The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-16
THE MIsAn1HRopHE
~ ETHEL WARD MEssRvEy.
NopyrlSht. 1914, by w. O. Cho

d
sapid, profitless. almost unendur.
aole. was the way Ralph Burt de.
scriDed life as it presented itself to his
distorted view. 80
neh ne became very much ashamed
u the misanthropic utterance He
eianceo about his lonely but elegant
nome, he looked into a mirror and
no'ed the unusual glow of health upon
MS cneeks. he realized that he had
not real care in the world. Out.
sioe tne birds were singing, the flow.
efs blooming, all radiant nature
breathing purity. peace and promise.
Inc sun shone at its brightest. Its
rays glorified the redolent garden. Re.
yond 1t lay a sportsman's paradise
stables. kennels. garage and hangar.
1t represented the latest facilities for
pleasure.
Yes, with all this, l may we'll be
ashamed of myself for finding moth.
Ing worth living fort" murmured Burt.
self-reproachfully.
Burt went out to the spot where the
hangar was located. With the assist.
ance of his hired man the superb BIZ
plane he operated was wheeled out.
He had become quite an expert ayi.
ator and enjoyed his air trips greatly.
Under his expert direction the ma.
chine struck an upward lateral course,
thing of life and beauty. He en-.
1oyed the rare exhibition of pure air
and bird-like speed immensely
Ten miles accomplished. Burt vol.
planed to meadow stretch to adjust
trivial defect in the control mechan.
Ism. He had just got in trim to re-
sumo his cloud work, when a shout
down the highway attracted his atten
ton.
With both interest and indignation
the amateur airman observed lad OF
about fourteen running towards him
as II for his life.
Struggling behind him, but in hot
| pursuit, were three men. They were
shouting and gesticulating. One car
ried cane, which he waved menac
ingly. A second had picked up a 10
of stones. These he hurled with va
ried aim after the running boy
you young rascal" roared the mar
in advance. Drop it, tell you, O
I'll have you Jailed"
But the little fellow never heede,
the threatening cries and actions o
his pursuers. He forged straigh
ahead. momentarily nearing the spo
where Burt stood.
This way! This way!" shoute'
Burt, as the boy came nearer. "Clim
under the fence"
"Oh! OH" yelled the lad just at tina
moment. in frantic pain.
Brace up" cried Burt, leaning owe
and lifting the lad clear of the er
tangling wires Nov, then. who ar
those mem"
"Villains! They'll kill me-and 70,
too. Oh, they're coming!"
They were, indeed. but Burt wa
going. He lifted the helpless lad !
his arms bodily, and made a run fo
the biplane.
Don't get frightened" he ordere'
placing his charge in the seat benin
the pilot post and hurriedly strappin
him in.
"Quick, mister! oh. quick as yo
cant" insisted his passenger. with
terrified glance at the fence.
The three pursuers had arrive
One tried to jump the fence and n
feet tripped and he fell with thu
A second attempted to crawl under tt
, lower wire and his clothing had b
come entangled.
Don't you interfere with that DC
or You'll be liable to the law!"
shouted at Burt.
The latter paid no attention to II
threat. He sprang to the pilot sea
| whirr. and the bipla'
went aloft like an arrow.
The dismayed and chagrined M
below vainly vented their wrath
the rescuer who had bafiled thel
The little fellow sat spellbound WI
delight at the rare sensation OF
! air fight he had never dreamed
For the first time in his life KAN
Burt had found his mind invested WI
real human interest. 1t elevated hi
An actor in an exciting and unusu
circumstance, he was eager to lea
, what lay behind the strange inclde
Of the hour
Soon he knew all about 1t, for wh
the biplane landed on home ground
) took his passenger into MS hora
and questioned him.
It came out that he and his sist'
Eleanor, we're practically prisoners
the mower Of one of his three pursue
Giles Warden. Fearing foul play, I
sister had that day given him the "
of her dead father. with the injuhcti
70 Mace It In the hands OF some Ia
yer for safety and action, Hence |
pursuit. -,
"Righting a wrong-Quite heroic
commented Burt's lawyer. when
vas made aware of the facts In
case. "Why, your new experience n
made you look like new man.
soon have this afair straighteh
!" out"
n was with a good deal of surpr'
Il that Ralph met Sister Eleanor
week. later He had supposed her
be a little girl. Instead confused
he listened to the ardent thanks Of
beautiful Young lady.