The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-08-03
The CRUEL Love TEST
BY MIRIAM LEE SANBORN.


tie was persistent in her plan. 1T
might be the making of Elwyn to try
! him out" and then circumstances aid
ed the precious project, the needless
Myrtle not reckoning the manner in
which it might affect the emotion OF a
really worthy young man.
For such Elwyn Moss was, in man
ner and thought. Winnie had awak-
ened a new soul in the reckless young
fellow, who had checked the sowing
of wild oats" under the influence OF
her helpful, sympathizing gentleness.
Twice during the next few days FL
wyn sought and found an opportunity
to get Winnie alone. ready to tell her
his love. On both occasions, however.
she managed to fit away before the
avowal materialized. This discour-
aged him. He felt repealed and hurt.
In the meantime, Ned Parsons was
good deal in Winnie's company. Myr-
tie, harmless but scheming, managed
1t so that when Elwyn left the village
,, It was with the conviction that Winnie
Thomas had taken up seriously with
Ned. and that she regarded himself
only as friend
More than this, an old chum in
formed Elwyn that he had it on pretty
good authority that Winnie and Ned
had become engaged.
A few days after Elwyn went back
to work in the city he wrote in his
diary: ANY true man who has been
under the sweet influence Of the com.
partnership of such girl as Winnie,
has an ideal to cherish, guardian
angel, the memory Of whom will never
leave him. Ills better to have loved
and lost than never to have loved at
ALL"
II he suffered disappointment, heart
break, he kept it to himself. He felt
strong in his ability to fight loneliness
and keep to the right course. Then q
new element entered his life. Ned.
, too. came to work In the city.
Elwyn recalled the evident evasion
/ Of Winnie to give him an opportunity
to tell her of his love. Their parting
had been simply that Of friends. She
had given him no encouragement. Now
In his daily tasks and evening leisure
fate seemed to throw him In the way
of Ned.
The latter was enjoying life to the
full" as he termed it. Little did his
friends at home imagine the drift his
follies were leading him into. Elwyn
saw and deplored.
For the sake of the one he might
wed, Elwyn felt he must do all he
could to win this reckless young man
from the path Of waywardness. He
became his constant adviser. He was,
in fact, his guardian.
Once at great sacrifice Of time
and money he got Ned>out Of serious
gambling scrape, exposure Of which
would have lost him his position.
At another time he took blame upon
i his own shoulders in behalf of Ned.
It led to his losing a months salary
and an advance in business promo
ton. Day after day, however. Elwyn
watched. encouraged. reformed the oh.
ject of his solicitude.
Reward came. 1t was with q thrill
Of gladness that Elwyn realized that
he had not labored In vain, when Ned
said to him one day. grasping his hand
fervently, tears in her eyes:
"You have saved me, old boy. It all
came over me what a true, self-sacri.
flcing friend you have been. l felt 1t
my duty to straighten out with the
house here their misconception re-
garding mistakes I made and not you.
I have written the folks home. am
| through with all the old folly and
owe it all to you. Then there is the
dear little girl even the folks don't
know about-F1ora Day. She'll bless
you for your good work, and you'll
have to be the best man.
Flora Day." repeated Elwyn in be.
wilderment.
why. yes. we have been secretly
engaged for six months"
Glad! He was suddenly reused to
t, emotions that swayed his soul in an
indefnable whirl. Ned read some hid.
den mystery under his strange man.
ner He got the truth out of him.
! Thought I was favored by Win.
nie?" he laughed. why, man, I'm q
hopeless scapegrace in her estimation!
l see 1t all-oh, you noble, noble fel.
low! For Winnie's sake you tried to
make better man Of me, so would
be worthy of her!"
Winnie cried like child when
| Myrtle read to her letter written by
her brother She reproached herself.
she declared she was unworthy of the
brave hearted man whom she had put
to a cruel, crucial test.
| Il shall never dare to face him
! again." she sobbed. "Oh, Myrtle. It
was wicked"
1T was grand!" cried Myrtle. Tell
your mother all about 1t, while tell
mine Of her boy. the new brother and
son we are going to have after this
and all through Elwyn Moss!"
When Elwyn got OF the train at his
home town a week later. 1t was Myrtle
who met him at the depot. She told
him the whole story.
There was somebody waiting for
him, she said. and Elwyn knew who II
was.
"Forgive!" was the first fiuttering