The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-03
HIS TOWER MAIDEN
BY CONSTANCE MORTON.

Strange to relate Deane Barlow had
never been in love-not until that April
evening when he had returned to his
room at Mrs. Pilling's boarding house
and had discovered his Tower Lady
! The tower" was the narrow. jut
ting wing of fashionable private
hotel around the corner, and at one
of its lace-draped windows he had dis
covered girls lovely, wistful face
sometimes looking out at the sunset
clouds piling in the west and just Wis
ible through a rift in the buildings;
sometimes. and more often, bent
thoughtfully downward as if she read
book.
Deane grew to love her hair of pale
gold and her eyes of some mysterious
color that distance would not reveal
He worshiped her from afar, for he
knew that there was wide social bar.
rier raised between the occupant of
that luxurious suite and poor young
law clerk.
At night the curtains of the tower
were drawn and his lady had van
ished. Twenty-four hours must elapse
before he might glimpse her face
again. 1t was only in the afternoon
that he saw her; never at other times
or on Sundays.
At the dinner table that night there
was much animation among the board
ers. Miss Brown, who operated the
telephone switchboard in the hotel
, around the corner, hau revealed the
fact that there was to be wedding in
the Palisade the next day-at least one
OF the guests was to be married; had
they not all seen the BEAUTIFUL Miss
Gladys Elmorton?
~ blonde, isn't she?" asked Ada
WATSON eagerly.
Miss Brown noddedher head.
Mr.. Pilling, who carved the roast,
looked up from under his shaggy eye
brows.
Who's she going to marry" he
asked gruffiy.
Bradbury Kohler-he's got oceans
of money"
Deane Barlow WINGED
Bradbury Kohlcr was one of his EN-
ployers-a big, jovial, red-faced young
man. So Bradbury was going to
marry Deanes Tower Lady! No won
der the tower window was darkened;
the prospective bride would have no
time now to look with dreamy eyes
into the sunset
So Deane banished his dreams and
plunged into his work with renewed
industry. There was much talk in
the office about the wedding and some
chatting of the bridegroom when he
returned from a honeymoon spent
abroad.
Then came a momentous day when
Deane. looking out of his window to-
ward his lady's tower. again saw her
sweet, serious face turned toward the
sunset clouds A little wrench at his
heart told him that he had not sue.
ceeded in dismissing her from his
dreams.
The next morning he happened to
be alone in the Office when the door
opened and young woman entered.
Delicately fair and very lovely in her
summary attire. she turned a pair of
blue eyes on the clerk and smiled
pleasantly.
rs MIR. Kohler In his office!'
Il will inquire" Deane placed a
chair for her and was about to leave
the room when her voice detained
him.
Please tell him Mrs. Kohler is
waiting for him." she smiled over her
shoulder.
Mrs. Kohler! Deane's brain was
dizzy as he delivered the message to
Bradbury and followed that happy
bridegroom down the corridor to the
outer Office.
"Gladys!" Mr.. Kohler greeted her
and the two disappeared toward his
private Office.
II this strange young woman was
the wife of Bradbury Kohler, who,
then, was the lady Of his tower?
His first move was to inquire of
Miss Brown concerning the other in.
mates of the Elmorton family. 1t ap-
peared that Gladys was an only child.
But there was another girl there,
too, Miss Brown acknowledged. Mrs.
Elmorton's social secretary was Miss
Avis Sanford. Miss Brown knew her
slightly. Miss Sandford's brother
worked in the same Office with Deane.
He must Fnow Jack SANFORD!
-. Deane did know Jack Sanford as
we'll as he knew any of his fellow
clerks. They had attended baseball
games together, and always lunched
side by side in the downtown restau-
rant. Jack was married and had fire.
quently invited Deane to his little
home in the suburbs. but Deane had
never been there The knowledge that
his Tower Lady was sister to his
friend convinced Deane that some
thing more than coincidence was at
work. 1t was kindly fate-nothing
lessl
When Jack Sanford repeated his |
invitation Deane accepted with fat
tering haste.
And that evening he met his Tower
Lady face to face. She was more !
charming than she looked and that is
saying a great deal
1t was many weeks before Deane |
had the courage to tell her the story |
of his Tower Lady and to finally ask
her to be his wife and sweetheart and |
helpmate-for the wife of his dreams |
must be all these three things.
And Avis, who loved him for him. :
self alone. turned her face up to his