The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-06-28
An Inadviisable
Place Of Deposit
By CEORCETTE MALLORY

Of the books 1 handle, and there ar
often stories between the leaves
What I mean Is this: First, persons
are prone when laying down a bool
they have been reading to use anythin,
that comes handy between the page.
Tor bookmark, and. second, persons
desiring to put away something tenn
porarily are liable to slip it between
tne leaves Of book. There are many
other reasons why things get into
DOCKS, but these are the principal ones
One morning when I went to the
library to open 1t for the day l found
young girl waiting for me. She look.
ed very anxious. AS soon as had uu.
locked the door and we were inside
she asked eagerly If "Bleak House.
was In the library.
replied that would find out for
her, and, going to the shelf where it
was kept, l looked. Th- book was
tnere, and | gave it to the girl. With
out word she shook 1t, holding IT
open, evidently that anything between
the leaves might drop on the floor.
Nothing came from it, and after run
ming the leaves rapidly between her
thumb and fingers she sank into a
chair and covered her face with her
hands.
WHAT'S the matter" l asked.
We all like to have some one to help
US bear our troubles, and the poor girl
poured hers out to me without re-
straint. Hearing that her lover had
9nted her, she had written him a very
strong letter-such a one as she should
not have written in any event-and
mad delayed sending 1t till she should
nave cooled off. Her brother had been
reading BLEAK House," and the book
lay open on table. Called away sud.
denly, she. had put this letter, sealed,
stamped and addressed, in the open
place and closed the book, intending
to return for 1t. Learning that the
story she had heard about her lovers
unfalthfulness was untrue she intend |
ed to destroy her letter, but in her hap
py relief had forgotten 1t for several
days. When she remembered it her
brother, WHO had already finished
reading the book. had returned it to
the library. She asked me IL BLEAK
House had been since taken out ii
looked at the date stamped on the pa.
per used for the purpose pasted in the
book cover and Informed her that the
book had been out a few days.
Have you heard from your lover
lately" asked.
NO" she replied bitterly, land
never expect to hear from him again.
lie will ignore me from now on"
You can write him that you wrote
the letter under mistake"
That will do no good. It is having
written such letter at all that has
done the mischief. He is a very self
Contained person and has always fear
ed that | am too fiery to suit him."
At this juncture some girls on their
way to school came in to return books,
md | was obliged to leave the poor
girl, who departed looking the picture
OF despair. inwardly determined to
try to follow up BLEAK House" and
see where 1t had been. with a view to
getting some definite information as
to what had become of the missing let
ter. But the book after its return by
The girls brother had been given out
ne library. and, though she remember
"a having done so, she could not tell
o whom she had given it. Another
Iirl had taken 1t when 1t was returned.
Miss wainwright, the girl who had
written the letter, came into the library
very day for week and asked II
my one had left the letter at the IL Il
'rary. but as continually disappoint- s
d her she finally gave the matter up. !,
'he told me that she had not heard q
Vord from her lover, and she had con-
luded that he had dropped her.
A month passed, and Miss VAIN :
ight came into the library one day
boxing so thin and pale that I believed
he was going into decline. Wish
ng to end her suspense, urged her
write to her lover and have the
latter over with. She shook her
cad. During our conversation | got
er to give me his name and address
'1thout her suspecting I was inquiring
Dr. 1t especially, and l made up my
lind to write this gentleman stating
lat letter had been misdirected to
Inn and ask him If he had received
lch letter
AS soon as I got time wrote the
tier and put it aside-not In a book,
II should leave the library in the
7ening. when proposed to mail it
Just before l left one Of the girls
me to me with the missing letter.
he had gone to the place where Dick
Is works were kept and, taking out a
'ok from the lowest shelf. saw some
ing white on the floor behind II.
aking 1t out. she found that it was :
unmailed letter. 1t had doubtless
opped out Of BLEAK House" after I.
e books return to the library by
iss Wainright's brother.
called up Miss Wainright and ask
her II she could come over to the
'rary. She Joined me there. and /