The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-09
Getting at
A Secret
By JOHN TURNLEE

was handing her sheets Of music,
which she would play or try to play.
Presently l tired Of this and said to
her:
81 heard something about you the
other day"
"What did you hear?"
I'm not going to tell you"
If had really heard anything about
her might have leased her for awhile,
then told her; but, since had heard
nothing, had drawn down discomfort
on my head
Every now and again l would admit
something In which there was not
grain Of truth, and every time did
so sank deeper into the mire.
"Did you hear it from a man or a
womanT
From neither" This was about the
only truth there was in all my an
swers.
did you see it written"
mo"
"Printed?"
Certainly not"
This ended this series of questions,
and after some thought, Bet went off
on another tack, In which. of course,
1t was as easy for me to run her on the
rocks as before. At last l said to her:
Really, Bet, there's nothing in what
heard, or, rather, heard nothing at
all. l said what I did only to tease
you"
"You didn't do any such thing. You
heard something that am sure
should know. There is an enemy
against whom l should be on my
guard. 1t is your duty to tell me who
she is"
"She?"
Eyes. I'm not afraid Of q man. Men
have no interest in injuring women,
and If they had they wouldn't know
how. They'd blunder, and it would
all react on themselves"
didn't l tell you that what I heard
was complimentary
"And don't I know how to injure a
rival by pretending to praise herr"
A4OW Woulu you w ludLt uSheus
hoping to divert her attention from the
subject in question.
"YOu may as well tell me who this
she devil is and what she said about
me-"
There is no she devil, and she has
not spoken word against you"
HAS she red hair?"
| uouo IN chino h,,k No vo,,Ir
This is ridiculous" said Bet. Just
! as If didn't know who had been say
ing disagreeable things about me!'
| What fool l had been! And by
my folly had doubtless caused her en-
nifty toward some innocent woman to
burst into flame. At any rate, this is
the way I looked upon the matter.
must try a bluff. l scowled fiercely
and, rising, went into the hall, opened
the door of the coat closet, stepped In
side and was taking down my hat
when l heard the door shut behind me
and the key turned.
Here was pretty how-d'ye-do. Bet
had me locked in the dark and would
doubtless keep mo there until I told
her what had no existence even in i'm
agination, much less In fact. l waited,
expecting to hear from her. I waited
in vain. l raped on the door.
"What is it?"
LET me out" I assumed an angry
tone.
"Tell me what you heard about me-"
| II would IL l could, but since heard
nothing I can't"
'Then you admit that you are I'M
truthful?"
"Yes, anything you like"
"And you heard nothing said about
mel"
"Not a thing"
perhaps you have forgotten It"
| Perhaps l have"
Every well; stay where you are till
| you remember it."
did not propose to remain in dark
| closet where there was no room to
stand except bolt upright. l would
break down the door in preference.
| But this would make disturbance i'm
the house. Bet wouldn't care, but
would. ] must find some other expe-
| dent.
There is a confession l have to make
here. / was quite gone on this tanta-
| lizing creature and had been deferred
from proposing to her because had
two years in college yet before me
and three more In the study Of pro-
fession.
Bet" I called
what Is it,"
II give in; crawl; cave"
"Are you going to tell?"
"Yes, am. You have forced It
| from me-"
well, tell It."
| "Not while in here. Let me out and
I'll make clean breast of It."
1t was long while before I could
convince her that I would keep my
word. When ] did / went with her
into the library, where we had been
before, and, drawing a small sofa to
an open fire. we seated ourselves side