The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-10
s8F " 81"
GOeR<Ae-eRA-s.s-ae,
the REAL and Only
Nv ,zoLA FORESTER.

ticket ONCE In an eleNdlcu S'"'
get to know your regular people DC
sides, Larry had the inqulsitl'e IT,
mantle sense, and he often wohuereu
whether some day the Girl, the leai
and only. would walk up and ask MN
for a ticket. and maybe he'd De az
sent-minded and let her get by wlth-
out recognizing his fate.
And after all, it was Marty VINO no
ticed her first Marty took the tickets
and could see everybody up and down
the platform. One night about 80,
as a train pulled out, Marty stroiieu
over and said: He was right on tine
tonight, wasn't he?'
81 missed it," said Larry What IS
it?"
She's been waiting here regular
and frequent for three nights now
and he comes at 5:45. Some girl, be-
lieve me, Larry"
The next night Larry watched FOR
her. When she came to buy her ticket
it was She! He didn't have to De
told twice. All he did was look at
her. She was slender and lissome'
Somewhere Larry had read about girls
who were lissome and winsome ana
the kind that just took the heart out
of you without asking.
For three weeks or more Marty ana
he watched the progress OF her ro-
nance. Neither one approved OF the
man. He was too young and sure OF
himself, too nonchalant, Marty SAID.
That was the word. Nonchalant meant
you didn't give a rap whether she was
there to meet you or not. sometimes
he was late. but she never was And
finally, when the 5 As Harlem express
pulled in one night, she saw hin.
through the window with another girl
and he didn't get off that night.
She must have been crying, Larry
reasoned it out afterward. The steps
were icy that night anyway and slip
perry but vhnn she turned around to
go dorm til - 20 tt" street she f"l!.
ard il as l.lirv who reached h"r first
and carried her back to a bench III
the warm waiting room.
I'm not a bit hurt" she faltered.
Only shaken up little bit. can go
home
Whereat, with great emphasis on
the impersonal business responsibility
he felt, Larry told her he got off at six
and would see that she reached her
/ home safely. And Marty whistled as
he saw them board the uptown train
together. BY the time he left her at
her door up on Eighty.sixth street,
near Madison avenue. they had made
wonderful strides IN acquaintanceship.
All the way back to his room, Larry
said her name over. Alice Carlson.
| Perhaps she had inherited that blonde
| spun-gold hair from some Morse an
cestor, he thought. and her rare, clear
| coloring.
Marty was the first to notice the
veering of the wind Of romance. She
failed to appear on the platform for
| the 5:45 Harlem express. Several
times the young man in gray got off
and looked about. but she was not
came a night when he waited around
until the $40. which Larry always
took, and he saw her.
And. just as he approached, Larry
| tucked her under his lee, so to speak,
and put her aboard the train She was
bit white, but game, with her head
uplifted and her lips smiling at Larry,
and when they had gone several sta
lions she said:
did you see that young man in
gray? II know him. He's often in
our store. He's salesman"
yes" said Larry pleasantly. Seems
to be W. 1t We used to call up home
sort of spruce looking"
She laughed. and shook her head.
Il don't know. don't like that sort.
! Seems nice to meet somebody, real
somebody like home folks, don't you
! know? New York's so strange. YOU
almost lose yourself in It,"
"You have to keep fearfully busy 90
you don't get homesick." he laughed
down at her. That's the way to win
in anything-you just hang on"
She looked up at him admiringly
her eyes sparkling with interest-look.
ing until something in his own blue
eyes brought the color to her face,
Mother said she'd like to meet
YOU she said shyly. III you're not
too busy Sunday evening
I'm not" Larry broke in buovant
ly. But don't be too nice 20 me or
! I'll be glad you tumbled that first
night"
The wind swept around the corner
as they came to the street and she
bent to face it. her muff pressed close
against her face, her eyes full NJ a
new light.
I'm awfully glad" she said SOFTLY
What funny little things kind of
kind of change lives around. dom,
they?"
They are not funny little things.
Larry whispered. holding her for q
minute at her door. "Thnv are
glimpses at the great machinery. Can
you try to believe that il lust had r.
be, preordained and all that-vou r.
tumble and me to pick you up and he
to go by with that other girl
oh. then you saw him" She wa.
not angry, only anxious as she locke
up at him.
You don't mind now, do vou9"
Il don't mind" she whisperad loon
ing away from his reaching hands in
to the vestibnle. Good night. Larry ,
And Larry stood alone facing N.
WIND. his hands deep in his coat nocl
cts all the glory of loves surety 4
, his eyes. He had found Only Her tn,
Real and Only Girl.