The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-08-16

payo III; E INC hstS VI love. He
save MIN freely the right of way now
ne absorbed the conversation With
Larry and left the two to gaze into
eacn Others eyes, only Dolls e.,o
persistently wandered to the neor;rs
ton. aos'rac-
AND when they had beached tho
ooat and strolled up the little sand
pain TO the bungalow, Gwen walked
beside him slowly. confidipglv vet
fiick smiled hind them .nd
iauened at Larry's jokes without ra.
greet. nou' re-
IT appeared when they reached the
uoard veranda that Joan had met
DON before. oh. long ago, down In
oear old Richmond. Dolf stared az
ner as If fascinated. He perched up
oes,ae her on the railing and dallied
s ,n her mess of wet, clammy star.
nSn That she was trying to straiebten
out 10 dry in the sun And when sbe
mad fretted him awhile, she took Flick
away from Gwen with one long side
iong glance from her hazel eyes, and
went Tor beach tramp.
I didn't know you had met Joan
before. Dolf," Gwen said imperson.
ally. Larry thinks the world of
her" "
Joan is an epidemic" Dolf an.
s~ered morosely. She swept through
our whole team when we went South
70 play the Virginias. They set her
IN 'front.' OF us to dazzle our eyes. and
pitched grounders for three DAYS. A
ieiiow never exactly forgets a girl
IKE that, you know, any more than
ne does good big bump in the road
mat ne hits and tumbles over. It's
what you'd call infatuation. | sup
pose He stumbled on, regardless of
the steady, measuring glance of
GWens eyes. But it isn't real love.
tell you. when a fellow does find
the real thing he knows the imita-
ton"
Yet Gwen gazed musingly at the
two figures circling the island shore.
lhey Kept very near to each other.
bending over to search for shells
among the driftwood and seaweed at
the hlghtide mark Then, as If he had
caught her wireless, Flick raised him.
self and looked back at her to wave
his hand
What a really resolute, manly sort
of boy Mr.. Habbeton is" she said.
Larry was telling me how good he
was to him all the year He's very
unselhsh, l think. You can almost
see by his face what sort of man
he is, can't you?"
Flick has very open face" re-
piled Dolf guardedly. HE seems to
be catching the epidemic all right"
ooh, don't know. | don't think
he would be just satisfied with
somehow. He seems deeper
than that. He told me that girls just
seemed to represent certain abstract
qualities to him. He thinks that ac-
counts for the momentary attraction,
don't you know"
Wait till Joan finishes with him."
Dolf limited darkly. You can see it
starting up now"
It was the end Of the weeks visit,
! gorgeous night when the whole sea |
seemed gun-metal tint, and a big |
moon came up to turn |
t golden. Gwen sat pensively watch.
ng q ship full rugged pass in sill
louette across the path Of gold. 1t
vas dark on the veranda. She sat In
he shadow of the vines and saw |
loan and Flick-no, it wasn't Flick,
was too short and chunky for
flick; it was Dolf himself They came
,ut of the living room, and it looked
IS II Joan were being pursued. At
he railing she stopped and backed
gainst It,
"Dolf Cramer, you ought to be
shamed of yourself. Let me alone
Il won't" said Dolf, doggedly.
I've stood this as long as I'm going
o. Am | to stand around helpless
nd let a cub like Flick Habbeton
;alk off with the only girl l ever
,ved right under my nose?'
Flick doesn't care for me that
'ay." Joan replied softly. "He's
imply wild over Gwen"
Gwen started to move, but hand
losed over hers from behind, and
he felt Flick's presence. The ship
ad passed out of the golden path
ow, but every uncurling ripple on
le beach was gilded.
"You do care, don't you, Joan"
egged Dolf, desperately. "Remem-
er the old times back at Richmond?
low many times did | propose to
on them"
Every hour" laughed Joan. IF
lick had one hundredth part of your
,urage, Dolf, Gwen would never have
avered."
Around Ovens shoulders stole
ticks disengaged arm, and she did
1t draw her hand away when he
und it.
He hasn't talked of anything else
yer since / came" Joan went on.
It's been deliciously funny. He's
zen practicing on me, and he's scared
death of Gwen. She's rather
you know, isn't
Ie, Dolf?"
81 don't want to talk Of anybody
IT YOU" murmured Dolf tenderly
,wen hasn't treated me to anything :