The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-21

one might hide behind gauZe, she lie
quently wore as a decoration the sea
weed that her American lover had Civ
en- her. Sometimes it was tackled to
her skirt, sometimes she wore it in her
corsage, and again it would be inter
twined with her hair In time she
came to be called the Seaweed Lady.
Meanwhile Roscoe was studying as
q collegian, though his mind was with
his heart, and that was across the
ocean. He read with avidity Evalina'&
letters and shuddered as he thought of |
the differences between himself. an !
Undergraduate Of a college but few |
years old, without fortune, compared |
with some coroneted man with vast |
estates Evalina's letters We're reas
suring, but she was growing from
maidenhood to womanhoOd, and would
she not give way at last?
However, the period allotted for her
sojourn abroad was drawing to close
She did not write her lover that she
was coming home for the reason that
she did not know If she would be per
mitted to return. Her parents were
much chagrined at hearing that she
had refused an earl and the second
e son of a duke and were debating
Z whether to send the funds for her pas
Il sage back to America or insist that she
t remain longer.
Il 1t was two years from the time OF
h Evalina's departure that a storm such
|
many years broke upon the coast. For
e three days the giant waves struck
a wildly upon the cliffs and rolled far
l. up into Narragansett bay. Then, on
r. the evening of the third day, the clouds
t. broke away in the west, and the sun
n. set in golden splendor.
he That night the moon was at the full.
IS AS the sun went down the queen or
IN night rose. Edmond, desiring to view
the effect of the storm on the waves,
a. when night had fallen and the moon
% was lighting the land and the water
n started for the beach. The path was
or lonely, and there was terror In the
TO tumbling Of the great waves on the
be sands. The only likeness to the night
nm Of Edmond and Evalina's betrotha
w. was the full moon.
on He had passed midway from the
,st town to the water when he saw before
A.. him n figure that he knew to be
Tor woman by her garments f1uttering II
IN the wind. which was still strong. Sh'
ito seemed to be coming toward him, bu
,ol. as he advanced drew no nearer u
him. He went on until he came to tn
GRO edge of the beach and saw her SUI
distant from him, sometimes f1ittin
80, nearer, sometimes farther, and Away
md seeming to rock like bird resting O
. n the crest of a wave.
b,v Whether it was the night, still dis
on. turbed by the storm that had passed
I'M, or something bewildering In this III
in steady figure, Roscoe could never tel
YOU but an appalling premonition stretcf
ed a pail over him like the wings
lest some huge black bird Somethin
within him seemed to say: "A gre'
h | misfortune has fallen upon you. III
urs. wind and the waves are dirge. l
lain strong or you will be crushed"
ook And now, having reached poll
be. overlooking the water, the sands bell
ing. soaked. progress was slower. Scf
e of tered ragged clouds were nylhg apo'
ref now and again dashing across the IA
of the moon and shutting off its lgi
At these dark periods the fitting ngu
was lost, but reappeared when I
Ina cloud had passed and the full hght
e Of the moon was released.
4 of Edmond had spent many an no
when home from college on the 81
W a where he and Evalina had spok
TAX their betrothal, and he saw that I
She figure was slowly moving toward
her Yet II was the movement Of foati
object. driven by alternate advance
ond, and recedng waters, yet borne by
)lace invisible tide toward a given pol
, for Rut notwithstanding this apparen
)lant Glow movement he gained but little
'sure the figure. At last it reached the W
my spot where he and Evalina had pllg
II to cd their troth. There 1t paus
true Fastening his steps so far as he co
ways tho moon Mt the moment was oH
cast-he advanced to join the ny.
as When he was few yards from
and, hr;,,ht licht hurst from the moon ;
)road reyealed-Evalna, looking at MN
pale and melancholy visage.
ming, He sprang toward her with
went stretched arms, but at the moment
upieu other black cloud swept across the
Us 70 of the only available light and hid
"ei' from her When 1t had passed she
vanished.
e M At his feet was a strip of seawee
, out When morning came boatman 81
: tho ing along over the soft SANDS sa'
,,dine man lying so still that he though
.oros might be one cast in from wreck
80 tbe storm. He found Edmond KOS
There was life in him, and the
.tbo, man after rousing him helped
sight home. :.
shin came in and with IL II
r,sb - that Evalina had departed for Al
lea. But the vessel on which she
,os 70 Cd never reached port Pieces OF w
~ came ashore on the coast, demo
IA Inv hut no 4