The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-08
MONDAY ROMANCE
BY ELSIE SEE


ing-house table. She's eaten scarce
ly any breakfast for a week 1t can't
be money. for she gets a fine salary
at the government Offices. and pays
her board regular as the months come
around So IL must be vorry.E
Reckon she amt grievin' over that
Mr.. Bartle's leavfn'?" asked black Mar
tina, who mistook the soliloquy for a
remark addressed to her.
NO. guess not" opined Mrs. Fer.
reu.
A short time afterward. Mrs. Fer.
rell darkened the dining room for the
day and was about to sit down to tele-
phone her grocer when the door bell
rang. She opened the door and was
| surprised to be greeted by the very
Mr.. Bartle of whom she had been
thinking in connection with Bessie
Moore's dependency.
i've only a moment, Mrs Terrell,
said the young man in a pleasant
voice. I'm just in town for the day.
and dropped in to leave your latch
key that carried on with me. How's
everybody"
IAN well, I believe. though Miss
Moore does seem a bit on color since
the warm weather set in Mrs. Fer
rell's motherly solicitude was genuine.
7 think there's something on her
! mind" Mrs. Terrell ventured. She
/ never once mentioned her family to
me. but when Mrs. Marmaduke brought
her to me, she told me to be good to
her, for she was true blue blood and
was carrying big load and making a
brave fight"
You can't mean Mrs. Stanley Mar
maduke, the prominent clubwoman? ?"
Yes, we come from the same little
town up state, and she has been a
mighty good friend to me more than
once in my life, Mr. Bartle"
why. she and my mother were
schoolgirl chums, and she has visited
our home often. I've still got a lit
tie time on my hands today, though,
and think I'll run around to see her"
That day at luncheon time, when
Bessie Moore came down the eleva-
tor and stepped into the dingy lobby
of the subtreasury building and Har-
~ Bartle stepped from the opposite
side Of the corridor and smilingly adj
vanced to greet her. the expression
that overspread her face was like
spring sunshine after rain.
Before she had time to frame any
excuses, Harry gained the acquiescence
in prearranged plan for a tete-a-tete
luncheon in one of the little sun-parlor
aicoves Of a popular restaurant. When
, they were settled at the table and
their order had been given, he took
small pink rose from the cluster
that filed a low bowl in the center Of
their table and tossed it to her.
I'm public restaurant can't throw
myself at your feet" he began, "and
you've forbidden me to do that any
how. but throw you rose as q
symbol, for I've something to say
which must be said here and now"
Really. Mr. Bartle." protested Bes-
sic, please don't spoil this lovely
day. Things that you do not dream
OF make 1t impossible for me to listen
to what you want to say"
Bessie, do not dream OF anything
except the happiness that will be ours
II you will care for me as I've cared
for you for many months, but j do
know about the things which have
caused you to keep me from telling
you how much I care. The question is.
dear, do you care. too?"
| IT'S because do care that It hurts
to mention what can never be. Do
you mean that you've learned about
my-the debts?"
Yes. called on my mothers old
friend. Mrs. Marmaduke. today, and
almost used force to drag your story
from her. You are wonderful girl"
mot wonderful. at all, Harry. I
should have been inhuman had al
lowed the knowledge Of those out.
standing notes to reach my mother in
her depressed and broken condition
after fathers sudden death. She felt
secure with the snug little life insur.
ance he left her; my brother had his
wife and babies to look after; my
sister was more capable than to look
after mothers actual physical needs,
and so my only real service to her
lay in paying on those notes without
ever letting her know of their ex.
istence. That was possible because
old Mr.. Parker presented them to me
when none of the others was present,
and secured his promise to let me
pay them on personally without let.
ting the others know. A thousand dol.
lars OF the debt remains. and until
all is paid l cannot consider my own
happiness"
He saw their waitress approach.
ing a serving table with a covered
tray, and he bent forward eagerly
and said very rapidly: This is the
Queerest proposal Of marriage that
ever was, Bessie. but what they sent
me to town today for was to employ
a private secretary to go with me into
the mountains where I'm to have
charge OF the Seaman mines. There
would be no objection to my secre-
tary being also my wife. and a few
months of mountain life would do you
a world OF good. In less than a year.
you could pay on that thousand from
your salary, and in the meantime the
world would be ours. win you Gomez
For answer. she lifted the rose to
her lips, and smiled into his eager
eyes.
Copyright by the Mcclure Newspausr
Syndicate.)