The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-26
CHAPERON
BY JANE OSBORN.

4 AZ Ahs me- Jul OlAls lMO VI
before have / seen a girl so exquisite
as Gwendoline. She had brown eyes
that reflected the golden light of the
sun, lashes that turned up like a
baby's-I am not very adept at de.
scription, but in every way Gwendo-
line was charming. Had she been a
little sturdier and fired with a little
more girlish spirit she would have
been a goddess. But had she been
sturdier there would be no story to
! tell, for 1t was because of Gwendo.
lines rather delicate health that we
field had gone to open their home in
! the mountains.
, To me. of course, it didn't much
matter where | stayed, and an excuse
like that of chaperoning Gwendoline
was sufficient to make me stay three
weeks longer at the beach than is my
usual habit.
Now, Sophie Jones'" Mrs. Penfield
said, Il know you are capable of the
task If you keep your mind on it, But
yOu W hliON at lllt OuIOcl lIIdl
Gwendoline usually attracts too much
attention. She IS much too indolent
to fall in love anyway, and if she were
in mood for romance there are three
or four very desirable affairs that she
dropped in a half-finished stage when
we came to the beach. For one, Tom
Lowther will have all his fathers mil
lions"
Gwendoline and got along famous
ly-barring, of course, the fact that
she, like most excessively pretty girls,
was almost entirely incomprehensible
to me-
Every morning we would start off
somewhat after ten and walk along
the seashore, Gwendoline finding APP
parently infinite delight in picking up
shells from the sand and later spend
ing hours in sorting them out under
the shade of her beach parasol.
l mustn't forget Busoni-or Mr. Hen
ri Busoni as we soon learned to call
him, though at first we, like the rest
of the people at the beach, simply
thought of him as Busoni-Busoni and
his orchestra. Every one knew him.
In fact, he was one of the chief attrac-
tons at that resort. He was more than
the usual boardwalk orchestra conduc-
tor. | had always known that Busoni
was of finer clay and 1t was because
of my admiration for his work that l
had been especially glad to stay longer
at the beach with Gwendoline But
Busori was middle aged and, as the
women who rocked for hours on the
porch at our hotel all told US, he was
quite without a heart. Never had he
been seen with woman.
Gwendoline likes music almost as
we'll as do myself, and 1t was quite
by mutual consent that we daily went
to hear Busoni. 1t was during the
morning concert, when we were seated
in our usual seats at one side of the
auditorium in what l thought was
secluded corner, that he first noticed
us. After that number Busoni sent
his first violin to us. Every one in
the audience was interested, and it
was quite clear to every one that Blu
soni had been struck by the girls
beauty. The messenger told us that
Busoni had sent him to ask US if we
wished to suggest the next number;
that he had often seen us and could
not fail to see that we were lovers of
music.
1t was dreadfully conspicuous and
every one at once knew why, for
Gwendoline was so irresistible.
Then Busoni asked to call and |
consented. No, / didn't forget Gwen
doline's mothers injunctions l sim
ply decided that l could take matters
in my own hands. Busoni was NO or
binary admirer and clearly Gwendo-
line did not want to have me refuse
for her. He called more than once
and then one evening we went driving,
we three, in the twilight through the
grove of pine trees Just northwest of
the beach.
Meanwhile several letters had come
from the men at home. Then one from
Tom Lowther, who was to be worth
millions, saying he was coming down
for the final answer that week end,
and the next mail brought one from
Gwendoline's mother, who had heard
of Toms intentions, saying that she
was coming too
Then Busoni telephoned to the hotel. |
He said he wished to call that eve
ming. He had something important |
to say. He must come. When tried !
to make excuses he would not listen. |
He would come anyway.
OF course, knew exactly what to |
do as chaper0n. In view of the COM
ing of Gwendoline's mother the next
day and of young Lowther, too, Gwen
doline ought not to have to face the |
decision of proposal from Busoni. |
Gwendoline laughed queer little |
whimsical laugh when | told her that |!
would see Busoni and make her
apologies, and then she went off to
bed. And | went down to Busoni.
And then Busoni told me- Can you
imagine what? Busoni the genius, |
the recluse-Busoni whom every wom-
an at the beach would have adored- !
Busoni there and then in the little /
private reception room Of cur hotel, !
actually went down on his knees and /
proposed to me-poor little middle /
aged, blue-eyed ne
Gwendoline did accept Tom Low
ther and ! suppose in her way she is
happy. But | sometimes wCnder-but
no. How absurd, It is only because
! love him so myself that | fancied
every other woman at the beach made