The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-10
that TALL, DARK Man
Nv OLIVE ROBERTS BARTON.

Copyright, 1915. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syncicate)
Don met them at the train - Lo[.
raine, her mother and father.
seemed centuries since he had seen
her. Lorraine. of course, although
had been but two weeks since she mao
gone away.
The parting had been full OF fore-
boding for Don. Such trip was sure
to be prolific in young men. To make
things more ominous, Lorraine nad
intimated before leaving that Signo-
rina Lolita had foretold tantalizingiy
vague things of tall young man WIN
brown eyes and dark hair. This was
thorns and nettles to Don. whose eyes
were gray and hair decided auburn
He now searched her face anxious
". Had the dark young man mate.
rallied in the fortnights vacation
There was nothing there to tell. Lor-
raine was as sweet and smiling-ano
bafFing-as ever. He sighed.
He was asked to stay to dinner anu
accepted gratefully. He had doggeo
determination not to leave until ne
had verified or dissipated. his fears.
Two things favored him-the moon
and the arrival of the preacher. the
back yard swing soon had two occu'
pants.
Lorraine suddenly became laxative.
- heavenly INN.
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 gloomine arounn
like funeral. Well. I'm going to tell
YOU all about 1t anyway. I've just
got to tell someone Do you remem-
Der about Signorina Lotta-all she
said about a dark man and every
thing?"
mo-" killing a mosquito. What
did she say? Surely you don't be-
lieve the rot fortune teller gets
of?"
"Oh, but 80. 1t all came true;
almost every word cf it. You see, it
was this war" paziDg T1pturously at
the moon When we got to Balti-
more tho city was FL decorated for
the big centennial after we had seen
the decorations and I'll that dad want
ed to 70 on y bHt'loship."
well, where does the fellow come
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"
Put when"
ere quiet! Tn 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 brown-eyed
friend to do with"
For goodness sake, be quiet, Don
} You're worse than Prince barkinf
for bone. Well, mother and were
looking all around everywhere. Dad
had wandered of by himself, and in a
few minutes he came back with the
tallest, handsomest. darlingest, brown
eyed"
Don coughed painfully behind his
hand.
Poor boy! What a cold, Well
as I was saving, dad came back will
the tallest. hand"
81 heard you the first time"
ooh, did you? Well, he was. Ant
he treated us just lovely He tool
us lots of places other people weren'
allowed to go, for he was en- officer
| His uniform was gr-r-a-a-nd."
Silence.
And then that night Wa went b
boat to Old Point Comfort and MOI
. felix We were at luncheon in tn
hotel when who should walk in bu
= Lieutenant Erickson, He took II
: through the fort and everywhere"
Eyes, krow. I've been there
Then I suppose he went back to Al
:. rapolis where he belonged"
II Who Oh indeed he didn't! Da
a and mother and l got on the b.
n that night and went to Boston"
J. "Well-that's all. suppose"
% No. indeed! The best"-very II
nocently-"is yet to come"
Heavens. I suppose he suddenl
y, developed pair of wings and"
10 why, Don. you act so funny!
. don't understand you at ALL"
:. "Humph! Well, go on about yor
\. brown-eyed god of Olympus. VIII,
!. next"
=. why, that very day We we're cor
IS ing out Of shop on fremont sire,
!. in Boston. when whom should We ri
"A into but"
r, Lieut.. Jupiter ven Erickson, I su
pose!"
III YES" wonderingly How did yc
a. guess? And his wife,"
I'd His wife. His wife, did you say
I'd "M-hum. And she was as beau
IN full as he was handsome, Her ha
was beautiful light"
or But what her hair was like Ok
ut never heard You little tease!" |
10 cried, holding her tight to his breas
70 Tell me what colcr of eyes you iii