The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-10
THAT OLD, SWEET SONS
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.

Copyright. 1915. by the Mcclure NewspA-
paper Syndicate)
Enid smiled softly to herself while !
she labored over the task of selecting |
a number of songs preparatory to
journeying across the ocean. She was
going over to do her mite In the great
war crisis by singing at numerous ben.
efits and concerts and in the hospitals
for wounded soldiers and sailors.
1t was not until she had reached the
lowest shelf of her music cabinet that
Enid found the old. old song that
Capt. Cyril Baker had given her. The
irresponsible, fascinating young scape'
grace Of the British army had been
In New York just long enough to cap
ture q few foolishly feminine hearts.
to borrow money from everyone who
was unwise enough to give 1t to him.
and to disappear into future no less
vague than the past from which he
had come.
my mother used to sing this to
me-" he had said softly. will you
too sing it to me? want to hear you
now" The effect Of the dainty hon.
age on Enid came wildly back to her
as she sat three years later look
! ing over the song. A flush crept into
her cheeks even as it had on that
other day, and Enid wondered If she
would ever see the flattering young
ne'er--do-well again.
Enid put the beautiful little song
called Ruby" into her overburdened
folio with hope that its donor would
find that salvation held out to so many
men in times of war. Perhaps among
the thousands of khaki-clad figures she
would see Captain Baker. She was
curiously, and without much reason, in
terested in the career of the hand.
some, irresponsible officer.
The men had been brought into the
big sun parlor of the hospital, some
carried in on stretchers, others in
chairs and some of them could limp
in on the arms of their nurses. Enid
had never expected, in the whole Of
her musical career, to sing before SO
completely wrecked an assembly Of
living men.
She was standing quietly after a
storm of applause when one of the
nurses approached the platform.
Have you, by any chance. a song
called Ruby?" the nurse asked Enid.
"One Of my patients is longing for it. B"
Enid smiled and glanced swiftly
over the mass of upturned faces.
1T is not very cheerful song" she
said. But l will be glad to sing 1t. u
Her hurried glance had failed to find
, q familiar golden head that somehow
she had expected with the request fol-
the song. Her accompanist left the
4 platform and Enid sat down at the
piano and played the dainty, ripping
melody.
| In SO far as she could watch hel
audience Enid watched for one sol
der among them who was more than
. interested in the song. She was curl
j Gus to see who 1t was that was ia
: miliar with the old-time favOrite. In
U the far corner q man. SO wound will
:. bandages as to be unacceptable, wa.
e leaning forward.
But when she had finished the OF
e ficer who had been leaning forward
r had been wheeled away. Eni'
r searched for the nurse who had spok
r en- with her, but she, too, had disap
d peared.
d Out in the corridor Enid wa
stopped BY one of the surgeons.
II am going to hold you responsible
for the sudden desire on the part o
70 one of my patients to live"
'1." Enid laughed back at the sui
geon. What have | done?"
n You have sung life back into tn
!. heart of young daredevil Office
h whom we had all given up. He ha
It come back from the battlefield wount
o ed, q hero who has won the Victori
lie Cross, and has stepped into title an
h huge estates, but 1t took your song t
n make him fight for his own life. II
le has begun the fight and II he win'
you and your song have saved hin
a. Desire Is a great factor as slim,
" liant along with our medicines. 70
IA have given young Baker that desir
'. and want tV shake hands with you
When Enid stood beside the youn
lg oficer who was lying with his fac
ts to the wall. she did not speak unit
the door had closed upon the su
geon.
why did you not make yourse
~ known to me?" she asked softly, an
d. Baker turned swiftly.
to Il am ashamed Of my past" he sal
lir and did not offer his unbandage
be hand. but his eyes devoured the beaut
Oh Of her face and told Enid that a ne
IL man had arisen from the experienG
10 Of the past. The gentle hattery we
still there and Enid suddenly kne
that it would always be there for he
She put her hand softly over his.
q You have done much to be Vi
or ashamed OF and your future Is befoI
q you"
'er The blue OF Bakers eyes deepene
les He looked steadily into Ends su
to denly bhshing face. She scarce
m realized that during three long yea
he her heart had chung to the hope TIL
one day she would stand face to fat
with the scapegrace captain OF Il
British army and that honor and 10y
,ot would meet her glance.
ire Il have been an undeniable IA
m. ure," Baker said. With all that,
els have kept you in my heart, Eni
on though | have not been half worth
nv The future"
OF lis a path Of sunshine" En-