The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-09

been calm and chummy rather rnal
emotional-isn't 1t so?"
Perhaps it has been to you"
Molly laughed quickly. 81 do be
lieve you would be serious In another
day or two. 1t is good thing tha
We will be having that sad sweet part
ing so soon"
Stop, You know as well as I thai
you are only trying to cover the rea
by the fippant' All the time am In
London-you are going to be there
You have promised to give me one
month of your splendid friendship and
! We are going to all the theaters, op
eras and dinners that we can crowd
into thirty days"
mo. no-that was some of our in.
/ consequent chatter at the beginning OF
the trip" Molly tried to draw her
arm away.
When they arrived at the stern of
the boat where no sound came save
the rush of foamy water, he stopped
her and spoke in a voice made rich
by new depths.
You are not going back on your
promise. | love you, dear-it has been
so since you came and sat beside me
at the table. 1t is not the first time
that man has found the one woman
when it was too late and | am not
complaining-I am only glad to have
known, even for short time, such
love as feel for you" He drew her
so near him that she started back
with a faint cry. He released her and
before he realized her intention she
was away and out of his sight.
He stood for some moments where
she had left him. He was dazed by
the vastness of his love for her; too
much SO to reason that life with any
other woman was impossible.
He did not see Molly Snerwell again
that night nor the next morning. The
tender was alongside the Marion and
most of the passengers for Queens
town were on the smaller boat. Muir.
ply scanned every part of the ship,
but the girl was not to be seen. He
concluded that she was In her state
room packing as she was to go on to
Liverpool
Nevertheless he paced the deck
nervously expectant. Some inner con-
seriousness told him that events were
shaping themselves into strange chan.
nels.
When the tender with its load of
Queenstown passengers was ready
to detach itself from the great ship
Murphy gave tremendous start.
Molly Sherwell was on the tender. She
was getting off at Ireland and he, the
man who loved her, had no address,
no possible clue to where she would
be. She had taken this means of es-
cape!
Murphy looked down at the thin
stream of water which was slowly
widening between the two boats. With
out stopping to think of what he was
doing he rushed below. In the com.
panionway he was stopped. A cable
for William James Murphy. He scarce.
ly comprehended the contents as he
continued his mad dash for the low.
est possible deck of the Marion.
When he reaced the closest spot to
the tender and his eye caught sight
OF trailing rope from her stern he
made firm clear dive into the almost
calm water.
There was fearful stirring on botn
boats and life preserves were hurled
from all points. Murphy prayed, while
he struggled with the sea, that he
might reach that rope before a life
saver reached him. He was a power
full swimmer. After a brief but mighty
struggle his hands found and chung to
the rope of the tender. For one Sec
ond his eyes looked up and he saw
the face of Molly Sherwell Her eyes
were praying for his safety and her
arms were outstretched.
He is mine" he heard her say to
those who would have cared for him
when he went for a moment into the
world
Later, Molly bent over him. You
might have died-dear-" Her voice
broke.
Il would have died anyway-without ,
you. Everything went with you-what
was the game worth without love?"
The cable, soaked and quickly dis
to nothingness, fell between
them.
My first fiancee was very tickle. |
She married the other fellow five days
after | left. Molly-do you know
or not we have to live in Lon
don more than a week before we can
get license to-"
Even week would seem long
1t, dear?"