The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-30
EMBERS
They Refiehted a
Flame of Love
By cLARISSA MACKIE

1opia edIueIstOn was creature
Of impulse. She had accepted her hus-
band on impulse and married him on
impulse. Before the honeymoon had
waned she decided that she had made
q mistake. Dick. Featherston was a
serious, matter of fact fellow with
strong viii. He never allowed his
heart to run away with his head. II
his wife was In error and he was sure
she was in error he refused to con-
done the error.
Then, too, Dick was different man
socially from those to whom Paula had
been accustomed. He was not dane
ing man; he was not a social leader:
he was just plain Dick Featherston.
with not ray of glitter in his make
up. When Paula had introduced him
to one of her society friends the young
woman said to her, mot at all the
kind Of person supposed you would
marry"
Within a few years after the mar
riage of Dick and Paula there came
definite result to Paula's dissat abstraction
with her husband. Denis Brown was
exactly the kind Of man her friends
supposed she would marry. He was
a cotillion leader, a club man, a lady
killer. Denis saw that all was not
right between Paula and her husband.
He began by feeling pride in being
favored by a married woman. But he
did not stop here. He persuaded Paula
| to leave her husband and child and 60
away with him.
The clippers were to meet near Dick
Featherston's summer cottage by the
sea. Paula started with a wildly
beating heart. The journey seemed
too short. When the train drew into
| the little station she paused for an in
slant on the platform and then ran
down the steps to the highway which
curved sharply away toward the sea.
Down a vista of golden hued naples
she saw the blue water and the curl
| ing white crested waves. 1t was Octo-
| Der, and all Of the summer cottages
were closed. There was an air of
desolation in the boarded windows and
the bare verandas. The wind was
keen and there was pungent smell of
bayberries from the sandy bluffs that
!; ran down to the beach.
| Mrs. Featherston passed beyond the
last small cottage and rounded jut-
| ting point of land to turn into cob
blestone gateway that red to more
| pretentious house. There were grassy
lawns dappled with brilliant autumn
leaves, and back of the house was a
garage. but there was evidence that
the place had been long untenanted.
Paula Featherston inserted key In
the front door and rather hesitated
at the gust Of musty air that rushed
out as the sea breeze swept in.
When she had closed the door and
stood within the silent house she hest
tated again.
/ The dear familiarity of the hall
struck some answering cord in her
heart. She WINGED as she turned away
and passed through the various rooms
where the furniture was swathed In
ghostly linen. Before one closed door
she paused and then passed on.
It was her husbands library.
It was useless to enter there. What
she had come after was upstairs in her
own boudoir. If she was to meet Denis
Brown at the end Of the beach road
she must hasten.
In her boudoir she sat down before
the little satinwood writing desk and
unlocked it. 1t was growing late. and
the room was quite dark. She went
to the window and unfastened shut
ter. 1t banged In the wind, and her
fair hair was tossed into disorder be-
fore she finally fixed the catch and
closed the sash.
She went back to the desk and open
ed a secret drawer which was stuffed
! full of letters. These she carried to
the hearth and heaped into little pyre
and touched a match to 1t. The blue
smoke curled spiraily upward; then
the papers burst into sudden name.
: Words stood out clearly here and
: there, brief messages out OF the past
: written In letters Of fire.
: THE moments have been hours and
the hours days. My dearest sweet
heart, be careful of yourself. If any,
, thing should happen Tomorrow
shall call you wife-my darling wife?
, With a furry the last letter shot ur
, the chimney, a black. charred thing
> dead, like their happiness. That was
! always the way when one expected toe
/ much of life. and Dick had been disap
r. pointing. He had curbed her In every
/ thing. No wonder she had rebelled.
81 She tried to laugh as she remember
t ed her absurd happiness that evening
D when they arrived at Seaways to spend
e their honeymoon. They had made
E much ceremony about lighting the
r hearth fire In the library. and Dick had
e recited the Hanging Of the Crane as
e they sat on the settle and watched the
flames. Every year after that they had
spent a few months at Seaways until
: last year, when the break came. Since
o then she had Travelled the world over
. the gayest Of the gay in every fashion
, | abla resort while Dick pegged away IT