The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-26
NOT VERY WHITE LIES
By GEORGE MUNsoN.

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Copyright, 1915. by W. G. Chapman)
May Halliwell sat staring into the
fire while the winter gloom came
down and filled the living room with
sh adows. Jack Strange was to return
that night from his trip West; she had
MT seen him since he had slipped the
engagement ring upon her finger the
night before he was called away on
q business trip to California in Au.
gust And now-she was trying to
think how she should meet him and
what she should say to him.
She was q sensible girl. She had
never believed in romantic love, and
Jack. too. was of the matter-of-fact
temperament. She knew Jack was "a
true as steel; he was rising In his
business and had excellent prospects.
After Jacks departure she had brok.
en- down and gone with girl friend.
| Louise Martin. to small summer no.
tel In the Catskills. A week was all
| she could afford; besides, there was
no one to look after her aunt and the
!, old woman was largely dependent on
the kindly neighbors. So she had
FASTENED back, leaving Louise to
| spend the second week Of the vaca-
! ton alone But by then the mischief
/, had been done.
The mans name was Frank War.
ner, and he had made love to her
from the beginning. At first amused,
later the girl had been thrilled by the
impassioned nature Of his love-mak.
ing. He had been everywhere and
done everything: his stories read like
romances, and the thought that she
was the only girl who had ever en-
raptured him gratified her pride. He
touched her heart too. How different
from prosaic Jack Strange!
She remembered, with mixture OF
penitence and delight. that last eve.
| ming he had taken her into his arms.
II love you, May" he had said, land
, I shall always love you"
Then she had blurted out the story
| of her engagement. She had told him
that her fiance was away, that she
could not in justice release herself
until he returned. After he comes
back shall know my heart. and write
/ to you; till then l cannot see you
again." she had said, and fled from
him.
She had the address he had given
| her in New York. 1t was a fashiona-
BILE hotel. where Frank Warner lived
most Of the year. And now, with the
lapse Of two months, she was still
| uncertain.
She was waiting for Jack. She ex.
pected him that evening, and she
started up as ring came at the door.
her heart beating wildly. But 1t was
only Louise. who often came in to
see her at that hour. on her way back
from the Office, where she was de.
tanned an hour later than May.
HE hasn't come YETI" she asked.
NO." answered May.
'You must be anxious to see him,
May. II my fiance had been away for
two months, you bet I'd have worn
out my shoes running to the door to
peek up the street and see whether
he was coming"
II hope you will have one SOON
Louise" said May.
Louise Martin giggled. Il came near
having one this summer" she said
Listen, May. Can you keep a Sc
cret? You won't tell a soul, because
well. there's somebody l shouldn't
like to know about It."
May promised.
do you remember that awfully
good-looking fell0w at the hotel. who
seemed interested in you-what was
his name? Frank Warner. to be sure
Well, after you'd gone he just fol
lowed me round same way he followed
you. My! used to laugh at him at
first. but he had sort Of irresistible
way about him, and-and let him
kiss me once. That was the night be
fore / went away"
May felt her heart grow colder than
ice.
"Well, what do you think? found
out after. through the Hoffmans-you
remember those nice girls from Sara
toga, who we're staying there?-that
he'd tried the same game with half a
! dozen of the young women at the no.
tel. and some Of them had fallen for
it. And what do you think he is? A
professional lady-killer. I mean. he
does it for living"
"Louise!"
Il shall never go there again. will
you. May?"
Indeed. no." answered May HALL.
we'll.
well, that's all, dearie, and now l
guess I'll be going, because I don't
want to spoil your pleasure when Jack
arrives" And she made her way out
| of the house.
| May looked into the fire, and the re.
| membrance Of Jack came home to her
with flood tide of bitterness. She
thought Of his goodness. his unfailing
kindness. his tender consideration for
her. his eternal faith.
1--WE been a little fool" she said.
"and I've been justly punished. And
now-I must make 1t my task always
to love Jack. and never let him sus-
| pect II"
The door bell pealed. She opened
It. and the figure upon the threshold
caught her In its arms.
May"
Jack. dearest!"
And she knew the episode of the
summer was the merest forgotten