The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-01
i've had a good common school ed.

, 6ot loui Stdi ., ht Sdlu.
A year later Tom Holloran passed
the entrance examinations. He en-
tered upon a three years course. At
the end of the time he put his sheep
skin into his bag and went to the me-
tropolis, with a decent suit of clothes
on his back and dollar in his pocket.
The butler who admitted him to
the financier's house looked at him
obviously.
I'll give your name to Mr.. Henry"
he said, in a non-committal manner.
He stopped Tom barred the way.
Miss Helen" Tom stammered
''Tll see, SIR" said the butler.
Ten minutes passed. Then the finan-
cier entered the room He did not
know Tom.
Il am Mr.. Holloran," said Tom. You
remember our agreement-that | was
to marry your daughter in four
years"
The bankers face grew purple. You
impudent rascal" he said. Get out
of my house,"
II shall wait on the doorstep till
see Helen" said Tom
The banker glared at him and left
the room. quarter of an hour later
he returned with a stylishly dressed
young woman, who looked at Tom as
if he were hardly human being.
But 1t was Helen. Tom hardly heard
her scathing words, he only knew that
u; r;I A ~, r;,
laughter dismissed him He stumbled
from the room.
The next day he entered his ia
Tiers house. The old man, hardly
changed, looked up and nodded
Il recognize you, son." he said.
Still fool reckon. Still banker
ing after that girl warned ye.
told ye,"
Yes. was fool" said Tom I've
come back to get a job with the
boats"
IF that's all you're worth" said the
old man, you'd best have stayed
where you was"
Tho panic year wiped out many
fortunes and loudest was the crash
of the Henry chain of banks. In a
Gay the banker was ruined Outcast,
and the next week suicide. The
house was sold. The papers contained
strange stories of Helen's discovery
upon the island. and reporters came
and restored Tom. But nobody knew
anything Of the girl
, Still fool, Tom" His father
asked one day, as the young man sat
brooding over his nets
Il reckon So" said Tom.
You've given the best years OF
your youth to a worthless woman,
said his father. Nov is the time tc
. look for another
Tom did not answer. His spirit
seemed broken. All the neighbors
Q thought that He seemed to take nt
: interest in life. Gradually they ac
5 cepted him as one of themselves
1 again, and forgot
There is legend along the coas
], that what the sea gives, it takes wha
. it takes it restores The winter of tina
|, | year was one of raging storms. Man!
snip in distress far out at sea wal
0 sighted, but it was not till Februar.
}. that the lifeboat rockets signalet
d a wreck upon the rocks in the bay
d They launched the boat. Tom bend
o ing to the oars, saw dimly, through thu
blizzard the bulk of great liner ly
a ing between the needle-points Thu
4 cold Gu, him like a razor edge. Me
8 chanically he bent his strength to tn
I oar.
r AS the boat drew near and tried t
l. lay alongside, while the breaker
e pounded her, desperate cry of
d multitude fell on their ears. A might
a wave had swept the decks OF half thei
e huddled humanity The waves wer
h black with bobbing heads, hand
n clutched wildly for aid and foun
70 none.
Tom leaped into the sea to wher
ID a woman's head appeared for mi
ment in the suck of giant wave. H
y seized her by the hair and haule
is her to the boats edge. Somehow the
10 got her in.
/ Laden to her gunwales with a
r. that thoy had been able to rescue. til
lifeboat made her difficult way Z
o. ward the shore But when she reache
n it at last and the mon and fisherwiv,
er who had assembled there looked int
n Toms face they knew who the wei
O. dressed strange woman was
s. Tom kneeled beside her, chafing ht
cold hands. A tress of her hair hun
II like wet wisp over him. Her eye
;" were closed. but a faint pulse stirre
III in her
She will live said the doctor tn;
n night. But her brain is injured IIo
lie far, don't know. 1t is impossible I
say until she wakes
or Still fool, TOM" inquired his
d. Their, watching his face.
mo, SIR" said Tom Il know n,
lie for what she is; nothing can viii
"a that out"
She's asking for you," said Ii
j" doctor.
at Tom went into the room whel
re Helen lay. Her eyes we're open: 9
ut Tom drew near she stretched o,
he her hands and found his neck an
held him close.
I'd Il am glad it is so near-our we
ding day" she whispered. we mul
II never leave each other dearest.
Sc shall always be true to you"
nt The last four years were wiped froi
d. her mind forever by the shock An