The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-22

Tom shook his head. III try. I've
got four years." he said.
| year later Tom Holloran passed
the entrance examinations. He en-
tered upon 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 financier's house looked at him
obviously.
III give your name to Mr.. Henry"
ne said, in a 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,"
Il shall wait on the doorstep till I
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 ne were hardly human being.
But 1t 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
Tiers house. The old man, hardly
changed, looked up and nodded.
/ recognize you. son." he said.
Still fool. | reckon. Still banker
ing after that girl warned We.
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 the Henry chain of banks. In
day the banker was a ruined outcast,
and the next week a suicide The
house was sold. The papers contained
strange stories of Helen's discovery
upon the island, and reporters came
and pestered Tom But nobody knew
anything of the girl.
Still a fool, Tom" His father
ask ed one day, as the young man sat
breeding over his nets.
Il 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.
cepted him as one of themselves
again. and forgot.
There is legend along the coast
that what the sea gives, it takes; what
1t takes it restores. The winter OF that
year was one of raging storms. Many
ship in distress far out at sea was
, sighted. but 1t was not till February
that the lifeboat rockets signaled
wreck upon the rocks in the bay.
, They launched the boat. Tom, bend.
ing to the oars, saw dimly, through the
blizzard the bulk of a great liner ~
ing between the needle-points. The
cold cut him like razor edge. Me-
chanically he bent his strength to the
, oar.
AS tho boat drew near and tried to
lay alongside, while the breakers
, pounded her, a desperate cry of q
, multitude fell on their ears. A mighty
, wave had swept the decks of half their
, huddled humanity. The waves were
, black with bobbing heads, hands
clutched wildly for aid and found
a none.
Tom leaped into the sea to where
woman's head appeared for a mo.
ment in the suck of giant wave. He
seized her by the hair and hauled
|, her to the boats edge. Somehow they
, got her in
: Laden to her gunwales with all
that they had been able to rescue. the
lifeboat made her difficult way to-
ward the shore. But when she reached
it at last and the men and fisherwives
who had assembled there looked into
Toms face they knew who the well.
dressed strange woman was.
Tom kneeled beside her, chatting her
cold hands. A tress of her hair hung
like wet wisp over him. Her eyes
, were closed, but faint pulse stirred
), in her.
She will live" said the doctor that
night But her brain is injured. How
. far, don't know. 1t is impossible to
say until she wakes
Still a fool, TOM" inquired his ia.
Their, watching his face.
mo, sir" said Tom. Il know her
for what she is; nothing can wipe
that out"
She's asking for you," said the
y doctor.
i. Tom went into the room where
Helen lay. Her eyes were open; as
. Tom drew near she stretched out
her hands and found his neck and
held him close.
Il am glad it is so near-our we'd
ding day." she whispered. I'VE must
never leave each other, dearest
shall always be true to you
!. The last four years were wiped from
her mind forever by the shock. And,
!. i.,tn hor Tnrn arrr