotion prom
ised l have made some good investments
and there are no debts to settle. 1ncloset
find my last bank statement which will
doubtless prove great disappointment tt
you.
If you need a good master of transpor
tation l would be pleased to consider al
offer at any time, provided the salary i.
satisfactory, but your proposal to edit my
acquaintance is out of the question. Ny
decency and self respect are doing well
thank you, and like the climate.
The salary would have to be about $500
year. AS always your devoted and ODE
dent son, KIRK.
p. ST. would not care to locate farther