The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-20
OVER The WALL
BY ALICE DURYEE.

A fiowerpot rolled OF the top of
the wall at point precisely above
that where David. in blue overalls,
was planting seeds. and as David was
in the act Of STOPPING the pot hit him
on the head.
The dickens" he said, rubbing the
sore spot and looking around for the
enemy. Whence had the bombardment
come?
Just then head appeared over the
top of the wall. or rather a pink sun
bonnet did, and the latter was vibrat-
ing with excitement, not an emotion
of its own, but palpably that of the
wearer. "Oh, did my fiowerpot hit
you? I'm dreadfully sorry, but /
didn't know you were there"
It's all right" said David reassur-
ingly, and | beg your pardon for
saying what did. But didn't dream
there was anyone around. The house
over there" nodding in her direction,
has been quiet SO long that you are
really more of surprise than was
your method of announcing yourself.
Is Miss Wayland here. too?"
Marjorie started, and then remem-
bering that she had on a blue morn
ing dress, big garden apron and sun
bonnet, decided that it was perfectly
natural for the Parsons gardener to
mistake her for an underling. And
after all 1t suited her purpose adj
mirably. She was tired OF the social
mill of a long winter and had retired
to this suburban retreat for a rest.
1t had been many years since the
family had moved to the city. The
Pearsons had lived next door then.
The role the gardener gave her In
stantly suggested plan,
NO, Miss Wayland has-has gone
away"
I'm sorry! We hate to feel over
here that the big house is empty. 1t
used to be such beautiful place"
His eyes, intent upon the attractive
face in the depths of the rosy bonnet,
seemed to have meaning that his
lips dare not utter.
"Oh, the house won't be empty. I'm
going to stay. You see, Miss Wayland
is-she and THAT is, she is very
kind to me, and she thought needed
change. So here | am doing just
what I've longed to do for years, plant
ing flowers She laughed "And the
joke of II is I don't know anything at
all about them"
IF you'll let me, I'll be very glad
to teach you," answered the gardener
eagerly
Thank you That will be nice and
I'd like it very much" smiled Mar
| jorie. do the Pearsons still live
/ mean-Miss Wayland spoke of fam
lily next door, think Pearson was
the name"
Yes, but the family is scattered.
Only two sons are at home now and
one of them is away most of the time.
The other he hesitated, the other
was away, too, for awhile, in the war
in Europe-the family is Canadian.
you know-but he was wounded and
sent home. He's all right now though.
Improving in great shape"
THAT is interesting" Marjorie
cried. She was about to say, I'D love
to meet him!" when she remembered.
Wait! I'll come round by the gate
and help you," which rather aston
ished Marjorie, for the wall wasn't
more than breasthigh and she felt
that she could have climbed 1t her
self.
| He improves on acquaintance" she
thought. ITS hard to tell these days,
with colleges running courses on for
estry, farming and gardening, Just
who people are. A gentleman, that's
patti"
So the man came through the gar
den gate and lifted the pansies and
set them where they would grow and
mapped out beds for flowers whose
names she didn't even know.
Days passed and weeks! The gar
| den fourished and grew.
Every day she had seen David and
they had worked together HE looks
different somehow" thought Marjorie,
watching him one day. HE seems
healthier and stronger than he did.
He never comes by the gate now"
AS she spoke she broke the seal of
letter that had come and glanced
rapidly over the contents. so Aunt
Mary has to come and spoil it ALI"
she exclaimed. He'll find out who
l am now! Oh, we'll! don't suppose
1t matters much now! I've had a no.
ton a half dozen times to tell him
everything anyway"
That night she dressed as Miss
..s~nu. There was moon and she
wandered through her garden TO an
old stone bench near the wall. A man
vaulted lightly over just then and
stopped when he saw her.
"Mariorie!"
David! Won't you come and sit
DOWN."
Il was on my way to your house.
But this is better | want TO have a
talk and I'm not so much afraid of
you here"
Afraid"
Wait until you hear what | have
to say. am David Pearson and have
masqueraded all summer as the gar
dener. | wouldn't even tell you now
except that Dick, my older brother. is
coming home tomorrow and the muir
der would out then anyway.
She was silent a moment. Then,
since surprises are in order | am not
Miss Wayland's companion either, I'm
Marjorie Wayland, she confessed.
I've known ii all SUMMER" he