The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-03
Coming Back
to ClariSSa
By JOHN o. FIELD

death OF Mr.. Wynne, his first thought
was to come straight back to Clarissa
But on second thought he waited two
years more-two long years of tortur-
ing uncertainty-not because he loved
or even respected the memory of the
stern old banker who, because of his
millions, had stepped between him
and girl he loved, but out OF respect
to the feelings of Clarissa. OF course,
she could not long lament the taking
on of a husband who had been forced
upon her by calculating and ambitious
parents, but there was a delicacy of
feeling about Clarissa-a delicacy for
which David loved her all the more
dearly-which he felt sure would
make her shrink from a hasty second
marriage.
Exactly on the expiration of two
years David came north. During all
the eight years he had been gone he
had never forgotten his last words to
Clarissa. Those words came back
to him a hundred times more compel
lingly when their chances of ever see
ing each other were the slightest Cla-
rissa had said nothing, but, as she
turned her face from his, David had
seen tears in the gray eyes; and 1t
was the thought of those tears, light
ly as they may have been shed, that
kept David from forgetting. And what
of Clarissa, David began to wonder, as
the ship that bore him home drew up
he haz nd he he,
he should see her again? Would she
be the same Clarissa or would she
have taken on her warm sympathetic
nature something of the superf1ciality
and selfishness that had made him de-
test Wynne from the first time he
had met him?
David landed in New York and his
first move, he felt sure, would bring
him no immediate satisfaction. OF
Clarissa's whereabouts since Wynne's
death he had no means of knowing;
but David was determined to follow
her wherever she might have gone,
and his first move was to go to her
front in a one-time fashionable neigh
borhood.
David's face still tingled with the
sea air when he drove up to Clarissa's
old home When he left the steamer
he had sent his luggage to the first
hotel whose name he could recall
while he hailed cab to take him to
| the old house.
1t was early afternoon when he
reached there and, Diminishing his cab,
| he sprang with something like his old
time enthusiasm up the familiar
brown stone steps. He stopped sud.
/ denly at the door before he pulled the
bell. He had not thought till then OF
the possible embarrassment he might
experience in explaining his errand
However the door opened before he
| had touched the bell and In another
| instant he stood before Clarissa.
| In that first instant of almost over
whelming surprise David took in a
thousand impressions. and in his com
4 plete surrender to the present Claris
ga he dismissed for the time the
thought of the first Clarissa whom he
had loved eight years before. There
was no very great change. She had
naturally lost some Of her first youth
full radiance. She was trifie more
majestic, too, he thought. with more
of womanly dignity at thirty than she
had had at twenty-five.
After what seemed many minutes
he and Clarissa we're again in the
specious old drawing-room. Clarisss
was at the window drawing aside tht
rich folds of the curtains and he wal
standing beside her.
Am | OBTAINING your" was David'i
first awkward remark. You were go
ing out. Pray don't wait. l can come
again"
Clarissa put her hand gently on hi
arm. How could anything be NOR
important than this ?" she asked laugh
ing. NO, honest. David" He caugh
that whole-hearted tone he had loves
SO long ago. 81 was just going on
for a walk and haven't anything els
to do all day. Come David. sit dow
and tell me what great things yol
have been doing. and what brings yoI
back, and how long you are going L
be here"
For many minutes they sat togethe
and Clarissa listened while David toll,
her of the magnitude OF the work b
had been doing-not that he care
especially to have her know but sim
ply because she had asked him to tel
her.
Then he leaned forward and too
her hand grsvely in his and hsse
Il. "Clarissa," he said, II couldn
wait any longer You knew ! woul
come back. didn't your"
YES" said Clarissa. some time
but why didn't you come sooner, year
and years ago? Was It Just becaus
you loved your work down there tha
you remained away? ! sometime
thought that perhaps you had forge
ten"
David looked questioningly int
Clarissa's eyes How could hav
!. come years and years ago?" b
! asked.
Il ."Why mott" exclaimed Clarissa- ID
1 vid. Just think Of the years we hay
missed, the years Of friendship ths
= we might have had"
r For a second David felt shade {
! annoyance. when there could hay
. been only friendship?" he asked.
a CIarissa colored Perhaps" sh
|. said simply.
4 David looked at her almost sternl
You know, David" she went on,