The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-10-20

= ooh' AAC hOpt hCi IoihAi6, ACI o"CCL
voice seemed to charm him. AS the
true nobility of her lifework was real
lied in his impetuous mind, he forget
wealthy Miss Winston. He leaned to-
wards Mabel, the words upon his ar
: dent tongue that would nave made
her his life helpmeet, when there was
an interruption Three chattering la
dies entered the room. The momen-
tary spell of better impulses was bro
| ken.
Perhaps it was because of Mabel,
ture, but he seemed pleased at the
/ opportunity of doing some good. AS
the other ladies repeated the story
Mabel had already told. Talcott had a
vast surprise of an answer to the ap-
peal ready.
ladies' he said quietly. 1T will be
pleasure to meet your wishes. I
will head your ticket with a thousand
! dollars.
All were astounded, more. thrilled.
Mabel lifted her shining thankful eyes
with look that fully repaid Lysle
, Talcott for his generosity.
In addition" he added quite as I'M
/ ostentatiously, Il will deed the old
Ransom homestead to your society as
home for your proteges / find it
difficult to sell it and l wish to get it
off my hands"
The generous donation of the good
hearted Talcott was the talk of the
town. His own interest in the humani-
| tartan plan was awakened. He might
! have fingered but a telegram from
the CITY, inspired by the scheming
siren who had set her wiles to snare
him, lured him again into the vortex
! Of the only life"
The seed of charity planted by the
little charity circle at Rushton grew
and throve. The life of the spendthrift
began and expanded for Lysle Talcott.
| For five years he was LED blindly,
! recklessly, on by the ambitious siren
| who had won him as her husband.
! Like cormorants her retinue of rela-
| tives fawned upon the lavish benefac-
tor, who in his honest open way never
| suspected their selfish duplicity.
! A creature of expensive within, his
F; wife led him from one extravaganza
/. to another. There was palatial city
i home and country palace. There
, were trips abroad. social functions al
most rivaling royalty. One baleful
day terrible piece of news was
brought to Talcott. His wife, her sis
ter and brother had persisted in a
fire at sea. When the first shock was
partly subdued, he went to seek her
surviving brother. TO this man he
had. entrusted all his business on &C.
count of relationship.
a second shock faced him. A spec
ylator, and "a coward, his brother in
law had lost his entire fortune in a
swindling stock concern and had fed
the country. Lysle Talcott was
pauper.
He was crushed. It was only by
voluntarily surrendering all he had
that he was able to escape the stigma
OF dishonor. His health broke. Life
had become unambitious. He faced
the future, dumb despair at his soul.
Just one piece Of wreckage was
saved from the collapse. When he
had inherited fortune he had decided
to an old Servant of his uncle little
farm near Rushton. Just as the affairs
of the collapse were wound up, the
death of his pensioner was followed
by the announcement that the prop
erty had been willed back to his bene.
ficiary
Talcott evaded the townspeople
when he reached Rushton late in the
afternoon. II was dark as he returned
from an inspection Of the little old
farm. He felt more hopeful now, how.
ever. for it promised him a comfort.
able home and living. Curiosity led
him towards building surrounded
by stone wall and aglow with light.
It was the old homestead-but how
grandly extended and remodeled!
There were lights over its gateway.
He had not thought Of his random gift
for over five years. though often of
Mabel. He drew nearer to read the
inscription on brass plate on one of
the gate pillars. II read, "Lysle
Worthington Talcott-blessed OF all
men. He builded better than he
knew"
A woman passing by halted. gazed
at him, advanced, drew back and he
saw her face
Miss Deane!' he spoke tremu-
lously.
Her face lit up as II by magic. Her
| soulful gladness affected him as some
rare perfume. He must come to see
her father. It was at the Deane home
that Talcott learned of the venture he
had practically started. developed by
Mabel ana her charitable assistants
until II had become a noted philan.
thropic work.
Those days his heart took hope
Those hours. when Mabel, reading
Alright his gloom as well as his awak.
ened regard for her. ministrated to mis-
wounded soul and brought to it peace
and love-
Made a Mistake.
II isn't always the correct thing to