The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-19
DAISY
BY JANE OSBORN.

Daisy Dodge was standing in .
frame of sunshine in the doorway Of
the little eight-sided school at Dab
NEVILLE vigorously ringing the large
hand bell that called the children, lit
tie and big, back to the afternoon SEES
sion.
Here's another letter for you. Miss
Dodge" piped one of the older girls.
1t was Gussie Love, daughter of the
general storekeeper, who also acted as
postmaster.
After school Daisy began to read her
letter.
Dear Miss" it began in large, dis
tinct, boyish writing, I'm not much
Of letter writer, and haven't ever
started writing to young lady be-
fore. but 1t is so lonesome out here
in the lumber camp that l thought
would begin Just to keep from getting
so dreadfully blue. Perhaps you have
never seen lumber camp. am send
ing snapshot that shows just what l
look like. When you answer this let
tCIs do hOpS Sou Will oOOhy PiCooV
send me picture of yourself. / al
ways did like brown-eyed girls the
best. With best wishes, Thomas Will
liam Jones.
"P. ST. forgot to say that l am
boss of hundred men in the lumber
work and l own ten thousand acres
of unworked lumber land that / am
going to begin cutting when l have
saved enough to begin-perhaps next
winter"
For Just a moment, Daisy's eyes lin
gered with interest on the snapshot
photograph that showed the writer of
the letter in his characteristic cos
tune of the lumberman at his work.
She tucked the picture back in the en-
velope when she realized that she was
allowing herself to admire the broad
shoulders, straight figure and well-pro-
portioned features of the stranger.
Then she took the key from the
pocket of her plain school dress,
opened a desk drawer and carefully
took out ten letters that she had re-
ceived within the last two weeks.
Why these letters? Why these pro
posals?
For half an hour Daisy sat and
pondered. Then she wrote a letter
that she hoped might clear up the mys.
terry and restore her peace of mind.
1t was to this Thomas William
Jones, and in it she told him frankly
what had happened and she asked
him to help her solve the problem.
The letter she received in reply was
brief and to the point Il am ashamed
of myself for having written the sort
OF letter did, but was very lonely.
Then he explained that he had read
description of Daisy in sheet pub
lished in a matrimonial bureau.
Daisy answered this letter promptly
and then waited impatiently for the
next letter from her unseen champion
On warm spring evening abou
two weeks later, Daisy was sitting OF
the upper porch of her three-roon
upstairs abode, when she saw through
the semidarkness the tall figure OF {
stranger swinging up the road ant
then turning in at the schoolhous,
patch. Her heart was beating will
excitement when she reached tn,
downstairs door and stood face to fac,
with strange young man. She haI
half guessed-surely she had hope,
even-that 1t was Thomas William
Jones, and Thomas William Jones 1
turned out to be.
I've been travelling a day and
night to get here" he told her, stand
ing in her open door, hat in hand
The reason | came-partly, at least
is to tell you that l have put a sto
to those annoying letters. l went t
! the place where they publish the shee
and held them up for the letter. Som
one had sent 1t in signed with you
name"
Daisy and the stranger forgot al
about the offender and began to tai
of other matters-even about then
selves. They had both been very lone
ly. They had both lived for year
without any real friends.
| II wac Iullt WHCu uOu1db w L
liam Jones started to return to the Iii
tie local tavern where he had left hi
bag on his arrival in the village H
had Deen in Daisy's company rattle
! less than an hour, and already she RI
garded him as her firm friend
you will Just have my word for
that / am what | say | am" he d.
clared, but | want to tell you BIZ
fore l leave tonight that only one G
the reasons | came here was to Civ
you the letter from the agent. TIL
other reason was to find out for my
self if you aren't the girl have bee
dreaming of all my life. Are you goin
to send me back to the woods withou
a chance to make good?"
Daisy put out her hand to bid hiI
good night.
You must go away now she said
but 1 don't want you to go back t
that lonely camp until-until-"
, For a moment he held her hand sc
cureIy in his giant paw and then h
turned and went without anothe
word.
Daisy went to her little bedroom and
before the small oil lamp. opened tn
folded pages of the letter the strange
had brought from the matrimonial
bureau. She read what purported to b.
a letter from herself. signed by he
own name. 1t was in the crude copy
book writing of Gussie Love.
It's a state-prison offense." sh,
said, half aloud, but Ill forgive you
Gussie. can afford to- You did it Il
bring me happiness and you have sue