The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-06-11
HIS TOWER MAIDEN
BY CONSTANCE MORTON.

per SyndicateO
Strange to relate Deane Barlow had !
never been in love-not until that April !
evening when he had returned to his |
room at Mrs. Pillings boarding house |
and had discovered his Tower Lady. |
The tower" was the narrow, jut- !
ting wing of a fashionable private
hotel around the corner, and at one
Of its lace-draped windows he had dis
covered a girls lovely, wistful face.
sometimes looking out at the sunset
clouds piling in the west and just Wis
ible through a rift in the buildings;
sometimes, and more often, bent
thoughtfully downward as if she read
a book.
Deane grew to love her hair of pale
gold and her eyes of some mysterious
coloi that distance would not reveal
He worshiped her from afar. for he
knew that there was wide social bar
rier raised between the occupant of
that luxurious suite and poor young
law clerk.
At night the curtains of the tower"
were drawn and his lady had van
ished. Twenty-four hours must elapse
before he might glimpse her face
again. 1t was only in the afternoon
that he saw her; never at other times
or on Sundays.
At the dinner table that night there
was much animation among the board
ers. Miss Brown, who operated the
telephone switchboard in the hotel
around the corner. hau revealed the
fact that there was to be a wedding in
the Palisade the next day-at least one
of the guests was to be married; had
they not all seen the beautiful Miss
Gladys Elmorton?
"a blonde. isn't she?" asked Ads
WATSON eagerly.
Miss Brown nodded her head
Mr.. Piling. who carved the roast
looked up from under his ghaEgy eye
brows.
Who's she going to marry?' he
asked grufliy.
Bradbury Kohlcr-he's got oceans
| OF money"
Deane Barlow Winced.
Bradbury Kohler was one of his EN-
| ployers-a big jovial, rCd'faced young
man. So Bradbury was going to
marry Deane's Tower Lady! No won
der the tower window was darkened;
the prospective bride would have no
time now to look with dreamy eyes
into the sunset
| So Deane banished his dreams and
plunged into his work with renewed
industry. There was much talk in
the office about the wedding and some
chatting Of the bridegroom when he
returned from a honeymoon S. ent
abroad.
Then came momentOus day hen
Deane. looking out of his window TO-
| ward his lady's tower. again saw her
sweet. serious face turned toward the
sunset clouds A little wrench at his
heart told him that he had not sue
ceeded in Diminishing her from his
dreams.
Tho next morning he happened to
be alone in the office when the door
opened and young woman entered
Delicately fair and very lovely In her
summary attire. she turned a pair OF
blue eyes on the clerk and smiled
pleasantly.
rs MIR. Kohler In his officei"
Il will inquire" Deane placed q
chair for her and was about to leave
the room when her voice detained
him.
Please tell him Mrs. Kohler is
waiting for him." she smiled over her
shoulder.
Mrs. Kohler! Deane's brain was
dizzy as he delivered the message to
Bradbury and followed that happy
bridegroom down the corridor tc the
outer Office.
''Gladys!" Mr.. Kohler greeted hel
and the two disappeared toward his
private Office.
II this strange young woman was
the wife Of Bradbury Kohler, who
then, was the lady of his tower?
4 His first move was to inquire Of
Miss Brown concerning the other in
mates of the Elmorton family. 1t ap
peared that Gladys was an only child
But there was another girl there
too, Miss Brown acknowledged. Mrs
Elmorton's social secretary was Miss
Avis Sandford Miss Brown knew 'hel
slightly. Miss Sandford's brother
worked in the same office with Deane
He must fnow Jack SANFORD!
Deane did know Jack Sanford az
well as he knew any of his fellow
clerks. They had attended baseball
games together, and always lunched
side by side in the downtown restau
rant. Jack was married and had fire
quently invited Deane to his little
home in the suburbs, but Deane hat
never been there The knowledge thai
his Tower Lady was sister to his
friend convinced Deane that some
thing more than coincidence was al
work 1t was a kindly fate-nothine
less,
When Jack Sanford repeated his
invitation Deane accepted with fiat
tering haste.
And that evening he met his Tower
Lady face to face, She was more
charming than she looked and that is
saying a great deal.
1t was many weeks before Deane
had the courage to tell her the story
OF bis Tower Lady and to finally ash
her to be his wife and sweetheart ant
helpms .e-for the wife of his dreams
mus. be all these three things.