The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-21

w.,ra trembling in every limo. inon
came the dim echoes Of commo.o.
in the, direction ot.,the bridge. n1 ,a,.
aeri6g, ypicss. and among tae = Ala.
feE,accsptss at excitement nas' Oh o
tress. down
Hatless. confused, Warne ran cow
from the tower. A man rusneu r.U
tho direction of the bridge, towh"aia
hound He shouted to a person scuu
dino nv him from the opposite direc'
ton: f-;obt.
full wreck u,-ra
4. After that for nearly week warns
fugitive. half mad, haunted WIN
/ constant terror and remorse. scarco
! tnew what he did He had slept "niie
a train dashing by unsignaled' naa
come down to wreck and ruin! on'
he could figure it all out! coiiision
at the bridge, and his the plame' lib
the sinful, wicked fault!
Then Canada, to hide far away from
friends and the law, for was he not
murderer? And Elsie! an anguisnins
memory in his heart OF hearts.
Coward, craven. poltroon. Konalo
Warne called himself score OF ti"e'
because he did not go back and race
the music like a man. Then a resi-
less longing for old scenes and PACK
n a CITY where he was little known
All the finer artistic instincts OF nls
nature we're blunted and inert. NOW.
after idleness, abject poverty, ne nao
secured work.
II was CHEAP, unworthy labor for .
man of his former attainments-en'
larging photographs in the crayon
line-but it occupied him, 1t kept the
wolf from the door
II was dull, monotonous work, out
there was even more than he could 20.
The lonely room he occupied was 3
safe hiding place to which his WORK
was sent regularly from the firm en-
ploying him.
One day there was shock. In the
dusk of early evening yelled LADY
was ushered into the poor excuse 1of
a studio by the landlady.
Mr. Wayne" spoke the latter
this is a young lady who sent some
work to your firm and you have 1t.
She is to leave the city tomorrow
and wishes to hurry up the order, II
possible
A great gasp broke from the art
lists lips as his visitor cast aside her
veil.
1T is a picture of relative she
began, and then-"Oh, Ronald
Yes fate had thus strangely thrown
Elsie Barker across his path again
for it was she-the same sweet-faceC
maiden of old, but richly attired. II
her gentle tones was manifest inter
est, the warmth of genuine friendship
perhaps something more.
She stood rooted, spellbound. Their
a plying look crossed her face. HI
hung his head self-condemned. Sh'
advanced and took bis hand,
Ronald she said. and her tone
stirred his Utmost heart-"what doel
it all mean"
What did it mean?-crime! murder
He shrank from her, abject ant
crushed. In broken tones he qua
vered his miserable story.
"Oh, why did you not come Il
me?" she cried. 1T was not you
fault. The wreck was on the road tina
: crosses ours just beyond the bridge
and was caused by one Of their owl
broken rails. Our trains went Through
all right, and even the truth abou
my father was not learned. Pool
dear friend, what have you not sui
fered!"
Innocent! great load was LITE,
0 from Ronald Warne's mind. Like
child he sank to a chair, like a chill,
he wept.
: Father is no longer with the road,
? went on Elsie. Are you not glad
We inherited quite a fortune, and
= and"
: She paused there. Then their eye
= met. Her face was pleading, tell.tale
When she went away from the din
studio, she left q kiss upon his lip,
y and in his heart-hope!