The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-25

eSi0u upou d three years course. AT
the end of the time he put his sheep
skin into his bag and went to the me-
tropolis, with decent suit of clothes
on his back and dollar in his pocket.
The butler who admitted him to
the financiers house looked at him
obviously.
I'll give your name to Mr.. Henry"
he said. in non-committal manner.
He stopped Tom barred the way.
Miss Helen" Tom stammered.
I'll see, sir" said the butler.
Ten minutes passed. Then the finan-
cier entered the room He did not
know Tom.
Il am Mr. Holloran. said Tom. You
remember our agreement-that was
to marry your daughter in four
years"
The bankers face grew purple You
impudent rascal" he said Get out
of my house,"
81 shall wait on the doorstep till
see Helen" said Tom.
The banker glared at him and left
the room. A quarter of an hour later
he returned with a stylishly dressed
young woman, who looked at Tom as
| if he were hardly a human being.
| But it was Helen. Tom hardly heard
her scathing words, he only knew that
his pride was crushed Her ringing
| laughter dismissed him. He stumbled
| from the room.
The next day he entered his IA
theirs house The old man, hardly
changed. looked up and nodded.
Il recognize you, son." he said.
Still fool, reckon Still banker
l told ye'
Yes. was fool said Tom. I've
come back to get job with the
boats"
IF that's all you're worth" said the
old man, you'd best have stayed
where you was"
The panic year wiped out many
fortunes. and loudest was the crash
of tho Henry chain of banks In a
day the banker was ruined outcast,
and the next week suicide. The
house was sold The papers contained
strange stories of Helens discovery
upon the island, and reporters came
and pestered Tom. But nobody knew
anything of the girl
Still fool, Tom" His father
asked one day, as the young man sat
bro0ding over his nets.
II reckon So" said Tom.
You've given the best years OF
your youth to a worthless woman,
said his father. Now is the time to
look for another
Tom did not answer His spirit
seemed broken All the neighbors
thought that He seemed to take no
interest in life Gradually they &C
again, and forgot
There is a legend along the coast
that what the sea gives, ii takes what
: it takes it restores. The winter Of that
year was one of raging storms. Many
, a snip in distress far out at sea was
sighted, but it was not till February
that the lifeboat rockets signalet
= a wreck upon the rocks in the bay
: They launched the boat Tom, bend
i ing to the oars, saw dimly, through thu
D blizzard the bulk of great liner ly
ing between the needle-points. Tit
1 cold cut him like a razor edge. Me
T chemically he bent his strength to thu
$ oar.
t AS the boat drew near and tried t
r lay alongside, while the breaker
: pounded her, desperate cry of
e multitude fell on their ears. A might,
4 wave had swept the decks Of half thei
a huddled humanity. The waves wer
e black with bobbing heads, hand
b clutched wildly for aid and foun
/ none.
e Tom leaped into the sea to wher
a woman's head appeared for me
d ment in the suck of a giant wave. H
seized her by the hair and haule
y her to the boat edge. Somehow the
$ got her in.
o Laden to her gunwales with a
/ that they had been able to rescue. tn
r lifeboat made her difficult way Il
ward the shore. But when she reache
D it at last and the men and fisherwive
L who had assembled there looked int
r Toms face they knew who the wei
n dressed strange woman was.
D Tom kneeled beside her, chatting he
s. cold hands. A tress of her hair hun
like a wet wisp over him. Her eye
II were closed, but faint pulse stirre
in her.
u she will live" said the doctor tina
night. But her brain is injured. Ho'
n far don't know 1t is impossible
Ie say until she wakes
Still fool TOM" inquired his 4
er Their. watching his face.
d. NO, sir" said Tom. Il know ne
for what she is; nothing can wiz
le that out.
a. shes asking for you" said th
doctor
Tom went into the room wheI
at Helen lay. Her eyes we're open; q
Ie Tom drew near she stretched OF
ut her hands and found his neck an
re held him close.
Il am glad II is so near-our we
I'd ding day" she whispered. We mui
never leave each other, dearest.
r. shall always be true to you.
Sc The last four years were wiped frol
hi her mind forever by the shock. An
d. as he looked into her eyes, Tom sa
a that this was the real Helen-con
&c back to him forever
y.