The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-24
Jane LAWRENCE
BY ELLIS DICKSON.

IF / had known about Jane Law
renee never would have become pres
ident of the board of managers of
st. Prisca's home. But then how was
/ to know? But il had known of the
case of Jane Lawrence really couldn't
have done it. l have actually stayed
awake nights over it, And this after
noon, when ought to be spending all
my time at the tailors and dressmak-
er's, have to have board meeting
here just to discuss the matter"
Mrs. Stoddington had been sitting
for fully ten minutes before she began
her complaint, at the little spindle
legged desk in her study.
Tom Blaine, younger by ten years,
was sitting impatiently waiting at her
side. Besides being the wealthy wild
ow's only brother, he was her attorney.
The trouble with Jane, Tom, is sim
ply this: She is very pretty. Not
just rather pretty, but dangerously,
absurdly pretty, and girl in an in
stitution of that sort really has no
right to be pretty.
Whatever are we going to do? She
left the home, but in a month she must
begin to go out to earn her living.
For several years we have realized
that Jane was different from the other
children in the home She is really
beauty. The matron has been wonder
full, too. She has done all she could
to keep the girl from realizing. When
the other girls have had pretty hair
ribbons Jane has had none, and she
has been made to brush her hair as
plainly as possible. When the other
girls have gene on excursions Jane
has been kept at home. In her lit
tie room the matron even took down
the mirror so she would not be tempt
ed to be vain. Still the girl seems to
crave pleasure, still she seems to be
at heart quite coquette. If we could
only get her married off to some hon
est, hard working person who would
give her hcme with plenty of work
| she would be all right
If Tom felt any special interest in
the case of the little orphan girl he
did not show 1t.
ITO begin with" he said in his most
professional tone, you have gone
about it in the worst possible way. 1t
] doesn't take a lawyer OF a deep stu
dent Of human nature to tell you that
the best way to arouse a girls in.
terest in pretty things Is to deprive
her of them"
Tom paused for moment and
thought. Here's my remedy" he re-
sumed. Call off this board meeting
this afternoon. Then give the girl a
real taste of happiness. If she is we'll
behaved invite her tC your own home
treat ner as you would a guest, pro-
vide her with few pretty clothes and
take her about with you. Let her see
the normal side of life. Let her real
ize that a woman can be pretty and at
tractive without being sinner
1t was two weeks later, and Mrs
Stoddington was again seated before
her spindle-legged desk. Tom again
| SdI uClOlG ntl apparent puIlChSO
= "That plan is a failure, just as
thought 1t would be-" she began. why
l ever thought you could advise me IN
the case OF young orphan girls is quite
beyond me- Oh, yes, she was very
sweet and lovely for while and al
my friends declared she was beautiful
, and two or three Of the bachelors who
never look at debutante suddenly dis
covered a decided fondness for m!
drawing-room chairs-I needn't tel
you that for you are much in the SAM
boat yourself. There was nothing il
the least bit forward about her though
She was as sweet as a girl OF our owl
class-and then suddenly she went OF
yesterday. And at the teatime sh
came in smiling and refused to tel
me where she had been. She is VI
stairs in her room now. | am goin
to have her packed up tomorrow sen
, back to st. Priscas. 1t is really to-
. disgraceful Gone a whole day an
won't tell where she went! Tom, it i
all your fault
Tom drew his chair closer to that c
his sister and this time showed ev
dent interest in the case of the littl
orphan girl.
Suppose | could tell you wher
the girl was yesterday. Suppose
could prove to you that she left tn
a house on an expedition to find the on
!. to whom she felt indebted for her littl
v fling in the world of normal pleasur
O and happiness. l believe she did as
!. you who it was and you told her. An
@ then, of course, suppose you knew thf
q that humble benefactor, quite in spit
d of himself, persuaded the girl to hay
l. luncheon with him downtown, an
then sent her home with a premise M
= to tell where she had been, would yo
blame her very much? | thought thu
Knight explain it more easily than ST
could"
Tom had risen, as if to go, but
course, he had no such intention, fl
he had not yet seen the little girl
question that day.
You know your idea was goo
one, perhaps even better than mine
he told his sister. You know "
said you would feel your task compile
when you had seen her married
some honest, handwriting person.
am quite sure that l am hard-wcrkil
and. in spite of my profession, ma
certain claims to honesty. 1t is rat
/ er hasty decision, but l have gain
James consent. We are just waltz
n