The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-10-25


dies entered the room. The momen-
tary spell of better impulses was bro
ken
Perhaps it was because of Mabel,
perhaps the way of his profligate ma
ture, but he seemed pleased at the |
opportunity of doing some good AS |
the other ladies repeated the story |
Mabel had already told, Talcott had a |
vast surprise of an answer to the ap- =,
peal ready
Ladies. he said quietly, lit will be
a pleasure to meet your wishes.
will head your ticket with thousand
dollars
All were astounded. more. thrilled.
Mabel lifted her shining thankful eyes
with look that fully repaid Lysle
Talcott for his generosity.
in addition" he added quite as un-
ostentatiously, Il will deed the old
Ransom homestead to your society as
4 home for your proteges. / find it
difficult to sell it and | wish to get 1t
off my hands.
The generous donation of the good
hearted Talcott was the talk of the
town. His own interest in the humani-
tartan plan was awakened. He might
have fingered, but a telegram from
the city. inspired by the scheming
siren who had set her wiles to snare
him, lured him again into the vortex
of the only life
The seed of charity planted by the
little charity circle at Rushton grew
and throve. The life of the spendthrift
began and expanded for Lysle Talcott.
For five years he was LED blindly,
recklessly on by the ambitious siren
who had won him as her husband.
Like Cormorants her retinue of rela-
tives fawned upon the lavish benefac.
tor, who in his honest open way never
suspected their selfish duplicity
A creature of expensive within. his
vie led hila from one extravaganza
to another. There was palatial city
home and a country palace. There
were trips abroad. social functions al
most rivaling royalty One balefu
day a terrible piece of news was
brought to Talcott. His wife, her sis
ter and brother had persisted in {
fire at sea. When the first shock wa!
partly subduCd, he went to seek he
surviving brother. To this man h
had entrusted all his business on &C
count of relationship.
A second shock faced him. A spec
ulator and coward, his brother in
: law had lost his entire fortune in
! swindling stock concern and had tie
the country Lysle Talcott was
? pauper.
j He WIS crushed 1t was only b
voluntarily surrendering all he ha
, that he was able to escape the stigm
of dishonor His health broke. 4if
had become mambitious, He tace
: the future. n dumb despair at his sou
Just one piece of wreckage wa
: saved from the collapse. When h
nj had inherited a fortune he had DECIDE
NJ to an old servant of his uncle litt
y farm near Rushton lust as the affair
| of the collapse we're wound up, II
N death of his pensioner was followe
by the announcement that the pro
N erty had been willed back to his ben
ficiary
Talcott evaded the townspeop
: when he reached Rushton late il Il
: afternoon 1t was dark as he return'
from an inspection of the little o
farm. He felt more hopeful now. no
= ever, for it promised him comfo
able home and living Curiosity Il
him towards building surround
by a stone wall and aglow with ligl
1t was the old homestead--but he
grandly extended and remodeled!
There were lights over it's gatewt
He had not thought of his random g
for over five years, though often
I'D, Mabel He drew nearer to read t
'el, inscription on a brass plate on one
ed the gate pillars. 1t read, "Ly
yer Worthington Talcott-blessed OF
it men He builded better than
lat knew"
ca A woman passing by halted. gaz
lily at him. advanced. drew back and
My saw her face.
ike Miss Deane!' he spoke tre-
BAL lousy.
Her face lit up as If by magic. /
at soulful gladness affected him as so
ave rare perfume He must come to
lad her father It was at the Deane no
,tel that Talcott learned OF the venture
irs, had practically started developed
had Mabel ana her charitable assista
ust until il had become noted phil
me thropic work.
ood Those days his heart took he
Of Those hours. when Mabel, read
him arlght his gloom as we,l as mis- aw
ened regard for her ministrated TO
mis- wounded soul and brought to 1t pc