The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-04-19
ROMANCE
AND WALLS
By NJ. QUAD
By Nj. QUAD
Copyright. 1917. ny the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

For many years Captain Date was
proprietor aud captain of the sloop
Janet. Then his wife died. leaving
little daughter. Mary. eight years old.
Most of the inhabitants of the town
of Shore Cove were bit jealous OF
the captain. for he generally had luck
at fishing or gathering clans and oys-
tiers. BY the way. the women and
girls were also bit jealous of little
Mary. She was Il handsome, sparkling
child. ana when it was known that her
father intended sending her away to
school 10 he educated he was called
foolish for not keeping her in her sta
ton in lif,
Al eleve- years of age Mary was
sent TO live with an aunt in Connect.
cut She remained there six Years.
going home for a short stay once
year, At such times she met with no
welcome except from her father
Then came the calamity Miss Mary
waS finishing her last term ut school
when she received news of il The
Janet had been wrecked in storm
and most of her crew drowned. Among
those who We're beaten on the rocks
and cast ashore with little life left
in them waS Captain Date. He had
many bruises and decorations and sew
eral broken bones, and lie had to have
his lcs amputatcd and could never
hope to be the man he was When able
to get around he had to use Il crutch.
and the other leg was none too strong
to do double duty. lie tried to be
cheerful through it all. but there were
many black hours for him. lie had
saved "A few hundred dollars. but these
seemed 10 80 like leaves before an au-
tumn gale. When he said they would
soon feel the pangs of poverty it was
Mary who put her arms around his
neck and said:
Don't worry. old daddy. Providence
has seen you through many troubles
and will not desert you now"
There came Il day when the captain
looked over his bank book and found
that only SO was left in the locker
He hobbel his way out among the
sand dunes and made some remarks
on the situation. and he was glad that
Mary WAS not along TO hear He
threw himself down on the sand and
passed black hours When he pain
fully arose at last it was 10 turn his
eyes seaward and gaze with lively in
terest for greater part OF an hour,
and when he entered his cottage Ii
was to say to Mary:
There are whales about five miles
on shore. They are playing and hav.
ing lots of fun"
IL was half an hour later. and there
had been silence between the two.
when Mary brought her chair over to
her fathers side and quietly said.
Daddy, | have kept something from
you. 4 young man up the country
wants me TO he his wife. | did not
dare say yes 10 him He did not know
that lived Mt Shore Cove and that
was only IA iishcrman's daughter"
lie hasn't written to you since you
came homei"
mo ran away from him, and he
doesn't know where | am. and | don't
want to write to him"
"Iou tell me not To worry. Mary, and
that Providence will see to these
things. let me tell you the same"
Mary ran outdoors and down the
shore path and she had hardly reach
ed the beach when she heard a great
splashinc off shore. 1t was moon
light night. and In the wake OF the
moon she saw big whale headed
straight for the beach
Daddy. Daddy" called Mary as
she entered the cottage. with her hair
flying and her eyes looking very big
There's n big whale Just run ashore
He Is down there now, and he Is dead
| guess he was badly injured in a fight
at sea.
Lord alive, girl. there's Providence
for yon. II it's that big whale | saw
this afternoon there's oil enough I'm
him to keep us for year Where's
my crutchf"
With the help Of Mary he got down
to the shore and there saw that there
was no mistake. /
lie is OH my iand,' he said. and
no one can lay claim to him. The tide /
will lift him up farther on the shore. |
but I'm going 10 sit here all the rest /
Of the night and give the Cove fellers !
no chance TO put In claim"
And he did Mary brought him down
the old fowling piece and came down /
about once an hour TO cheer him up. /
AT daylight the people Of the Cove +
saw the whale on the beach. and TWEEN
" or thirty made haste to put in a /
claim. For an hour or more the crowd 1
from the Cove argued and protested 1
and threatened. and Captain Date had +
to warn them over and over TO keep /
hands of Then young man appear +
ed and took the captains part with
such vigor and sarcasm that they gave
over Then Mary cam. running down
and shook hands with the stranger and
blushed and Sobbed sad called him