The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-28


on your desk"
Engraved 1 love you,'" she as
scented. And was there a girl you
made cart wheels in front of all the
way home-all whirling hands and
| legs?"
Gee, | wished you'd gone to my
school! His eyes were shining de-
lightedly, and Miss Stiles sobered sud
| denly
But we're grown-ups now" she
sighed. Only sometimes we forget"
Wouldn't 1t be great to slide back
to those kid days, when everything
was what it seemed, when we cried
! when we were hurt and laughed when
I We were glad, and believed in every.
body We knew and everything we were
told?" he asked.
| Now smile when I'm hurt and cry
when I'm glad" she said.
"Well?" he challenged, hiss hands
still thrust deep in his pocket and his
eyes dancing eagerly. You don't
look like girl who would take a
dare"
I'm no 'fraid-cat," she boosted.
II know where there's birch" The
laugh in her eyes flickered anxiously.
Ohio"
Her little squeal of delight was gen.
uine. "And we might find some win.
tergreens. Tough. old ones, you know
with red berries. Oh, it's fine to be a
kid"
'Yuh betchyu. Tain't no fair to
talk like grown-ups, though" he pro
tested
To think there was q man like this
in that grubbing city beyond! Hel
eyes were as childish and blue as the
autumn sky as she protested.
III beat you 10 that sumac, there
little boy" pointing with outstretchet
finger. "One. two. three. ready-go."
With that mad scamper. Sarah Stile.
began an afternoon of unalloyed. fool
ish fun that never tagged until sht
was homeward bound, loaded with tn,
gorgeous foliage of the autumn woods
They paused at bend in the road
where cottages below were glimpse,
through the leaves and sky of moltel
gold poured itself into glitterini
river. The laughter curves fell ava
from Miss Stiles's lips in tired, salts
fed sigh.
But 1t must be good-by," she wa
insisting. Miracles cannot bear rept
tition. It's rainbow afternoon 70
|
stupid finger of reality and SKATER 1
boy. Besides, If fate is eager an
willing"
You're silly, little girl" said tn
man softly. You're cruel. too. Haven
we grown up together"
Very improperly-in one afte
noon," she pointed out. But, don
you understand? | can't be the littl
girl any more. Any way, I'm afrai'
| know--it wouldn't last"
81 can't lure you any MORE" he sal
ruefully. But am sorry. Here" /
drew out a card and rapidly wrote
line upon it, AT least. you'll tai
this. And if you relent-I'll be wal
ing"
Running lightly, she started dow
the road. Then she looked back ar
while he watched, with wistfully r
gretful smile, she tossed the card in
| the wayside bushes.
| She had paused scant moment
| the boarding house hall to survey h
tumbled hair when through the Gu
H tanned door she saw him comm
V fumbling a bunch of keys in his han
With smothered cry, she fed up
/ her own room and waited, peerii
breathlessly through a tiny crack.
II was the same gray figure, wi
hands deep in his pockets-the vel
whistlng man into whose arms 81
had almost fallen two hours befor
His heavy tread mounted slowly al
> sounded in the room overhead, whe
/, the crash of trunk had driven her
! despair that same day. She burr,
!. her head in the cushions, laughii
Historically Then arising she 81
veyed her radiant face in the til
mirror.
= What a dear, sweet. lovely o
= thing fate is,' she murmured.