The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-02-19
ROMANCE
AND WALLS
By Nj. QUAD
Copyright. 1915. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

hOSl vi lilt VI ABt tOh ~ =
of Shore Cove were a bit jealous OF /
the captain, for he generally had luck /
at fishing or gathering clans and oys |
ters BY the way. the women and |
girls We're also bit jealous of little |
Mary. She was handsome. sparkling
child, and when it was known that her
father intended sending her away to
school to be educated he was called
foolish for not keeping her In her sta
ton in life.
At eleven years Of age Mary was
sent to live with an aunt in Connect
cut. She remained there six years.
going home for short stay once a
year At such times she met with no
welcome except from her father.
Then came the calamity. Miss Mary
was finishing her last term at school
when she received news OF ii. The
Janet had been wrecked In a storm
and most of her crew drowned. Among
those who were 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 he had to have
his leg amputated and could never
hope 10 he 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. He tried to he
| cheerful through it all but there We're
many black hours for him. He had
1 saved a few hundred dollars. but these
seemed To go like leaves before an au-
| tumn gale When he said they would
| soon feel the pangs of poverty 1t 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 IA day when the captain
| looked over his bank book and found
that only $40 was left in the locker
| He hobbled 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 1t was to turn his
eyes seaward and gaze with lively in
terest for greater part of an hour,
and when he entered his cottage 1t
was to say to Mary:
'"There are whales about five miles
off shore. They are playing and hav-
ing lots of fun"
1t 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 A young man up the country
wants me to be his wife. ! did not
dare say yes to him. He did not know
: that | lived at Shore Cove and that
I, was only fishermans daughter"
: "IIe hasn't written to you since you
came home?"
mo. ran away from him, and he
doesn't know where | am, and ! dom
I | want to write to him"
"You tell me not to worry. Mary. ant
! that Providence will see to thes,
things. Let me tell you the same"
Mary ran outdoors and down thu
shore path. and she had hardly reach
ed the beach when she heard a grea
splashing off shore. 1t was moon
, light night. and In the wake OF TIN
| moon she saw a big whale heade,
straight for the beach
Daddy Daddy" called Mary a
Il she entered the cottage. with her hal
II flying and her eyes looking very big
Il There's n big whale just run ashore
/ He is down Il re now. and he is dead
\ | guess he was badly injured in figh
II at sea"
\ Lord alive. girl, there's Providenc
h for you. If it's that big whale | sa,
n this afternoon there's oil enough |
! him TO keep lis for year. Where
my crutch?"
With the help of Mary he got dow
to the shore and there saw that ther
was no mistake.
He Is on my land" he said, IAN
no one can lay claim to him. The It'd
will lift him up farther on the shor
but I'm going TO sit here all the re-
OF the night and give the Cove fellel
no chance to put In a claim"
And he did. Mary brought him dow
the old fowling piece and came dow
about once an hour to cheer him u
At daylight the people OF the Coy
saw the whale on the beach. and tive
ty or thirty made haste to put in
claim. For an hour or more the crow
from the Cove argued and protests
and threatened, and Captain Date b;
to warn them over and over to ke
hands off. Then young man apes
ed and took the captains part wi
such vigor and sarcasm that they ga
over. Then Mary came running doy
and shook hands with the stranger a
blushed and sobbed and called b
Dick.
I'll SIS this the young man YOU told l
had fallen in love with your" ask
. the captain.
And Mary hung her head and cot
. not answer. The young man answer
for her, however. He said.
\ "Mr. Date. | believe ! have won I