The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-15

piled. Its quite simple with a GER
tain sort Of window catch. The outer
shutters were locked in the lower part
OF the house. That's why l had to
climb up by way Of the tree"
"And your name?" Jack inquired
tersely.
The girl flashed her white teeth at
him. Celia Celtone" she said.
To him the name sounded as fanciful
as her story. He recalled none like it
among his sisters acquaintance.
"You might" he suggested hopefully,
"have some means of Identification. a
card, perhaps. in your purse?"
His prisoner raised her brows. "Cyn-
thia has my purse, too" she said Then
with sudden, graceful, beseeching
gesture, she put out her hands to him.
Pity died out of Hayden's heart.
"You consummate actressw he ex-
claimed
The girl turned from him quietly.
well" she asked, what are you 60
ing to do about it?''
Through the silent house came the
long and imperative summons of a
bell. Jack swung about impatiently.
You'll have to come with me-" he
said. Its the front door,
Deliberately Miss Celia Celtone set
tied herself in great chair, her hands
firmly grasping its sides. 81 won't go
a STEP" she affirmed.
Every WELL" Jack answered shortly.
and advanced to the open window. It
am here" he called. "No. this way;
round to the right. That's it. Now.
who is there?"
Messenger" answered a concise
voice from below. "Come down and
sign for package"
Jack muttered an imprecation as his
sleeve caught upon nail. you will
have to come with me now" he stern
~ told his prisoner; but as he released
his sleeve and turned about. no rebel.
lious young woman awaited in the
great chair. The room was empty.
Headlong he rushed down the stair.
The street door stood open. (Which
way?' he wildly inquired Of the mes
senger, but as that person was just
rounding the path information could
not be gained from that source.
! Mechanically Jack signed the book
held out to him, tuning silently that
this hooking, reckless maid should
have so outwitted him. Still absorbed,
he drew the wrappings from the bun.
die delivered at so late an hour. fail.
ing to notice in his abstraction that
the name of the address was not his
own. A woman's dainty purse pre-
scented itself to his view, while from
its violet interior he brought forth a
note. The handwriting was unmis
takably his sisters. He read perplex'
eddy:
Dearest Celia-we are rushing on to
ward Buffalo. and from there l will for
ward your purse with its valuables ant
very necessaries. have scandalized TIT
passengers by laughing continually. since
| our hasty parting at the station. I can
forget the panic-stricken expression o.
your face as my train moved of SO un
expectedly-you reaching after your de-
parting purse, I waving It frantically ir
your direction. / declare I should have
thrown 1t at you had 1t not been for YOU
| WatCn lUSlue why. Oiis Whys oCti bhi
: could you not have been satisfied with my
A, assurance that / had dropped the house
key into your purse. without handing II
| through the car window that / might
show you just where I had placed It?
can only hope that you. poor. penniless
child in an unknown town, will at leas
have the courage to walt upon my dool
step until the messenger brings this tc
you Remember I shall not rest unit
you telegraph tomorrow. Lovingly.
CYNTHIA.
Helplessly big Jack Hayden col
lapsed into chair. Remorse and
shame and regret settled deeply upon
him. And he had held this plucky, re-
sourceful little woman at the muzzle
of six shooter, had sneered at her
unfortunately truthful tale, had driven
her from her only possible shelter
alone into the night. Her little white
blouse was very thin, he remembered
and her jacket still chung to the porch
| palings where she had relieved herself
Of It. Ye gods and little fishes, but
he had been an ass and several kinds
of fool! Where could she go at this
| hour of the night?
! Desperately Jack wandered among
the flowers of the garden. Something
moving at its farther end attracted his
attention. but it was only the ham,
mock swayed by breeze. Closer in
spection revealed a white object I'm the
! depth of the hammock and-yes-it
was she. the little outcast girl. a
Persian kitten cuddled drowsily against
her cheek. With a sudden, overwhelm-
ing wave of tenderness Jack bent and
picked the girl up in his arms. No
word he spoke until he had placed her
safely inside the house.
Good night" said Jack. "I1l be
back tomorrow"
Just one week later Miss Cynthia.
receiving no response to her insistent
ringing of the front door bell. passed
inquiringly round to the rear A
swaying hammock here gave the only
evidence of life about the place a
mans broad and strangely familiar
shoulders showed above the back of
the hammock. and against one of these
shoulders rested a woman's fair head.
Jack cried Miss Cynthia aghast.
"and Celia Celtonel | didn't know you