The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-26
The ETERNAL Feminine
BY lola FORESTER.

surprise-"It's you, grille"
Beth turned around and stared with |
wide-open eyes, listening.
Indeed, will-right away. Not a
bit of it, I'm awfully glad to help out.
Goodby.'
He hung up the receiver and wheeled |
about, looking not at Beth, but at the !
clock
Its Mrs. Hewitt. Her husbands in |
Baltimore, and wired her to meet him. J
and the maids gone, and there's no. |
body to help her down with her suit i
case. She wants me to run up to din
ner and take her to the station after !,
ward. You don't mind, of course. !
BETH"
Who is Mrs HEWITT" she asked
frigidly.
why. she's girl l knew out in
Denver, you know"
Il don't know How old is she and
what does she look like?"
Now, Beth"-Milton looked bit
bored as if he hated to go into the
IL was 81 XIV AdA thAhn w
agreed that real love is above jeal-
ousy. This is only common courtesy.
| I've known Grille Cooper-she used
to be Cooper-since | was boy at
school She's about twenty-four,
guess around there"
At eighteen twenty-four looks world
ly wise and experienced. Beth pursed
her lips.
I III be back by nine" added Milton,
Beth looked at him with growing
suspicion.
DO you think you'll need a cushion
as tame cat?" she inquired wither-
ingly You needn't come back here,
Nlilt She could call taxi and go
down by herself OF course, you can
do just as you please, but You needn't
come back here if you go carting suit
cases around for old sweethearts'
You know Milt, you can't deceive
me one bit" She leaned her adorable
chin on her palm and looked up at him.
1--WE heard of Grille Cooper. Mrs.
Daniels told me you were engaged to
her and perfectly wild over her five
years ago | think it's terrible for the
: man you love to have memories of
other girls"
She rose suddenly and left him
standing there. eXpostulating.
She really did need a lesson, Milton
told himself severely. Utter lack of
faith in him was too much to bear I'M
checked.
All this he told himself going up to
Critics, all the way through dinner all
the way downtown. Grille talked In
cessantly Of Hobart her husband, of
his congressional ambitions, his
l tastes, his achievements. She was a
little. appealing sort of woman, with
$ big brown eyes and wistful chin. Mil
+ ton found himself comparing her men
= tally with Beth's beautiful clear-eyed
B buoyant girlishness.
n You know the real reason why
e asked you to see me to the station
Mlt." she said as they entered the
g taxi its for Hobart's sake. | want
e you To see that his new bill is handled
e fairly by the papers You will, won't
you, hlll uOl hhp" my pSAi J"S'
q what it's about but it must be splen
?. did measure or he'd never take it up
g He's that type of man, you know, Milt
l. Just ask Miss Wharton.
"Beth?" asked Milton, alarmed
what does she know about him.
why, didn't you know?" The bis
IT brown eyes met his in surprise. SHE
4 j.,
g year, ana it was before he met me
~ She was hardly more than child. hi
II told me, and they were all down a
u Pinehearst for the late winter season
| believe he was accidentally shot, ant
she found him as she was riding
through the mountains and savet
him"
"Was-was he in love with her.?
7 asked Milt feebly. Quite romantic
wasn't it,
ID He was till he met me-" Grille an
swered complacently but he'll neve
destroy her pictures. He's got fort,
snapshots of her, | do believe, takel
III that season. | hated her till | hear
n you were going to marry her"
ct The next morning, Beth met him
is radiant and ready for their usual wall
O. in the park
it I'm so sorry. dear, she said "bu
s. you know you would go. know won
er en- are perfect cats, and she only want
III ed to tell you about Hobart and me
ly so | tried to keep you from going
d. refused him about ten times, Milt. an
g, I'm not one bit jealous of her
nj Milton stared thoughtfully at IN
ri spring vista ahead Of them. And h
ly had feared to wound her, had wante
to teach her lesson.
n why didn't you tell me you knee
y. HIM ?" lac asked
ct Il never even thought Of him. Don
m you know, Milt," her voice was stron
n. with faith, when the real big low
ut comes into your life it seems
" just sweep away everything else. B'
n sideE, didn't want you to know | wa
TO -er- lobbying Isn't that what 20
,h call it, The woman's club belon
d. to is behind bill, something aboI
Of | fountains at street corners, and "
wanted him to present it. so | wrote
r. him about II and it comes up tomo
is row Aren't you glad. dear? If yo
re only could get something into the pt
il pers about it, Id love you for it, Milt
le Milton gloomed at the landscap
~ realizing for the first time in his Iii
e. the underlying power of the eterDi
~ farir'ne.
a I'll try" he promised.
=" Copyright, 1916 by the Mcclure Newspi