The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-24
LONELY Mr.. HODGE
BY CLARlSSA MAcklE.

Copyright. Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.)
The next day after Miss Lumpkin's
Selected School for Girls opened for
the fall term, Robina Judd, the new
est girl of all, walked about the spa.
ciOus grounds with her roommate.
Let us 60 through this cunning
gate and see what is on the other
side!" suggested Robina, when they
had come to the end Of the evergreen
path.
Grace Barney glanced up at the for
bidding stone wall and shook her
sunny head.
"Out of bounds, Robina,' she said
regretfully. Besides. it's private
property perfect ogre Of an old
man lives there all alone. I asked
Miss Lumpkin about him and she
sighed and called him poor. lonely
Mr.. Hodge-only. you see. Robina. he
happens to be rich"
Here comes Miss Gerald" said Ro.
bina-"isn't she a dear?"
my favorite teacher! She has
only been here three days and yet
love her better than any of the 9TH
ers. Sweet and sad and lovely-she-
she looks as though she might have
suffered, Robina!"
The thought of lonely Mr.. Hodge
wandering about his perfectly kept
grounds haunted the careless mo-
ments Of Robina Judd. Some day
shall 60 in" she threatened to her
roommate.
"You will have to prove it by
bringing me one Of those weirdly
colored Japanese chrysanthemums
from his garden" Grace replied.
wait and see," retorted Robina,
and that very afternoon came oppor-
tunity.
Most of the girls had gone for a
long walk in the woods, but Robina,
who had slightly twisted her ankle
in the gymnasium that morning pre-
ferred to hobble around the garden.
Finally she came to the door in the
wall-the high wall beyond which
lived lonely Mr.. Hodge.
1.-THE time and the place-and
hope the mani" giggled Robina, as she
turned the knob of the little green
door. 1t creaked dismally, opened, and
in the distance she could see the mel
lowed walls of red brick house
bathed in the afternoon sunshine.
! A gardener was working somewhere
there was the clicking sound Of a
hoe against stones.
TITS jolly here" commented Ro
bina, and she rounded little sum
mer house and came upon the gar
dener, who was vigorously stirring uI
the soil in the bed of gorgeous chrys
| anthemums.
He turned q pair of surprised blue
eyes upon her-twinkling blue eyes
set in a sunburned face, close-shaver
and square-jawed.
| WELT" he exclaimed.
"Well!" gasped Robina. for she hat
nothing else to say. Then. with sud
den inspiration, she added. "Th'
chrysanthemums are lovely"
Think SO? Then you must hav'
some," he decided promptly, and
taking a knife from his pocket. h
proceeded to cut a huge bunch o
white and yellow and crimson chrys
anthemums.
"You-you wouldn't mind giving M
Just one Of the variegated ones?" hes
itated Robina.
"Sure!" he smiled down at her.
81 hope Mr. Hodge doesn't mind m.
coming in here" went on Robina, will
a glance at the house. you see. be
long to the school next door. and w
girls know about Mr.. Hodge; and W
have felt sorry about his being 81
lonely, and I said that l was COMM
in some day to see him, and Grac
dared me to come. I'm afraid / mus
60 now"
80 you are sorry for Mr.. Hodge?
laughed the gardener. "Why?"
Because he lives here alone-an
because some of the girls say that h
mad been disappointed-oh, shout
not talk to you sol" Robina suddenl
remembered the proprieties. Sh
thought the gardeners blue eye
clouded, but he was still smiling.
Wouldn't 1t add to the romance Q
the occasion to discover that I ar
Mr.. Hodge?" asked the gardene
calmly.
"Oh! OH" moaned Robina. "Ho,
the girls will laugh at mel"
Don't you believe that"
grinned cheerfully. They'll be cate
up with envy at your romantic adver
ture."
"Robina!"
The clear sweet call came from tn
other side Of the high wall.
who 10 that?" asked Mr.. Hodge
looking very pale.
1T ID Miss Gerald-our drawinl
teacher-she IL looking for me-goot
by-and thank you!"
Just a. Robina reached the door
opened and Pauline Gerald stoo
there. Robina rushed past her int
the school grounds. but Paulin
paused within the grounds Of MI
Hodge, looking with glad. bewildere
eyes at the man who stood there wit
outstretched hands.
"Pauline!" he was saying. "Whel
II bought this old place I neve
dreamed that you-why. Pauline, daI
ling, you would not look that way Ut
less you loved mel"
"And when I peeked through tn
gate" said Robina to her schoo
mates, "she was in his arms-and-
She paused dramatically.
And" breathed her companion
tensely.