The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-04
TO RENT, FURNISHED
BY HARMONY WELLER.

NNoPs'i 1870 W tiie ct1iuEt NcWSpd-
per Syndicate)
Vance had seen her many times.
They lived in the same neighborhood
and patronized the same bookstalls.
Ofen he had let his eyes rest upon
her as she stood looking over the cur.
rent magazines, and on one rare oc.
casion he had followed her into the
elevated train and journeyed as far as
Thirty-fourth street. She had left the
train there, no doubt to shop. The re-.
mainder of the daily trip to Rector
street had seemed a sorry affair to
Vance.
Vance had long ago made certain
that she was not a business girl in
the strict sense of the word. Other
wise he would have had the Joy of
riding each morning in the elevated
with her. Vance would have seen to
1t that he caught the well.timed
train.
For an habitually level-headed man
Vance had done a rather senseless
thing in falling in love with a girl
whom he had not the power to be-
come acquainted with. At least that
power had not made itself manifest
nor had kindly fate come along to
help him in his love affair.
Kindly fate did not enter the affair
until Vance had been gazing in silent
admiration for nearly three months at
the girls alluring beauty.
One bright morning in early May
Vance noticed that as the girl stood in
the bookstall she had made the pur-
chase Of sign, on which was printed
In bold letters Room to Let"
For the first time since catching
sight of her Vance followed her
stealthily home.
When he had made sure of the
number Of the more or less shabby
dwelling In which she lived. Vance
went back to the elevated station and
down to business. When he returned
from the office and made his way to-
ward the address of the girl he saw
the sign in the window of a room that
seemed to be three flights up.
He mounted the brown stone steps
leading to the front door and was ad.
mitted by slatternly woman. Vance
hoped it was not the wonder-girl's
parent
The woman was neither polite nor
gracious, but told him there was one
on the top floor. He could go up and
see ii II he wanted to. With that she
shufled of to the basement and left
Vance to find his way up those three
flights of stairs.
Once there he succeeded in gaining
his breath. then stood gazing at the
closed doors of four rooms.
After a seconds thought he reasoned
out the room that had the sign in 1t
and knocked on the door.
He drew a sharp breath when the
girl herself opened it. For moment
she. too, was nervously silent.
This ROOM" blurted Vance, sudden
ly. lis to let-isn't it,"
The girl found voice and command
o the situation first and opened the
door for him to enter. Vance did so
and saw a coy room that was ap-
parently the den of q writer.
MY landlady is most disagreeable,"
the girl told Vance, and there was q
sparkle Of mirth in her eyes. II have
contracted for this room for a year
and she refuses to let me go until
September II I can sublet it-of
course, she cannot object"
Vance heaved sigh Of relief. The
VCnder-girl was in no way connected
with the awful person who had let him
into the house.
Il haven't any furniture" he said.
Il thought the room would be fur
nished."
"Oh-I do want to let 1t furnished"
she told him quickly. You see." she
added shyly, Il have been selling lots
OF stories lately and can afford few
months at the sea. But" she sighed.
Il am a prisoner in town so long al
this room hangs on my hands" Her
eyes were looking softly into Vance's
own. The man wondered afterward
how he refrained from telling her 1t
their very first meeting Just how dss-