The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-03
WHEN HE
WOKE UP

1t was a surprise TO Burchard when
he dropped in to call upon Sylvia to
find a 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. A sensation of being i'll
used and injured surged through his
soul as he bowed with stern cordially
to the young man.
MIR. Gillmyer," Sylvia was saying
sweetly, lis 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
trostiest 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 a 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 a
particularly large bunch of violets,
which he eyed Indignantly.
Il love violets,' Sylvia said alb
sently, patting them You can al
most smell these"
Almost" Burchard repeated, be-
wiluered.
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 I}urchard was too upset
to grasp the fact. He was conscious
| OF an inner triumph when he left at
| 1890 that he had had the field to
himself. But these triumphs were
few, for Gillmyer 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 Burchard. with
a sensation of swallowing red-hot
Goals.
The worst of 1t was that Gillmyer
really was fine chap. He broke
| into the Sunday night chatting dish
| suppers that I}urchard had been wont
to enjoy with Sylvia, and he cut up
| the cheese and beat the eggs as
| though that had always been his duty
between whites Gillmyer invited
| Sylvia to go to the theater and
| brought her books and candy as
though there was no reason why he
shouldn't. The little ranking iabs
attached to this phase of the situation
| was that there really was no reason
Yet Burchard felt outraged.
The evening he called and found to
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
| at a great pace, are tickle, unreliable,
| frivolous, unworthy and unnecessary
| cumberers of the earth. He had
| thought Sylvia different, but that was
| merely because he was an imbecile
Burchard sat and stared at the wall
| for an hour, smoked three cigars and
| then turned In. At midnight he was
! still awake. II suppose they are just
about getting home now" he muir.
| INJURED.