The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-02
Striking First
BY ELINOR MARSH

instead Of being signed "your loving
Lucy" it was simply Lucy" Tom
had noticed a GOODNESS of late on the
part of his fiancee's parents and had
foreboding that he was summoned to
receive dismissal. He took time
enough before answering the summons
to prepare himself for the ordeal.
After much thought he resolved that
If he must be stabbed he would stab
first. The principle of the superiority
Of an initial force Is as true in the
game of love as in war. So on meeting
Lucy, without giving her time to say
word he spoke himself:
'Well, who is the party who is to
take my placer
That's very uEkind'
whats unkind. throwing me over?
Would you have written me that cold
blooded note for any other purpose?"
Worse and worse. Cold blooded
note! What was there cold blooded
about it?"
"Let us not waste words. Since
know why you have sent for me, you
need not explain. l come, firstly, in
obedience to your summons; secondly,
for purpose of my own"
Toms assuming the upper hand in
,, the matter had its effect on Lucy.
What she had to say to him was really
from her mother, not from herself.
"What is it?' she asked In a low
voice, in which there was a suspicion
| Of tremOlo.
"To ask the question l propounded
when entered. Who is the party that
is to take my place?"
Lucy made no reply for awhile. She
sat with her eyes cast down to the be-
trothal ring which Tom had given her.
It was on the third finger of her left
hand, and she was turning 1t as
though 1t troubled her. Thoughts, re-
grets, duty, indecision were coursing
through her brain like water through q
| hume
"1've asked you a simple question"
Tom added. 1T calls only for sim
pie answer"
Mrs. Edmonds, who had worked her
daughter up to do her bidding, had
foreseen that If Lucy gave the name
Of the new sutton Tom would probably
riddle him and thus undo all that had
been done, so she had enjoined upon
her child that II Tom suspected he
| was thrown over for another he was
not to be told who that other was.
"Mother has very justly said that
| you would naturally be prejudiced"-
II did not ask what mother says.
asked you for the name of the man
who is to take my place.
| Whether 1t was through obedience or
that Lucy shrank from an admission
that he had been supplanted, she could
not bring herself to make 1t. After try
ing various methods to get 1t out of her
Tom wrote a dozen names ON slip of
paper, showed them to her and asked
her II the name Of the other man was
among them. Lucy ran down the list
till she came to Legrand Atwood,
when the expression changed. Toms
eyes were fixed upon her, and he saw
that he had got the secret.
"That'll do" he said. tearing up the
| paper. This name has been concealed
from me by your mothers orders be-
I cause she does not consider me q
proper person to criticise the man she
approves instead Of me. I will not
honor the party by considering him a
rival for your love. But your mother
is right in assuming that from my past
position toward you 1 am not COM
petent witness against a man who has
downed me. have but one request to
make Of you"
what is it?" said Lucy in an almost
inaudible voice.
"That you take no definite action
with regard to Mr.. Atwood for one
month from today"
Lucy made the desired promise, and
Toms manner changed toward her at
once. When he left her he assumed
none of lovers privileges, simply
pressing her hand. Lucy begged him
to tell her how he had hit on Mr.. At.
wood. She had met him during a visit
to another city and was not aware
that Tom had ever heard Of him. Tom
declined for the present to crafty her
curiosity.
Lucy pinned for Tom for two weeks,
when the status was suddenly changed.
Mr.. Atwood was arrested for misuse
of the mails, the charge being that he
had sent circulars and received mon
eys for investments In a fictitious COM
pany.
Lucy at once sent for Tom. This
time her note began. Dearest Tom,"
and ended, Your loving Lucy" Tom
answered the summons at once.
did you know anything about this
She hesitated.
Rascal" supplied Tom. u did. I
heard through a chum of mine that
during your visit to A. he was en-
deavorfng to be attentive to you; that
he was lavish in his expenditures and
was under suspicion. When I parted
from you recently made inquiries and
found that several persons whom he
had swindled were getting after him. |