The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-28
THE GIRL OPPOSITE
,essqnssrcas IN
syaetvEhtYs tA us

IslslslsIslslsasAs
copyright. 1915. by ". G. chap'''A"'
rrovers was looking backward over
49,. ,;fo .s he sat, revolver in hand'
ho,ore the mirror in the upper room
~ closed house. and it was strange
how all the interests OF the
mans life narrowed to those o. 'ne
boy Of long ago. ~, mental
v,a,on and he saw himself again. .
little boy, standing before that SAM
window and holding his father > nauu.
"Why mustn't play with the niue
cir, across the street," he asked his
father. .d
But It was long before he learneu
that the man across the street wac
famous atheist lecturer. and snunneu -
horror nv the narrow society OF tne
little Mace. whose ostracism extehoeu
n the loyal wife and the little GIRL
Later the little boy had gone 10
Il school, boarding school in ols'an'
II citv There the interests OF scnooi
II davs drove the thought of the httie
girl out Of his mind
Il So completely. in fact, tnat' "nen
II no returned, he did not at first rec
!! ognize the young girl OF fourteen
whose face he saw at the windo"
II opposite. A..
III who are those people across the
III road ." he asked his mother. with an
II interest whose cause he was care1ul
II to conceal.
II "Tbe same" she answered. "That
II ia Danvers, the abominaDle atneis.
i lecturer. John. l hope that you VIII
IL have nothing to do with any OF them
II at any time"
Ill Time passed. John Travers went 70
III college. Now the whirl OF lie mao
III caught him up, and only the mos!
HI elusive memories remained OF the girl
III at the window. Yet, when he came
H home with his degree, he found MIN
ii self looking across the narrow stree'
Ill at a Young woman who watched MIN
Ill from her window. And this time
III there was a look of recognition upon
iii her face, though she made no sigl
III of greeting, and neither spoke
III Then John Travers went into the
III world of business. Eight years hac
III passed, and he had fought hard dur
III ing those years. He had made name
III for himself in the financial world; a
I'LL thirty he was a rising power In tht
III street. It was no wonder that MI
iii enemies grew numerous a. his powe
iii grew stronger.
III And a. the years went by Traver
Hi began to realize that he was obtaininl
|l| singularly little out Of life. At thirt'
iii he seemed already an old man IN 81
|Il perience. Life brought him no haT
MIDI piness. He did not understand tn
IVY W cause Of this. but he realized that b
~ had somehow missed something whic
|, al his wealth could not supply.
!. Then came the panic. and. the nigh
:" for survival Everybody was league
ned against Travers to pull him down. Fo
a a q whole week, during which time b
at hardly slept. John fought. Then tn
a tne pack had him down. and his fortun'
ent swollen to millions, CrumDleu 10 nOti
ar- ing In . single day.
So he had gone home to the littl
village, to the house which ho ha
op. inherited after his parents death, b'
never occupied
ling At last he had resolved to end
tate 10 plunge out of the life that hs
the brought him nothing into one whie
., could at least offer nothing worse
ON him. And, after long thought, he hs
nal, drawn from his pocket the revolv'
I il which he had always carried since Il
mat mat beginning Of his debacle.
A knock at the door startled hil
haSi and he thrust the weapon away al
old opened the door. He gasped to sc
nor OF before him. the girl at the windc
the opposite.
b "ah She came into the room impulsivel
any "Mr. Travers," she began, 81 knc
lee. you will resent this intrusion. but ,
n,s are old neighbors. My name is MI
: to JOrle DanVers, anu OFTEN u6eu 10 8
rop; you when we were children. I Ii
can. opposite have lived there alo
Of since my parents died two years al
ma And I heard you were back and
or trouble
arrS You know how people gossip
and this little place. We heard you We
ess alone here and had not left the hou
!: 10 We were all afraid some harm b
: or come to you. So went to the d.
b or and knocked. and &hen you did l
cor. answer l came up L. there anythI
e TO can do for your" 4
5 in Her eyes fell upon the revolt
s,U muzzie. protruding from the DO
case In which he had hidden It. s
'.,n % looked at it and at him wildly.
Sided You we're not-not thinking
par that?" she cried.
for Yes" he answered Il was.
= IN you have cured me now. Miss Q
vers. have lived . selfish life. sol
per for myself and have had little pls
alton ure out Of It. But now I have CO
ecre- home, and-and l want life to be
not to mean something to me. Do
ctors know how often | have thought
Board your"
stock, How strange,' she said. Il b
|, and thought 30 often Of the little bo