The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-11-16
Are you drunk or sunstruck?" b


The young man clapped him on the
shoulder
Listen to me-" he said quietly. You
must have been man once, from all
I've heard of you. 1 recognize you
now from your photograph. although
that beard makes you look quite differ
ent. Miss Dale's father is dead. He
has left her his whole fortune. She
wanted me to come and find you and
bring you back to her. She loves you,
and pride doesn't count. She knows
what you must have been through.
and she's going to ask you to marry
| her, once she gets you at her side.
Understand" u
1 Jim understood The thought of the
I Dale millions at his command was
/ paralyzing; it galvanized him into life.
He looked up, to see the young man
reading his face.
Here's ten dollars!" he said sud-
denly. "No-wait!" He pulled out
the pocketbook again. Here's hun
dred Do you think you can get
washed and cleaned and have new
suit and good linen on your back,
ready to sail on the ship tomorrow
Jim pocketed the money mechan-
ically. II suppose So" he muttered,
whats your hurry?"
Because" said the other gravely,
Miss Dale is on board That's why.
, And the best man in the world couldn't
+ deserve your luck"
Somehow the new clothes, the lux
ury of a bath, had put new manhood
. into jim. He lay in bed early in the
morning in the hotel and specialized
q what he would do with the Dale mil
!. lions. He would go to San Francisco,
/. of course. He would build a palace
A there. He would have automobiles.
g fine clothes, cigars, all the physical
luxuries which he had been denied
q so long. And-he would marry Elsie
d at the first opportunity, to keep his
e hold on her.
e He got up and dressed. He was
Just about to leave the room when the
"a young man entered. He surveyed Jim
N with a grimmer smile than before.
Il "You haven't shaved off your beard,
n he said
N looks-more manly, l think.
M The other looked at him in con
tempt 1t penetrated the mans skin
Jim WINGED. 1t was the first momen
Il of Standardization in many year.
q "Why have you done all this TO
Ia me?" he asked. looking at the othe
&| curiously do you know, | believe
N | believe you are in love with Elsi
81 yourself"
81 Miss Dale from you, please RI
q piled the other Yes, | am in lov
a with her, if you wish to know it. An
81 if hadn't found you think sh
II would have married me"
Il Then why did you find me?" mu
tered jim.
The other choked down an explicitly
"If you're ready" he said coldl
well start right away"
jim went out with him. And no.
=. surveyed by the curious inhabitan
of the little settlement, the target
- their sneering glances. Jim felt su
1, denly more ashamed than he had ev
felt before in all his life. And I
leei the FIRST time he really understood Il
re- depths Of his degradation.
He had been worthless beac
re- comber, while she had waited for hi
was believed in him. He was utterly wort
3D. less. He could not degrade that pu
ca life to the level of his own. he h
he thought of nothing but the Dale III
nv lions, nothing at all of the love tn
Vi had been true to him.
ling T.an,oior.Iv be held his he
'io' higher and flung back the scorn
gestures, the looks. the thinly veil
MN jeers. They should learn some d
'ha' that there was that spark OF manho
ie' in him which would kindle the
a1 fires!
He knew that his past was ute
, dead And so, walking at the slde
oiuo his companion, he boarded the be
'uie There was a delay, brief del
'oi- The young man turned to him 9
said:
) INC Remember, Bennett, mo lips
"on sealed forever. You have your O
INC future and hers to make or mar.
0n know her love for you, and that
INC why | shall remain silent. Can
honor it? Promise me that from
nv" day forward you will strive with mi
and main to be worthy OF her"
- Il PROMISE answered Jim hum
and the man at his side looked at
-. strangely. This seemed to be a
., mamie had known nothing OF |
Along the deck came a whitero
araqn figure, tripping gladly Jim knew
at once. All his heart went out
,u,.,, her. Elsie mad not changed bit
10 ing those three years, except
,l,. there was more of the woman in
;, mo pose, her thoughtful eyes, and
e ev as much of tho happy girl in her 5
a. mn ing face.
, nm Joint" she exclaimed. "Whe
o8na where is Jim, then? And who is
gentleman"
a yee Suddenly Jim realized that she
raors not recognized him His tan.
beard, the ineffaceable marks of {
f,s,.nt three years on his face
y nor He turned a little away.
lapa Jim died last week" he said
II h.s city. ave didn't dare TO break
Whisky news to you at once. He died -
his friend-he wanted me TO tell
d dog He turned and walked with st
map, stems to the shiDs gangwav and