The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-25
THAT TALL, DARK Man
Nv OLIVE ROBERTS BARTON.

per Syndicate)
Don met them at the train - Lor
raine, her mother and father. II
seemed centuries since he had seen
her, Lorraine, of course. although II
had been but two weeks since she mad
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 had
intimated before leaving that Signo'
rina Lolita had foretold tantalizingly
vague things Of a tall young man with
brown eyes and dark hair. This was
thorns and nettles to Don, whose eyes
were gray and hair a decided auburn.
He now searched her face anxious
". Had the dark young man mate
rallied in the fortnight's vacation!
There was nothing there to tell. Lor-
raine was as sweet and smiling--and
batiing-as ever. He sighed.
He was asked to stay to dinner and
accepted gratefully. He had a dogged
determination not to leave until he
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.
sftrt, ,,-hA1n {hspr hno ynvn1u Nm
From the minute we left until just
now"
Thanks"
You're welcome. grouchy! I'd
think you'd be glad to see me back.
Instead you've been glooming around
like funeral Well. I'm going to tell
you all about it 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?"
Not" killing a mosquito. What
did she say? Surely you don't be-
ieve the rot a fortune teller gets
,ff?
"Oh, but | do. It all came true;
almost every word Of it. You see, It
was this way" gazing rapturously az
he moon When we got to Balti-
more the city was all decorated for
he big centennial. After we had seen
he decorations and all that dad want.
ID to go on a battleship."
We'll, where does the fellow come
NJ"
Ssh! I'm coming to that! We
vent across the bay to a great whop-
ling man-of-war that made you feel
III glorious and patriotic"
"But when"
BE quiet! I'm coming to him
Don. They let us on that one. We
vent up funny little pair Of stairs
hey lowered over the side Of the
oat"
But what has your browa-eyed
r.end to Go with"
For goucncss sake. be quiet, Don. |
'oure worse than Prince barking
Dr. a bone. Wei. mother and I were |
'oking all around everywhere. DAB
ad wandered of by himself, and In a
Nv minutes he came back with the |
.llest, handsomest, darlingest, brown
yed-"
Don coughed painfully behind hjs
and.
Poor boy! What a cold! Well.
was saying, dad came back with
10 tallest, hand"
Il heard you the first time"
"Oh, did you? Well, he was. And
treated us just lovely. He took
lots of places other people weren't
lowed to so, for he was an officer.
is uniform was grr.a-a-nd."
Silence.
And then that night we went by
'at to Old Point Comfort and Nor.
TX. We were at luncheon in the
'tel when who should walk in but
leutenant Erickson. He took US
rough the fort and everywhere"
yes, | know. I've been there!
nen ] suppose he went back to An.
polls where he belonged!"
Who? Oh, indeed he didn't! Dad
ID mother and l got On the boat
at night and went to Boston,"
"Well-that's all. I SUPPOSE"
mo. indeed! The best"-very in.
'cently-"is yet to come"
Heavens! suppose he suddenly
veioped;a pair Of wings and"
Why. Don. you act so funny! II,
MT understand you at an"
Humph Well, go on about YOUR
own-eyed god Of Olympus. What
why, that very day We were COM
3 out OF shop on fremont street
boston, when whom should We run
10 but" I
Lieut. Jupiter Won Erickson I sun.
SCI" 'uV
Yes" wonderingly. How did Won
ess! And his wife,"
MS wife! His wife, did you sayw
M-hum! And she was IA he.nt,.
as ne was handsome. Her hair
8 a beautiful light"
BUT what her hair was like Don
yer heard You little tease," he
ed holding her tight to his breast
ell me what color Of eyes you ike
st. before let YOU 90"
1ray' confessed Lorraine softly.