The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-11-05
Eustace had been away for a week.

EuStace had been away Ior q Weehs
superintending the construction OF a
clubhouse at a distance. and showed
I'D at his office to be greeted with
good business welcome from his man.
ager
quite an order, Mr.. Lee he said.
briskly. "They are going to build on
the old Marsh lot"
who are 'they'?" inquired Eustace, |
his pulses ever quickening at any al J
fusion to the spot where he had first |
met Elaine.
"Bless me If know! A city lawyer
has the matter in charge. He mas
carte blanche as to expenditure, he
represents. He was a hard customer
to suit"
"How SOL" inquired Eustace with
| suppressed but vital interest.
made me 60 over all our plans. Just
by chance l happened to unroll that
special one you always said would be
the kind of a place you would build II
you ever got that far. told him about
it. He seemed to take it as an evil
dence that it must be ideal II 1t repre-
sented your artistic ideas. lugged 1t
away to the city to show his client and
was Dack promptly. Build it, was his
simple order. Let Mr.. Lee give 1t spe-
cial attention from start to tinish,' and
went to the bank and deposited the
entire amount of the cost estimate.
Many time in task that went on,
as in a dream life, Eustace Lee Won
dered if coincidence. fate, were at
work that the home he had blocked out
in fancy, always with Elaine as its
queen, should have been ordered for
, the beloved spot so dear to him. Could
it be that any of the Marsh family de-
signed to return to the town? lie
. dreamed, he marveled, he hoped.
) A great deep longing was in his
. heart as one evening he stood before
, the new structure, all finished. Ever
a the grounds had been renovated
!. There. too, were the two trees. sur
;. rounded by pretty parterre of flow
!. ers. Almost the tears came to hi
eyes, for all this appeared as the full
i fillment of the fondest dream of hi
g life
Al The lawyer in the city was notihe
!, of the completion of the house. The
,s there came telegram to the office
.. The owner Of the new home would
a down on the evening train and woul
meet Mr.. Lee on the grounds to tax
possession.
1t was beautiful moonlt evenin
as Eustace walked from his home
the direction of the new villa. II
thoughts were sad, for the work ma
occupied his mind, it so reminded hi
4 of his lost love. The beautiful stru
4 ture and lovely grounds were irrae
M ated with a liquid light that lent
III dreamy effect to the scene. Eusta'
Y expected that the lawyer and his ellie
A would be about the porch, but foul
n them not
" Then suddenly he gave great sta
NJ and stared weirdly in the direction
1T the two trees. He strained his visi
y to view a female figure standing
= rectly beneath their branches. 1t W
= uuiescent, statue-like. yet 1t seem
to exercise some indetnable infiuen
tudl uIeW HIN W" a. VIC ''N 'PcN'
ly he advanced. nearer and nearer
approached girlish form robed
white, statue.like in pose; but tr
blue eyes and a longing smile show
~ forth from the lovely face.
ELAINE" he cried in a gasp, and
not most reeied where he stood.
ohe She put forth both hands. He
~
SIN his own. She transfixed his ga
Thus in silence. rapturous. inten
VIII they stood for some moments.
l" "You-you have returned" he m
'"s aged to utter, incoherenly. at last.
yer las you see" responded the sw
i nn' tranquil tones of yore.
I'M And alone?"
=. Her glance fell. as her face
'hs dened. A tear stole down her chez
anu "My father died six months az
y she said.
"And-and others?" he question
10y. stumblingly, breathlessly
. There are no others respon
Elaine There was only you. Thro
40 all the years ] wondered If you
membered our pledge. ! came to
city and found-and found
re- THAT you alune filled my hea
had cried Eustaee "Oh. my cheris
own love! Can you not understand t
,ted and. true to the end, had you pas
4 no, by, my heart would culver under
old feet had il lain for a century del
.mer She turned towards the Deau
Dad. house, her face radiant In the "
the pure moonlight She drew Gle
hose closer into his sheltering arms. as
hap murmured rapturously:
Your home-nine!"
.cted --------