The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-22
RELEASING MARIAN
BY WILLISTok GRAY.

JeffrieS got the news on Wednesday.
The letter lay with a few others under
his door when he reached the office,
the lonesome, dusty little old law Of
flee where he had waited for clients
week in, week out.
He picked it up and read it through
as soon as he got inside, his hat still
on the back Of his head, his cane I'M
der one arm. 1t was brief, but quite
to the point and satisfactory. 1t mere
ly notified him that under the terms
OF the will of Horace Barclay, his
granduncle, he would receive $4,000.
After fellow has grubbed along on
about one hundredth of that amount
year, it takes time to get a focus
on such situation. And about the
last angle of his thoughts was Marian.
OF course there was Marian. She had
, to be considered, but he only thought
Of her in vague, detached sort of
way.
Tentatively, he was engaged to mar
ry Marian Seward. Yesterday he
would have put it differently. He
| would have said that some day he was
going to marry Marian.
Naturally, when he had come to La
grange to live, he had looked up
Marian and her mother. They were
distantly related, second cousins, or
perhaps third. She was interesting,
too. with her big, gray eyes and chest
nut hair and the deep, elusive dimple
in enc cheek that only showed when
telling Marian of his legacy. Not but
that she would be glad for him, but
it might worry her. Forty-five thou
sand in town like Lagrange was
equal to five hundred thousand in a
large city
He did not call on Marian that eve-
| ming. The next day when he rang up
to speak to her, Mrs. Seward said she
was away for few days, but would
be back on Monday. He did not mind.
1t would give him time to think mat
tiers over. That afternoon, as he was
passing by the City hall, Deering came
hurrying down the broad steps, stopped
at seeing him and came over.
II want to have talk with you.
Walt" he said. point blank. Some
thing important"
Come over to my Office" said JEFF
fries genially. Deering was city at
torney-not a large Office in a town
like Lagrange, but one bespeaking the
confidence of his constituents. They
went back to the little dusty office,
and Deering sat on the end of table
while he talked.
"You see. it's this way. I'm in love
with Marian. guess I've been in love
with her since was in rompers. And
I'd have stood a show only that we
had little quarrel and I went away,
like a fool, to the Northwest. When
I came back last spring l found you
,, here, and you had the inside track.
But knew she still cared for me"
He held his head up, and there was
a ringing note of surety in his tone
that bothered Jeffries. Marian had
never mentioned Bob Deering.
"Well?"
well? I asked her all over again
last night at the university lecture.
and she told me she was almost en-
gagged to you. Is that right?"
"She asked me to wait year." said
Jeffries. IF she could care for me in
that time, we were to be married."
"Exactly-if! Well, she cares for
me, Walt. That's all there is about
it, and it's breaking her heart to have
to tell you so. She's gone away for a
few days. and l made up my mind
Id come straight to you like a man
and have 1t out. II her happiness is at
stake it doesn't matter about US, does
it,"
you mean about me-" said Jeffries
dryly. Does she know that you were
coming to me?"
NO"
But you're quite sure she cares for
your"
II know 1t, always knew It."
Jeffries smoked in silence q minute
He felt uplifted and magnanimous. He
would give happiness to Marian. OF
course when she knew the truth-that
he had forty-five thousand-she would
perhaps regret, but that was not his
fault. He smiled.
go ahead and win her Bob. and
good luck to you
Two days later, Marian returned
home, and that night Bob told her
She listened in silence.
Il feel like a dog now to have in
terfered. DEAR" he said. 81 didnt
know he'd fallen heir to this fortune
I only knew l loved you and wanted
you released"
HE was quite willing, wasn't her
asked Marian. teasingly.
Il don't want to think anything
about him. l want you to marry me IL
months time.
fee to another and became very sue
cessful?"
IF became president I'd have tn,
sweetest and best wife in the who'll
blamed country" said Bob impetuously
Marian laid her hands on his shoul
ders and smiled mischievously.
I'VE needn't worry, Bob. l didn'
want to tell you yet, but here 1t is
You know Walt and are distant cous
ms, ans his greatuncle is mine, toe
but my father was his favorite and b
has left me seventy-five thousand do
lars. l went away to see mother
lawyer and arrange about the estate.
Bob was silent for a minute, holdin