The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-18
vas forced to face a real situation.

too-yet he is dying and there is no
one to go TO him-not one of his folks
Is here and there is no one to call up
on to !rive me over there because
they would talk all the rest of their
lives about it,"
AS Melinda talked half Historically
to herself she was dressing rapidly.
nnally slipping into the GOODNESS Of
her black china silk gown IF | am
dressed III black no one can see me
for the woods are dark" she shud-
cered. Il must take my pink shawl
black would look awful to a dying
man-its so queer | cant think of
Ernest as anything except a little
boy"
Quite forgetting to arrange her love
ly fair hair which hung in two long
oraids over her shoulders. just as she
had fixed it for the night, Melinda
Chuffy. timid as rabbit, fearful of
her own shadow, hurried downstairs,
locked the side door behind her and
plunged into the velvet blackness of
the night
Woodside was dairy farm and It
was situated at the other end of the
long strip of woodland which had
been Melinda's dread in childhood.
The woods bordered her orchard on
one side and through the wood was
a wide. well-made road much used
as a short cut by automobiles in the
h,It of niuh ft ;-h
ed and had lost none Of its terrors
for Melinda Chuffy Nevertheless,
she made directly for the road, almost
feeling her way until her feet were
set on its hard smoothness Then,
driven by terror mingled with pity
for her old playmate Melinda fairly
raced along the road. her eyes fixed
on the black darkness before her.
AS she ran Melinda Chuffy repeat.
ed over and over to herself a few
words; He never laughed at me
when | was afraid-he always held
my hand in these woods mustn't
forget
An owl hooted and a whip-poor will
uttered his cry close beside her: in
sects of the night added their chorus.
Iwigs cracked, leaves flurried and
the wings of night-flying birds almost
touched her as they passed Bats
Mapped around her unprotected head
and Melinda alternately prayed for
protection and repeated over and
again her broken words about Ernest
Bruce and his loyalty
At last she stumbled up the steps
or the farmhouse and sank crump.
led little heap of black silk. pink
shawl and flaxen braids against the
door There the Petersons found her
and carried her inside. adding anoth
er to the number of their patients
AS they. carried her unconscious
form into the sitting,room tall.
broad-shouldered man with one arm
In sling, arose from the deep chair
where he had been sitting
Another one?" he exclaimed, and
then coming forward and looking at
Melinda sweet pale face intently he
stared up at the Petersons THAT
must be Melinda Chuffy!" he cried.
taking their slender burden and lay.
Ing 1t tenderly on corch How
came she here?"
Mrs. Peterson. q stout fair-haired
woman, driven out OF her few wits
by the unfortunate accident Of the
vening that had made her unevent.
full home hospital. looked stupidity
at him and shook her head
Miss Chuffy-why guess | tele-
phoned her to come to you at once
/ said you were on your way to see
her and dying and she must come
without delay You see, made a
mistake and got you mixed up with
that other gentleman who is so badly
injured-your names were all strange
to me and did the best could
"Of course you did Mrs. Peterson
and we are all more than grateful"
assured Ernest Bruce as he leaned
over Melinda Chuffy whose white eve.
lids were Pickering do you sup
pose this little woman came all alone
through those dark woods to see me?"
he asked In an awed tone, but there
was no one to answer for the Peter
sons had departed for restoratives
Poor scared little Melinda" breath.
ed Ernest Bruce. kneeling beside his
one-time playmate Il wonder If you
know that you are true sport after
all?" Melinda opened her eyes and
looked dreamily on the face SO near
her own. so like the face of the little
boy she used to know.
81 got here In time. Ernie" she
smiled tremblingly. contentedly let.
ting her hand rest in his firm grasp
II came all the way here from Ohio
to ask you TO marry me Melinda"
he whispered, caressing one of her
fair braids, Somehow couldn't
fancy any girl but you after all these
years and | was afraid to find that
you were married after ALL"
Melinda blushed and strange to say
she felt none OF the shrinking that
she had experienced with those other
suitors Il never-wanted-to marry
neutrality-suspicious." she whispered
shyly. Il guess ] was waiting for
you'll"