The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-05
DAISY
BY JANE OSBORN.

Daisy Dodge was standing In
frame of sunshine in the doorway OF
the little eight-sided school at DAD
NEVILLE vigorously ringing the large
hand bell that called the children, lit
tie and big, back to the afternoon SEES
sion.
Here's another letter for you, Miss
Dodge" piped one of the older girls.
II was Gussie Love, daughter OF the
general storekeeper, who also acted as
postmaster.
After school Daisy began to read her
letter.
Dear Miss" 1t began in large, dis
tinct, boyish writing. I'm not mucn
of a letter writer, and | haven't ever
started writing to a young lady De-
fore, but 1t is so lonesome out here
in the lumber camp that ! thought
would begin Just to keep from getting
SO dreadfully blue. Perhaps you have
never seen lumber camp. am SEND
ing a snapshot that shows just what l
look like When you answer this let
ter, as l hope you will soon, please
send me a picture of yourself. / al
ways did like brown-eyed girls the
best. With best wishes, Thomas VIII
liam Jones.
"P. ST. forgot to say that / am
boss OF a hundred men in the lumber
work and / own ten thousand acres
of unworked lumber land that ! am
going to begin cutting when ! have
saved enough to begin-perhaps next
winter"
For Just a moment. Daisy's eyes lin
gered with interest on the snapshot
photograph that showed the writer OF
the letter in his characteristic cos
tune OF the lumberman at his work.
She tucked the picture back in the en-
velope when she realized that she was
allowing herself to admire the broad
shoulders, straight figure and well-pro-
portioned features of the stranger.
Then she took the key from the
pocket of her plain school dress,
opened a desk drawer and carefully
took out ten letters that she had re-
ceived within the last two weeks.
Why these letters? Why these pro-
posals?
For half an hour Daisy sat and
pondered Then she wrote letter
that she hoped might clear up the mys-
terry and restore her peace Of mind
1t was to this Thomas William
Jones, and in it she told him frankly
what had happened and she asked
him to help her solve the problem.
The letter she received in reply was
brief and to the point. Il am ashamed
OF myself for having written the sort
of letter did, but l was very lonely"
Then he explained that he had read
a description of Daisy in sheet pub
lished in a matrimonial bureau.
Daisy answered this letter promptly
and then waited impatiently for the
next letter from her unseen champion.
On warm spring evening, about
two weeks later. Daisy was sitting on
the upper porch of her three-room
upstairs abode, when she saw through
|
stranger swinging up the road and
then turning in at the schoolhouse
patch. Her heart was beating with
excitement when she reached the
downstairs door and stood face to face
with strange young man. She had
half guessed-surely she had hoped
even-that it was Thomas William
Jones. and Thomas William Jones 1t
turned out to be.
I've been travelling a day and a
night to get here" he told her, stand
ing in her open door, hat in hand.
The reason came-partly, at least
Is to tell you that l have put a stop
to those annoying letters. l went to
the place where they publish the sheet
and held them up for the letter. Some
one had sent it in signed with your
name"
Daisy and the stranger forgot all
about the offender and began to talk
Of other matters-even about them.
selves. They had both been very lone.
ly. They had both lived for years
without any real friends.
1t was quite dark when Thomas VIII.
liam Jones started to return to the lit.
tie local tavern where he had left his
bag on his arrival in the village. He
had been in Daisy's company rather
1 less than an hour, and already she re.
garded him as her firm friend.
you will Just have my word for II
that | am what l say I am" he de.
clared, but want to tell you be.
fore | leave tonight that only one OF
the reasons l came here was to give
you the letter from the agent. The
other reason was to find out for my.
self if you aren't the girl l have been
dreaming Of all my life. Are you going
to send me back to the woods without
a chance to make good?"
Daisy put out her hand to bid him
good night.
You must go away now" she said
but | don't want you to go back to
that lonely camp until-until-"
For moment he held her hand Sc
curely in his giant paw and then he
turned and went without another
word.
Daisy went to her little bedroom and
before the small oil lamp, opened the
folded pages of the letter the stranger
had brought from the matrimonial
bureau. She read what purported to BIZ
a letter from herself, signed by hel
own name. 1t was in the crude copy
book writing of Gussie Love.
It's a state-prison offense," sht
said, half aloud, but I'll forgive you
Gussie. | can afford to. You did II I,