The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-25
|BETTY's BROKEN RESOLVE
BY CATHERINE cRANMER.

| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'll tell you, sis, you'd better not try
Markham too severely. or you'll drive
of an a number one matrimonial
chance"
'Pshaw. Jack! Aren't there plenty
more fish in the sea-"
mot plenty OF Markham's kind" .
"You are evidently of one mind with
him, for it's because he is SO sure that
he can't be wrong about anything that
I've been keeping him on the anxious
seat"
| Take it from me- sis, 1t was wise
| fellow who said that a man is some
thing like an egg-if you keep him in
hot water little while he boils soft,
but keep him there too long and he
hardens. Do you get me?" Jacks
question was flung over his shoulder
from the front hall, where he was get
ting into his overcoat and hat.
| Eyes. / get you," laughed Betty, as
she curled up in big tapestried arm
chair in front Of the fireplace.
Although she had firmly resolved not
to give a single thought to Fred Mark
ham until he apologized for his part in
their quarrel of the evening before,
somehow, as she gazed into the fire.
her thoughts were all Of him. The
quarrel had come about from Betty's
/ mention of lark she had enjoyed al. q
fancy dress ball at the country club a
few evenings before when a moving
picture had been taken Of the ball
room by a society man whose latest
fad was moving pictures.
Great Scott" exclaimed Fred. II
hope you didn't get in range of the
picture machine?"
why, yes! Why not? Larry Mapes
and did special stunt before it."
and may / ask when and where
this picture is to be run as means of
Haunting you in the face of the pub
lic?"
"Now may l ask" began Betty,
whether this picture is any affair Of
yours and whether you want to shield
the public or the picture by prevent
ing its appearance"
1T may not be my affair, Betty-that
rests with you" Fred answered, but
l want to protect the picture because
you're in it,"
And so the quarrel had continued
until Fred had bowed formal good
night to a naughty Betty.
She was still curled up in the arm
chair gazing meditatively at the fire
when her mother and father returned
from their dinner engagement at
Judge Mapes'.
my, but you're home early" she
exclaimed. did the Judge run out Of
stories or did the cook run short on
courses?"
Neither, my DEAR" answered her
father, as he removed his gloves and
slapped them together and held them
tight in his right hand, but Larry evil
IDENTIFY ran out of sane amusements
and came near causing his own finish
as we'll as that Of two other people,"
Poor old Larry! What's he up to
now?" asked Betty indifferently.
Hes in the hospital right now, hav-
ing his many bruises dressed, and a
poor little chorus girl will be too ner-
vous to stand in the front row to-
night, and''-with sly look from un-
der his frowning eyebrows-"Fred
Markham has got smashed roadster,
bruised head and some broken ribs
as mementos OF his heroism.
Fred Markham! Daddy, tell me
what you meant" There was no lack
Of eagerness now in Betty's big eyes.
well, Fred was driving along in
the park and he saw Larry's little
red and white racer come shooting
toward him like cannon ball and on
the same side Of the road as he was.
There was a small embankment sloping
down from the rod. and Fred tried to
turn his car down that embankment
before the racer hit him, but its front
wheel struck his back one, and his ma
chine turned turtle and Larrys went
smash"
ooh, daddy"-almost in a whisper
lis Fred badly hurt: What made him
try to Jump the embankment? Why
didn't he cross to the other side Of the
road?"
Betty was puzzled at the question
Ing look that passed between her moth.
er and her father before there was
any answer to her questions.
Because. Betty" said her father
slowly, there was a chance that Lar.
ry also might go that way. and as Fred
saw there was a girl with Larry he
took no chance because he thought the
girl might be you
At that moment Betty's brother
Jack came bustling into the hall and
up to the library door.
Gee, Sis" he blurted out, with the
air of one who has big news to tell,
Markham came deuced near being a
scrambled egg instead of hard-boiled
one" In spite of Betty's wall of pro.
test, he added. But instead of stay
ing in the hospital, he made them take
him to his own apartment and insisted
he was all right, Notwithstanding his
broken ribs"
Betty vanished up the stairway the
next instant, and when Jack went up a
few moments later she was at the tele
phone.
And. Fred. do be very careful
dear" she was saying, "and are you
sure you have forgiven me and that
your happiness is greater than your
hurts?" After the briefest pause, she