The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-07-09
WILD BARBARA BARSTOW
Rv All SAtEEE
BY AlLSAiEEE.

to his fiancee.
Tanning Barbara. indeed" he
>snorted angrily. What man could
ask for sweeter, meeker little soul
than Barbara Barstow, whom an
obliging relative had suggested that
he marry if he expected any of said
relatives golden ducats.
Hang it all, Uncle Moses Blake
had stormed DO you mean to say
that you'll cut off Barbara Barstow if
l don't marry herr"
I've said my say" said Uncle Moses
grimly. Then one day Blake had gone
over to see the Barstows and SO i'm
pressed was he by their evident pov
erty and shabby gentility that he paid
assiduous court to pretty, darkeyed
Barbara. the youngest of the flock of
five girls.
He found it easier to love Barbara
than he expected and one day they
became engaged.
Blake believed that when they were
married Barbara would give up climb
ing trees after birds nests, or scaling
fences and fishing, or any other of the
boyish sports in which she INDUCED.
But their wedding day came and went
and Barbara did not lose her love for
the woods and fields.
Blake admitted that his household
affairs were administered with great
system-all the Barstow girls We're
famous housekeepers.
Uncle Moses gave them a handsome
present and promptly neglected st.
Johns.
Blake did not care for his own sake,
because he had sufficient to live on
comfortably, but he worried about
Barbara's people. There were so
many girls and their future independ.
/ ence had hung on Barbara's marriage
in accordance with Uncle Moses
wish.
One day Blake had taste of Bar
! bara's fiery temper. He had come be.
hind her chair and softly kissed the
, eurls in the nape of her pretty neck.
How dare you?" she stormed.
, looking like an angry kitten.
But, my dear. am your husband"
expostulated the abashed young man.
Il don't care If you're my grand.
father" declared Barbara. II don't
want you to kiss me-yet!"
! mot YETI" echoed Blake. Pray,
when may I-when?"
But Barbara relapsed into cool ST.
lence which Blake, offended, would
not be the first to break.
| It was pretty state Of affairs, he
told himself hotly, a pretty state Of
affairs when a man couldn't kiss his
own wife.
The more Blake revolved the cpl.
sode Of the stolen kiss the more he
became interested in Barbara.
How could he tame Barbara?
That problem confronted him morn
ing and night. Barbara did not ap-
pear to be worried about her husband.
She treated him with an airy in
souciance that sometimes provoked
him to bitterness.
Suddenly Uncle Moses died, and
when his affairs were settled up It
was found that he had made a will in
favor of the Barstows long before Bar
bara's marriage, and, SO far as any.
one could see, the marriage Of Blake
and Barbara was an unnecessary sac.
rifice to Mammon.
Aunt Prissy told all this to Barbara.
my dear, 1t seems such pity that
Moses tied Blake st. John down to
such q promise. l heard he was en-
gagged to that tall Miss Petit from
Lanesboro. 1t serves him right
though, for making a mercenary
marriage"
Barbara was very pale when she
went into the house, after seeing
Aunt Prissy drive of in her ancient
phaeton. She donned her riding
clothes and went out to the stable aft
er Ponto.
For several hours she rode like q
mad woman, up hill and down dale
and when Blake. returning from town
in his little motor car, met her al
the crossroads, she looked like q
small scared brownie.
"Whatis the matter, Barbara he
asked, alarmed at her appearance.
Nothing! I'll race you to the
gate" she challenged So Ponto and
the runabout sped briskly along the
road until they reached home.
Before dinner, Blake seeking his
wife, found her curled on the rug be
fore the library fire. All the dainty
little ringlets were inviting his lips, &C
he coolly knelt beside her and kissed
her.
Barbara sat very still He stole q
look at her face. 1t was turned wist
fully toward him.
THAT is because I love you and
have the right" he said proudly.
"But-you married me so that you
would not lose Uncle Moses money,
she reminded him.
THE day before our wedding Uncl,
Moses confessed to me that he ha(
already transferred their share Il
: your people, but / had learned to Low,
you, and l would not give you up, al
though Uncle Moses had a conscience
stricken notion that | would.
But you, Barbara-you married m,
"a man you didn't love-just to keel
your family from poverty" he con
cluded.
THE night before our wedding.
confessed Barbara, Uncle Moses toll,
me all and said it was not too late I,
withdraw"
And you chose to marry newly :?
"Oh, Blake! Can't you guess?" sh,