The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-19
The GIRL OPPOSITE
By BEVERLY SIhuSON.

|
Travers was looking backward over
his life, as he sat, revolver in hand
before the mirror in the Upper room
OF his closed house, and 1t was strange
how all the interests of the mature
mans life narrowed to those of the
boy of long ago.
Pictures flashed across his mental
vision, and he saw himself again, a
little boy. standing before that same
window and holding his fathers hand.
Why mustn't ] play with the little
girl across the street," he asked his
father.
But it was long before ne learned
that the man across the street was a
| famous atheist lecturer. and stunned in
horror by the narrow society OF the
little place, whose ostracism extended
to the loyal wiie and the little girl.
Later the little boy had gone to
school, boarding school in distant
city. There the interests of school |
DAYS drove the thought of the little
girl out of his mind.
So completely, in fact that. when
he returned, he did not at first rec |
ospize the young girl of fourteen |
whose face he saw at the window
opposite.
Who are those people across the
road?" he asked his mother, With an
interest whose cause he was careful
to conceal.
THE same" she answered. That
Is Danvers. the abominable atheist
lecturer. John. l hope that YOU will
!, have nothing to do with any of them
at any time"
Time passed John Travers went to
college. Now the whirl of life had
caught him up. and only the most
elusive memories remained of the girl
= at the window. Yet, when he came
home with his degree, he found him
self looking across the narrow street
!, at a young woman who wstched him
from her window And this time
there was a look of recognition upon
. her face, though she made no sign
! of greeting, and neither spoke.
= Then John Travers went into the
world of business. Eight years had
a passed. and he he'd fought hard dur
ing those years He had made name
!, for himself in the financial world; at
=. thirty he was rising power in the
- street. It was no wonder that his
enemies grew numerous as his power
grew stronger
:, And as the years went by Travefs
~ began to realize that he was obtaining
~ singularly little out Of life. At thirty
n he seemed already an old man III ex'
~ perience. Life brought him no hap
- piness. He DID not understand the
~ cause of thil. out he realized that he
ID had somehow missed something whlcE
~ all his wealth could not supply,
" Then came the panic. and the hgh'
nj for survival. Everybody was leaguee
I'd against Travers to pull him down. Fol
OK n whole week, during which time HI
Id hardly slept, John fought. Then thu
pack had him down, and his fortune
70 swollen to millions, crumbled to moth
alf ing in a single day.
DIV So he had gone home to the httl
ng Village, to the house which he ma
I'D inherited after his parents death. bu
re. never occupied.
he At last he had resolved to end II
TO plunge out of the life that ha
MS brought him nothing into one wnic
aw could at least offer nothing woyse I
ext him. And, after long thought. he ha
drawn from his pocket the revolve
ect which he had always carried since tn
ed beginning Of his debacle.
A knock at the door startled hin
Ter and he thrust the weapon away an
ap- opened the door He gasped to Sc
rio before him. the girl at the windo
opposite.
ner She came into the room lmpulsivel
rl- "Mr. Travers," she began, Il kno
W. YOU will resent this intrusion, but
.ne are old neighbors. My name Is Ma
'ne iorie Danvers, and often used to 81
YOU when we were children. l liN
opposite-I have lived there aloI
since my parents died two years az
''. And / heard you were back and
-, trouble.
Urn You know how people gossip
IVY this little place. We heard you we
w. alone here and had not left the hous
~ We were all afraid some harm hi
''A' come to YOU So went to the do
and knocked. and when you did
-, answer | came up. Is there anythil
,ea can do for your"
Her eyes fell upon the revolv
muzzle, protruding from the boo
,ue case in which he had hidden 1t. s
NV looked at it and at him wildly.
You we're not-not thinking
oo'' that?' she cried.
YES" he answered. Il was. b
you have cured me now. Miss ID
vers, | have lived selfish life. sol'
lcan for myself and have had little ple'
hing ~, 10 n Put now I have col
man home and-and | want life to bet
to mean something to me. Do y
oh- know how often | have thought
=. your"
10 How STRANGE she said. Il hs
ains thought SO often of the little boy
Urn used to see and might never knt
iIse And to think that after these YET
w but then you mu let me b
~ you, in any way can And you m
~. come out of this old house into
sunshine
~. Perhaps soul spoke to soul in {
~. moment, for suddenly she felt {