The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-17
FREEDOM
BY CATHERINE GRAMMAR.

S~<<<S~e>$<s<~<S$<> ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Mary Hanson turned her face to-
ward the wall and shielded her eyes
with bent arm that she might take
her extra Sunday morning nap, and in
the jumbled dream which followed she
seemed to be toiling alone up a long
hill at the top of which she rested un-
der q shady tree and was Joined by
the tall man who lived next door.
Then suddenly into her dream came
the magnetic voice Of the man with
whom she had held daily business tel
ephone conversations for two years,
but had never seen.
That afternoon when Mary went to
her room after the midday dinner she
again felt the loneliness Of her lot.
Through the open window there
came to her the wondrously clear song
of bird. 1t brought Mary to the win
dow to see what the singer looked like.
Perched on the topmost branch Of the
big tree in the yard next door was q
tiny yellow canary, intoxicated with
the Joy of being released temporarily
from it's cage, which q maid was plac-
ing conspicuously on the fence back
of the large apartment directly across
the alley from Mary's boarding house.
The man next door sat as usual un-
der the tree with book, and as she
saw him, Mary remembered her
dream. The song Of the bird seemed
to penetrate his thoughtful mood.
and he half closed his book and looked
aloft until he located the songster.
Although Mary still held book in
her hand. she read little. for the song
J of the bird kept coming to her and
with it the memory Of the sympathetic
smile Of her neighbor. Her occasion.
al surreptitious peeps showed the man
apparently absorbed in his book, al.
though If she could have faced him
directly, she would have found that
his eyes were dreamily gazing at
nothing at all.
The maid and the child reappeared
and began to whistle to the canary to
lure it back to its cage, but the sing
ing speck of yellow fitted from limb
to limb without condescending to no
tice their poor imitation of its song
Suddenly it came so near to Mary S
window that she looked out and saw
it perched on the tall lilac bushes al
the corner of the back porch. The
maid saw her, and asked permission
to bring the cage into the yHd. Mary
babe her come, and, without thinking
of the proximity of the man next door
went below to try to help capture the
fugitive.
When the maid approached the II
lac bushes with the cage, the tiny birt
tucked its black-eyed head to one side
eyed her saucily until she was almos
near enough to reach it, and, will
pert little chirps to emphasize eacl
move, he went from branch to branch
until it reached the top Of the shrub
berry, from which he few across thu
fence to the upper branches Of thu
big tree next door.
The man next door put down hi
book and rose. He spoke to the mai'
Just as Mary was consoling the weeI
ing child, who thought her pet had go
permanently beyond reach. Whel
she raised her head the man was whis
Ting to the bird in notes wonderfully
like its own. The little yellow song
ster peeped down from it's lofty perch
and gave q timid response to tn
mans call. Slowly. by almost dis
tracing methods of coming downwar
a distance of six inches, and remount
ing four or five, the bird was coaxe
to the lower branches Of the tree
The maid passed the cage to tn
man, but the bird rediscovered the i
lac bushes, and took refuge again Il
their branches.
} Without q word, the man handle
the cage to Mary, and their eyes me
in q smile of friendly conspiracy. TIL
man then crouched by the fence, an
as the bird again began restlessly t
measure the distance back to the bi
tree, he rose with such sudden boun
that it covered motionless for an IL
slant and he quickly closed his larg
hands over 1t. With great tenderness
: he held the quivering mite until Mar
got the cage near enough for him
transfer the prisoner.
IF the little fellow knew that hi
freedom would deprive him Of his lif'
he'd thank US for capturing hin
wouldn't he?" AS he spoke Mary co
ored with surprised pleasure, for sh
recognized the voice of the man wit
whom she held those daily telephOn
conversations.
Yes; he didn't have his freedol
long enough to learn how many othe
things it deprived him of. The man
surprise at this enigmatical remar
would have been greater had 1t NJ
been eclipsed by his surprise at re
ognizlng the voice in which it wa
spoken.
why surely I've learned to kno
Miss Hanson's voice by telephone to
we'll not to recognize it at close
range" he said simply. Don't yo
talk to Wells at the Macon-Barnt
| Printing company every day."
Yes, and | recognized your voic
too, Mr.. Wells"
: IF you'll give me the pleasure {
Z knowing you as well as your voic
: Miss Hanson, I'll thank that little Dir
. for scheming so long to enjoy h
! freedom"
+ Mary's answer was soft and brie
D but it led eventually to willing su
: render of her so-called freedom in e
/ change for the protecting companion
! ship OF John Wells. Instead of Gag
: he provided charming bungalow
e where contentment so encircled bot
] of them that no craving for fullt
: | frnndnr,n nrnr carnn To aithnr