The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-11
ALENE's ROMANCE.
BY CATHERINE CRANMER

plush seat of the local train, pleased
with the pospect OF spending her two
weeks vacation on a farm Her many
visits to the movies, where broad
! shouldered, good.looking young farm
ers or cowboys were the heroes had
caused her to picture a farm as the
place i all others Offering the roman
tic possibilities for which her young
soul yearned.
She had been rather nettled more
than once at Will Egger's seeming
oversight of the romantic in the vari-
GUS movies to which he had accom-
panied her. He was always. figuring
how the plot worked out, and frequent
ly when the most adorable hero had
rescued the heroine from the villain
will would only give a grunt about
it being the same old gag"
At this stage of her day dream, the
porter stuck his head in the door
and shouted: "Waynesburg! Waynes-
burg That being her destination,
Alene grabbed her suitcase and as she
trippod down the steps she became the
center of interest TO the dozen listless-
looking people. The prospect for ad-
venture was far from promising
Just then the eyes of all left Alene
and went in the direction from which
came the sound of rushing automo.
bile and excited and laughing voices.
A big touring car swerved from the
main road on the open space at the
end of the station and young man
sprang from the machine to grasp the
handrail of the last coach just as the
train moved past the station.
Alene hoped she would be taken into
the automobile to be conveyed to Hu-
raj Retreat farm She was accosted
at that moment By a tall, lank young
fellow
Are you waiting to go to Rural
Retreat Farm" The face from which
the nasal voice leaked out was sun.
burned almost to blister His mouth
oozed the brown liquid and the
damp odor proclalming the tobacco
ehower. As they logged along the
dusty road she made casual inquiry
about whether the occupants of the
automobile were stopping at Rural Re
treat
Well, | guess not!" he calculated.
They're Il lot of swclls a-visitin' up
to Randolphs nonsion.
Alenc's appetite was not tempted by
the midday dinner In tho big yard
| after dinner, Alene found little of in
terest save a hammock made of bar
rel slaves and padded with bed
quilt
The long afternoons dragged insult
ferably, and the day before the end
of the week, for which she had paid
her board in advance, she was so des-
perately lonely that she asked to be
taken to the train. As the boy was
driving her along in his buggy, she
saw three galloping horsemen ap-
preaching, and for an instant there re-
Vived within her the hope that her
movie dream was coming true after
all. AS the riders drew near, she rec
ognized one of them as the youth who
had driven the touring car to the sta
ton the day she arrived. But, alas
for her dream, The three horsemen
went galloping by the slow-moving
buggy without even glance at the oc-
cupants, and the last hope for q mo-
mantle adventure died out of Alene's
heart
Not until she was well on her jour
ney home did her sense of humor
come to her rescue. Then she saw
how she had foolshly allowed her Inn
agination to get her into a predica-
ment. She reached home that eve
ming just as her mother and father
were sitting down to dainty, but sim
pie dinner in the darkened dining
room of their little fiat. They laughed
heartily at her accounts of her dis
illusionment about the retreat and the
rustic hero she had expected to find
there.
my return frcm the rural regions by
going to picture show, but | hope
they won't show any rustic heroes"
said Alene.
THAT reminds me-" exclaimed her
mother. did you hear about Will Egg
ger winning thousand-dollar prize
for the best scenario picturing a mod
ern business romance? Isn't that
CREATE" Before Alene could reply her
father called her from the front door,
bidding her come to greet an old
friend. She was not surprised great
ly when she found the "old friend"
to he VIII Egger
"Oh, viii. but I'm glad to get back
to civilization said Alene, after the
first greetings were over. I'm in
clined to think the rustic romances
are all on the films -
IL came by to ask your parents how
you liked your retreat" laughed VIII,
but maybe you'll 90 to the picture
show with me"
III go if you'll guarantee no rustic
adventures asserted Alene.
Il can safely promise that said
win, for they are giving the first run
tonight OF a modern business ro-
nance.
Oh, and congratulations on your
home run for the big prize, Mother
was just telling me about it when you
came"
What I want to tell you, Alene. is
that I've heen hoping that thousand |
won night help make a little home, if
yolll help ne run it,