The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-29


pecially for the delicious breakfast |
have eaten"
The litigation is all on the other
side" said voice behind me.
Turning quickly. | saw man stand
ing outside the kitchen. his arms rest
ing on the window SILL
| stood looking at him, not knowing
what to say TO him. He was an intel
lectual and refined looking man about
thirty years of age. A certain sadness
was stamped upon his features, but a
change appeared to be breaking over it
as a rift in lowering clouds. l was
standing wi. i Il p.ate in ole hand and
a dislirloth IA tie o: he gaping at him.
Since / had nothing to say he contin-
ued
You are the first woman who has
been in this house in three years. Your
being here has broken spell, trust
forever"
"Will you kindly explain this fairy
born breakfast" said
Certainly. l come here occasionally
and happened to come early this morn
ing, having some work to do here.
Seeing a horse and conveyance. pro-
ceeded with caution. Looking in at
the library window, saw you sleeping
on the lounge. 1t occurred to me that
you would need breakfast, and | set
about preparing 1t. There was not
much to give you. but / trust it suf-
feed"
1T was delicious. Now that you
have explained | trust you will listen
to my apology for trespassing on your
domain" And i told my story. after
which | said that | would not longer
keep him out of his own house and
suggested that he come inside. But he
said that when man gives up his
house to woman he has no business
there so long as she occupies it. To
this replied that | made my own con-
ventional rules. Besides, | would de-
part as soon as | had finished doing
the dishes. But he remained where he
was. and when had finished he placed
chairs on the porch, and, feeling sure
that he had story to tell me, we sat
down for further chat. Then for the
first time | saw motorcar standing
before the door In which he had come.
This was his story:
Il built the house for a summer resi-
dence for myself and the woman ] ex-
pected to marry She was in delicate
health, and we are prone to become
more attached to one who Is dependent
on us for comfort than one who is in
dependent OF us. We planned the place
together and while it was building
used to come out here and watch The
materializing of our conceptions. 1t
Is not an elaborate place but we spared
no pains to make it dainty.
Before 1t was finished knew that
my beloved would not live to enjoy 1t.
She was unconscious of the seriousness
Of her malady and continued to look
forward to our occupancy of 1t with
happy expectation. On no account
would l break in upon this anticipa-
ton. Instead. l consulted constantly
with her how we would have this and
how we would arrange that, keeping
her interested In what could never be
realized in order to shield her from the
dread truth
while the house was building con-
tined to make changes In order to pro-
long the period of construction. In her
condition our residence here would not
be convenient. She needed the caro-
, which she could not have here. When
the house was finished laid new
plans for the grounds. One spring
the last of her life-we came out here
frequently, and | worked with and di-
rected men I'm planting and garden inn
provements, while she lay here on the
porch and looked on, making such sug-
gestions as occurred to her.
meanwhile my beloved was growing
more and more feeble. But not till the
| day she left me did she realize that we
were to be separated; that she would
never occupy with me that on which
we had lavished so much thought and
| care.
"All was finished at last. The place
was ready. and my beloved's stay on
earth came to an end. Perhaps had
not lost an object in the completion of
| what had so long occupied me | would
have borne my bereavement more
stoically. AS it was, | became one OF
those who nourish grief. | have kept
up this place and have come here &C.
casionally as another would visit a
| grave. That cloud has been lifted,
When / looked in at the library win
dow and saw human being there,
sleeping. that castle of grief which
have created tumbled about me; these
premises, which l have made tomb
of melancholy. have been restored to
what they really are"
I listened to this recital with a sym
pathy that | did not try to conceal.
understood perfectly the change / had
wrought. l appreciated the motive
his seeing living woman in his home
that had led him to prepare break
fast for her. For years he had had
no one upon whom to lavish a single
kindly act. Suddenly a woman ap
reared, and he took advantage of II