The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-17
THAT TALL, DARK MAN
Nv OLIVE ROBERTS BARTON.

downright 1915. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate)
/ Don met them at the train - Loi
raine, her mother and father y
seemed centuries since he had seen
her, Lorraine, of course, although II
had been but two weeks since she hao
gone away.
The parting mad been full OF 1ore'
boding for Don. Such trip was SURE
10 be prolific in young men. 10 MANI
things more ominous. Lorraine hau
intimated before leaving that Signo-
rina Lolita had foretold tantallzlney
vague things of tall young man VIII
brown eyes and dark hair. This was
;. thorns and nettles to Don. whose eyes
were gray and hair decided auourn'
He now searched her face ANXIOUS
". Had the dark young man mate.
rallied in the fortnight's vacatloh'
There was nothing there to tell. LOT.
roine was as sweet and smiling--ano
bafTling-as ever. He sighed.
He was asked TO s-ay to dinner anu
accepted gratefully. He had dosseo
determination not to leave until ne
had verified, or dissipated, his Tears
Two things favored him-the moon
and the arrival of the preacher. The
back yard swing soon had two occu-
pants.
Lorraine suddenly became talkative-
! "The whole thing was heavenly DON.
From the minute we left until Just
. now"
'Thanks!"
You're welcome, grouchy! ia
think you'd be glad to see me back
Instead you've been glooming around
like a funeral Well. I'm going to tell
YOU all about it anyway. I've Just
got to tell someone Do you remem-
Der about Signorina Lotta-all she
said about dark man and every
thing?"
MOI" killing a mosquito. what
did she say? Surely you don't be-
lieve the rot a fortune teller gets
OFF,"
ooh. but ! do It all came true;
almost every word Of it. You see. IT
was this way" gazing rarturously at
the moon When we got to Balfl-
moro the city was all decorated for
the biz centennial After we had seen
! the decorations and all that dad want.
ed to go on battIeship."
1 Ill
in?"
"Sh, I'm coming to that. We
went across the bay to great whop-
ping man-of-war that made you feel
. all glorious and patriotic"
"But when"
"Be quiet! Pm coming to him
soon. They let us on that one. We
went up a funny little pair Of stairs
| they lowered over the side Of the
boat"
+, But what has your browneyed
friend to do with"
! For goodness sake, be quiet, Don.
You're worse than Prince barking
for a bone. Well, mother and I were
! looking all around everywhere. Dad
had wandered off by himself. and in a
few minutes he came hack with the
tallest. handsomest, darlingest brown.
eyed"
| Don coughed painfully behind his
hand.
Poor boy! What cold. Well
as 7 was saving, dad came back with
the tallest hand"
81 heard you the first time"
"Oh. did you? Well he was And
he treated us Just lovely. He took
us lots Of places other people weren't
allowed to 90, for he was an officer
His uniform was gr-r-a-a-nd."
Silence.
And then that night we went by
boat to Old Point Comfort and Nor
folk. We were at luncheon in the
hotel when who should walk in but
Lieutenant Erickson He took us
through the fort and everywhere
/ Eyes. | know. I've been there!
Then I suppose he went back to An
napolis where he belonged"
who? Oh, indeed he didn't. Dad
and mother and got on the b,l,
that night and went to Boston"
"Well-that's all. I suppose"
mo. indeed! The best"-very in
nocently-"is yet to come"
Heavens! suppose he suddenly
developed a pair of wings and"
why, Don. you act so funny!
don't understand you at all"
'Humph! Well, go on about you
brown-eyed god Of Olympus Wha
next?"
Why, that very day we we're com
Ing out Of shop on fremont stree
in Boston, when whom should we ruI
into but"
Lieut.. Jupiter ven Erickson, I sur
pose!"
YES" wonderingly. How did 70,
guess? And his wife,"
"His wife! His wife. did you say?
"M-hum! And she was as beaut
full as he was handsome! Her hal
was a beautiful light"
But what her hair was like Do
never heard You little tease." h
| cried. holding her tight to his breas,