The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-05
WHEN HE
WOKE UP

find strange young man occupying
his special chair and acting quite as
much at home as though he belonged
there by right
BurChard had been calling on Syl-
via for months. even years, and had
sat in that particular chair innumer-
able times. \ sensation OF being i'll
used and injured surged through his
soul as he bowed With stern cordially
to the young man.
Mr.. Gillmyer," Sylvia was saying
sweetly, lis a brother OF my old
school friend, Dot, of whom you've
heard me talk so often. Ted He's
come to Chicago to go into business.
Isn't that delightful"
Lovely" agreed Burchard There
really was nothing else that he could
say. Speech seemed to have been
smothered within him by that first
wave of surprise which had over
whelmed him.
Try as he might to enter into the
conversation. Burchard found himself
relapsing painfully into silence every
little while.
The more he thought of the situa-
ton the more indignant Burchard
grew. BY the time he said good even
ing he was able to give Sylvia the
frostiest sort of nod and barely to
touch the tips OF her fingers. The
surprise in her eyes was succeeded
by flicker of something else which
was quickly hid by her lowered lids.
Burchard would have been good deal
surprised If he had known that in
stead of dragging herself slowly up
the stairs TO weep over his cruelty
Sylvia dropped down on the bottom
step when the front door closed and
laughed
Naturally Burchard called the next
evening to atone for the GOODNESS of
his good-by. Sylvia was wearing
particularly large bunch of violets,
which he eyed ma i. nanjIy.
Il love violets.' Sylvia said alb
sently, patting them. You can al
most smell the. e.,
Almost Burchard repeated, be-
wildered.
They're artificial" Sylvia explain
ed. Did they fool you?"
The bound of relief that Burchard S
heart gave when he found Gillmyer
had not sent the flowers was perfectly
evident, but Burchard was too upset
TO grasp the fact. He was conscious
OF an inner triumph when he left at
1880 that he had had the field TO
himself. But these triumphs were
few, for Gilmyer bobbed up at all
sorts of moments.
he knows so few people in town"
Sylvia said once. And, really, he's
awfully nice. don't YOU think, Ted?"
Fine chap" agreed Rurchard, with
sensation of swallowing red hot
Goals.
The worst of it was that Gillmyor
really was a fine chap He broke
into the Sunday night chatting dish
suppcrs that Burchard had been wont
to enjoy with Sylvia, and he cut up
tho cheese and beat the eggs as
though that had always been his duty.
Between whites Gillmycr invited
Sylvia to go to the theatcr and
brought her books and candy as
though there was no reason why he
shouldn't. The little ranking labs
attached to this phase of the situation
was that there really was no reason.
Yet Burchard felt outraged.
The evening he called and found ia
his dismay that Sylvia had gone out
somewhere with Gillmyer without the
preliminary OF letting him know when
it was his regular night to call made
Burchard see stars. Women, he said
to himself cuttingly as he strobe home
ar great pace, are tickle, unreliable
frivolous. unworthy and unnecessary
cumberers of the earth. He haC
thought Sylvia different, but that was
merely because he was an imbecile
Burchard sat and stared at the wal
for an hour, smoked three cigars anC
then turned in At midnight he was
still awake. Il suppose they are Just
about getting home now" he muir
INJURED