The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-10


fer, to be used or thrown away at
will 1t was plain to Margrave that
the lady had become absorbed in her
husband. True, that husband had
been eliminated, but his elimination
did not replace the status between his
widow and Margrave where it was be-
fore her marriage.
The widow had no knowledge Of the
change that had taken place In her
former lover. Had he not given his
heart to the woman who had nursed
him he might have looked for some
flashing out Of her former feeling for
him. Possibly he seemed much cooler
| toward her. But she did not appear
to be at all panied at the change.
Margrave took his cue from her and
treated her as it was evident she pre-
ferred to be treated.
The way she preferred to be treated
seemed to be that they should be
| friends. Despite slight tinge of teal-
ousy, Margrave was quite content-in-
| deed, relieved-at this. His second
| love was not with him, and friend
| ship with his first was quite a COM
/ fort to him. He was with the widow
so much that those who knew of their
! sad separation in times past naturally
supposed that they were undergoing
secondary courtship preparatory to
union. Margrave was not absolutely
sure whether the widow so regarded
their intimacy or not.
Naturally she was much interested
In hearing from a participant what
was going on at the front and listened
eagerly to his descriptions of active
! service One evening when they were
together Margrave told her the story
/ a message to his wife and had died
before he could give the lady's name
and address.
What was Margrave's astonishment
to hear a moan coming from his COM
panion. He turned and looked at her
inQuiringly. Instead Of meeting his
gaze she covered her face with her
hands, then without word Of expla-
nation arose and left the room.
Margravs did not call upon his friend
sgain till he had received q note from
her asking him to excuse her strange
conduct when he was last with her,
but Offering no explanation. She es-
pecially requested that he should not
let the matter interfere with their
friendship Margravs called upon her,
thinking that she might account for
her emotion verbally, but she did not
refer to it again. His recall puzzled
him. Was her former feeling for him
returning?
A complication for Margrave arose
with the return to England Of his new
love, who had at last been broken
down by overwOrk. Upon her arrival
his visits to the widow became fewer
and more constrained even than be-
fore. He felt that confession that
his wild words of consistency. delivered
when he had departed to the front fol-
the avowed purpose of getting himself
killed, had proved nothing SO surely as
that he was turncoat in love could
not be long delayed and 1t would Gov
err him with shame and confusion. TIC
make matters worse, he was less sure
than ever that his first love might not
be counting on consoling herself with
him.
One morning when Margrave was
with Miss Erskine he received a tele
gram from the widow:
Where have you been this long time
| Thara nho,,
and l am eager to tell you of It, d.
come and see me.
Margrave was taken fat aback
What could the message mean bu
that the widow had discovered tha
she still loved him and that she wa.
panied at his absence? He was at tn,
time with his fiancee making the ar
engagements for their wedding.
What an embarrassing situation!
Margrave handed the telegram t,
Erskine. told her the story Of his for
mer love, assured her that his who'll,
heart was now hers and asked he
what he should do in the matter
required much time to convince he
that there was not in him a lingerin.
| ASS'ihS iva hiS III hCi 1--WE, Uut w uel
he succeeded Miss Erskine suggested
that the proper way for him to trea
. the matter was to announce his en-
; gagement.
Margrave accepted the suggestion
and wrote the widow accordingly. Fo
. reply he received an invitation to visi
: her, bringing with him his fianoee. Tn
fiancee was loath to go, but Margrav
} declared that he would not face tn
> enemy single handed. and she finall
consented
J Margrave and his second love wer
! not received by his first alone. 1
! pale and very much emaciated maj
/ arose, whom the widow introduced a
, my husband, Captain Fitz-Herbert."
2 There was tableau which coul
! not be given except by living persons
| followed by an explanation that /
! hardly necessary here. Captain Fit
, Herbert had been picked up on tn
Q battlefield by the Germans, resusc
tated and made a prisoner of war. Fl
y had escaped and returned to England
1