The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-06-21
AGiirl's
Error
She Mistook a Rogue For
an Honest Man.
By EDWARD T. STEWART


comes Oscar Richmond to mix me all
up. Donald is steady, honorable. has
excellent judgment; Oscar is hand
some, full Of sentiment, fascinating. |
know l should remain true to Donald
but Oscar carries me right off my feet
The question Of money does not en-
ter into the matter. Donald is doing
very well, earning a fair salary and
with a prospect of being a partner.
Oscar is out of business just now.
don't exactly understand why. He is
very reticent. | like reticence in a
man; 1t bespeaks self control. Oscar
can talk with me by the hour without
revealing any of his affairs. OF course
II he proposes to me l shall expect that
he will tell me everything.
/ have tried to get Donald to tell me
why he distrusts Oscar He saws he
doesn't himself know why. 1t is quite
likely that his distrust Is due to jea-
ousy, Donald is SO honorable that he
would not like to believe himself capa
Bile of doing rival an injustice. He
is unconscious that he is moved by
Jealousy.
! wonder who is this Girard Roberts
he has brought to see us. He has
known us but few weeks, yet it seems
that we have all been friends for years
It's strange how some people have a
faculty of insinuating themselves at
once into ones good graces Already
l call this man by his first name, and.
though l have known Donald since
was sixteen years old, l still call him
Mr.. Chase.
l have sounded Girard Roberts as to
what he thinks Of Oscar Richmond.
His reply was. Hes bang up good
Fellow" That doesn't help me. But
It's the most can expect from Girard,
who is all on the surface Those pco-
pie one becomes familiar with on short
acquaintance seldom have any depth.
l asked Girard what he thought of
Donald and received the same reply.
Hes a bang up good fellow too"
was served right for relying upon the
opinion OF such lightweight person.
Girard Roberts seems to have plenty
or money as well as taste for jewel
ry. The other day Aunt Aida was
showing him diamond she wished to
turn into funds. He told her to go
among the jewelers., ask them to fix
price on 1t and he would give her
$40 more than the highest bid. She
did so and got bid of S27O for the
stone. Girard told her it was cheap
at $500 and he would give her that for
1t. She accepted the offer. Oscar and
l were present when the sale was
made, and Girard laughingly told us
that he would rely on us as witnesses
In case aunty backed out. He didn't
have the money with him, but said he
would bring it the next afternoon at &
o'clock.
When he called aunty was out Os.
car and l were in the library. Girard
called to me to say to aunty when she
came in that she would find the money
for the diamond under a vase on the
mantel In the parlor. l promised to
do so.
Oscar asked me to go to walk with
him. consented; went upstairs to
get my hat, and we walked to the
park. When l returned l had forgot
ten all about telling aunty that the
money for her diamond was on the
parlor mantel Indeed, never thought
OF 1t till just before going to bed; then
told her. She went downstairs to
get It. 1t was gone.
Everybody is dissatisfied with me.
and l am dissatisfied with myself for
being SO thoughtless as to have left
$500 so long in an exposed position. 1t
has upset the whole household. The
servants who consider themselves un-
der suspicion are going about looking
very glum.
Aunty is furious with me. l expect
ed Girard would show his feelings to-
ward me very decidedly. What love
iy fellow he Is, after all! He told me
not to give myself any concern about
the matter; that doubtless the money
would turn up. but If it did not there
was no one to blame but himself since
he should not have left so much money
In such a place. He explained that he
did not leave it with me because l was
flirting" as he called it. with Oscar
and he didn't like to intrude upon us.
l asked him whom he suspected. and
ne said that since the front door stood
and any one might have
come in while we were at dinner or
during the evening when we were all
Upstairs doubtless some person entered
possibly for an ordinary purpose and.
seeing the money. took 1t and left.
l have had a Dlow-an awful vista
don! Donald Chase turns out to be the
thief who took the bills left on the
nantel to pay for aunty's jewel. This
morning when he was at business
called at his room with a
search warrant and found the bills In
his bureau drawer. To think that Don.
AID, whom we have all known SO long
md considered the very soul Of honor
,hould have done such thing!
How could he have taken the money
without our knowing It? What Girard