The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-29
TARDr But TRUE
BY ELSIE SEE.


to city lawyer. 1t was equally well
known that the merchants young wife
Of year kept a servant and an auto
mobile and had charge accounts at
the city department stores. Every time
Madge came home for a vacation,
Plainville weighed the respective mer-
its Of her independence and the mer-
chants wife's affiuence, but the
shrewdest Of the gossips did not sus-
pect that a memory antedating her
affair with Jim Butler meant more to
Madge than anything that had come
into her life.
One summer morning Madge alight-
ed from the six o'clock train for her
vacation without having told of her
coming, as she preferred to surprise
her parents by appearing unannounced
for breakfast.
whats doing today, mother? Is
there a picnicf", asked Madge, after
breakfast.
snow, how did you guess thatp
II saw Tom Jordan hauling some
giant Ice cream freezers and lot of
fruit up to the Maplewood pasture
and, oh I saw distinguished-lookin
man in gray tweed over near the hotel.
He looked like a man of affairs above
and beyond Plainville picnics."
THAT must have been Tom Whit
] low. He's here for a visit, and he
dresses like that and is staying at
the hotel" ST
''Tom Whitlow, who used to-
Madge hesitated, and her mother con-
| tinued:
used to drive Buffers delivery
wagon. But they say he's made some
thing of himself. He is manager of
some mines out West somewhere"
That afternoon Madge went with
her parents to the picnic, and, al
though she felt a certain pleasure in
greeting her old friends, she soon be-
gan to feel keenly that she was no
longer in sympathy with their lives or
they with hers.
| AS she walked around thick clump
of hazelnut bushes and sumacs tall
man in blue serge, who had been sit.
ting on the grass with his broad shout.
ders against tree, rose and removed
his hat In respectful, but embarrassed
! greeting.
'T hope I haven't startled you" he
said, "and may hope, also, that you
would care to remember Pom Whit
| low?'
''Not at ALL" blurted Madge. Then
in embarrassment, she fastened to
add: "That is, you didn't startle me
and I'm glad to meet you again. But
are you sure you know who l amp"
"You? Why, you're Madge Ingram
| Pardon me-Miss Ingram"
"No-let's be Madge and Tom be
fore we begin to be formal" said she
extending her hand. "You used tc
help me with my lessons, but you
wouldn't talk to me. Won't you make
up for lost time now by telling me OF
the interesting things you've been do
ing?"
"May I not tell you what wanted
to tell you years ago, but hadn't the
courager His gray eyes were eager
and his strong hand still held hers
"May I not tell you that 1t was YOU
who first aroused in me desire to dc
things? Some of the girls at schoo
made mouths because they had t.
stand beside me In class, but you new
er did. Those girls, later, looked ovel
my head when they saw me driving O
delivery wagon, but you spoke to me
even then. And may tell you that
went away determined to achieve
something that would make me worthy
of even more than your friendly greet
ings? I worked away for year, and
then heard you were going to marry
Jim Butler"
He turned away and dropped hel
hand.
81 never opened another issue o.
the little old Plainville paper for feal
I'd find the account of your wedding
I worked my way through the state
university and into mining engineer
ing. For years my work has absorbed
me. and I've known nothing Of wha
went on at Plainville, but last weel
In a railroad restaurant out West
happened to hear news OF you.
overheard one woman tourist speaking
to another as they sat at dinner.
begged Madge Ingram to make thii
trip with me- she said, but sh'
thought she must go to Plainville, and
told her she'd as well have married
that merchant after all, but she say
there's a lot Of difference between 90
ing for a vacation and lifetime"
'That must have been Elsie War
rem" exclaimed Madge, sand what
coincidence that you should hav'
heard her say that just as you wer'
starting to Plainville!"
"But 1 wasn't starting until / hear
that! 1t was knowing you were fire.
that brought me herel 1t Is beeaus
I've loved you ever since we were chill
dren that I've tried 20 make mysei
worthy Of you. It's because love yo'
now that I'm telling you all this II
such a laundering way. and ITS Dc
cause I'll always love you that In
daring to ask you to go away with NJ
60 the West. Madge. could you MARI
a man who once drove a delivery was
on. and who loves you so much that n
is making a sorry mess OF tellin
l.