The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-10
from that they

fragment of a shell while leading Ms
comnany to the attack. and he woult
never lead it again. because tendol
! in his leg had been severed and corp
| Richard Barton must go nmplns
through life thenceforward.
True. the limp was not very pro
nounced one. hardly visible, in tact
when the soldier walked, but II is
one thing to walk across a drawing
room floor and quite another to charge
line of trenches at full speed across
barbed wire entang!ements, laden
with ones accouterments.
A second letter reached the two
ladies' in due course. Miss Mary, VINO
was romantically inclined. opened II
in the presence Of her sister Win a
thrill of delicious wickedness MISS
Lizzie. however was inclined TO think
that Miss Mary had been a little lndis-
Greet. She intended to tell her that in
her opinion the correspondence must
be brought to close.
But as the ladies' read it they looked
at each other in dsmay
He has been wounded exclaimed
Miss Mary, TREMENDOUSLY, The poor
man, I hope it is not a serious
wound"
He says it will prevent his going
back to the ranks again" Miss Mary
announced. as she read further on.
"And-Oh, Lizzie. what do you think?
He says that some day he may come
to America for visit, and that If he
does he will take tlla opportunity to
pay call upon those who were go
kind to HIM"
The letter fiuttered out of her hands
and she sat down in chair breathless
Mary" said her sister severely
this is what comes of CARRYING on a
Irritation with strange man"
Sister gasped Miss Mary How
can you say such dreadful thing?
Did you ever know me even to think
Of a man."
"A common soldier-just cor
poral." continued her sister, reprov-
ingly You know, my dear" she went
on, relenting. the lower classes in
England are not like they are here.
The man may be anything. Perhaps
he is drinker!"
Miss Mary rose to the occasion as
she had never done before.
We'll, sister, If he is a drinking
man. she said. II shalt shall send
Willis out to buy bottle of beer for
him! THERE" and she walked out of
the room indignantly.
But as the weeks went by and moth
ing more was heard about the cor
poral Miss Li2zie's fears gradually sub.
sided. And so the weeks slipped into
months, and then
Miss Mary, there is a gentleman in
the parior waiting to see you" ex-
planned the maid He says he hasn't
card. and he thinks you will remem-
Der his name, Mr. Richard Barton"
Miss Lizzie looked at Miss Mary as
the two sat together in the. sewing
room.
Sister" she said, perhaps it would
be better for me to see this CORPORAL
Barton"
And that time Miss Mary did not re.
ply because she was already in her
bedroom brushing her hair!
How desperately she brushed and
how quickly she changed her frock.
hearing a bass voice talking in the
living room below, and dreading every
minute that her sister would succeed
IN Diminishing the visitor before she
could get down. And when at last
she did get down and stood before A
tall, neatly dressed, soldierly man Of
about thirty-fve, her heart beat and
she felt her face suffused with foolish
bushes.
My dear, let me present Captain
Barton, said Miss Lizzie.
Captain Parton" Miss Mary
The captain pulled his mustache and
Well. Miss Penfield. the fact ia that
When you deciphered my illegible hand
writing as corporal the Joke seemed
90 good to lose And so I made NV.
'eif corporal in my second letter
inow it wasn't right-but it's hettar
o make ones self corporal when
AL
mes captain than vice versa. isn't
T. And. Miss Penield. I assure Won
nat l am rot a drinking man"
And Captain Barton is going 70
'tay to lunch" said Miss Lizzie.
Durins the lunch Miss Mary pluckaS
ID courage to look at the captain. And /
ne more she locked az him the mora
lie came to resemble a cerrain idol !,
little secret shrine tucked avsv in
Ter heart What was more 10 the noi,t
dlss Lizzie discovered that the can.
am mad made very similar discoverv
Win regard TO her sister. And ,o-
nee Miss Lizzie INDUCED in that -.
nantic speculation that she had az
discouraged in her sister
The captain was visiting Ame-ic,
a business connected with a certai,
icn Old property which be owned not
many miles away. This LET. annie
pportunity for subsequent visits. ana
efore the time for his return arrived
e had persuaded Miss Mary 10 maj.
ae trip to Europe in his company. nm
er his name.
And Miss Lizzie must ACCOMPANY
: on cur honeymoon he ins,st.S
gu In