The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-03-03
THE DOLT
BIZ ARLINE 4. MAcDoNALD

the town clerk, received back home
from somewhere In France"
The young soldier had been the re-
cipient of number OF congratulatory
missives consequent upon a published
account of his acts of heroism and
daring on the western front. And the
youth had read them medestly and
had penned solitary reply to Abe
Walton at KensIngton, knowing that
Abe would take 1t in turn to the re-
spective villagers. And Abe did.
Now young Doe had never borne an
enviable name In the village. Tall
and handsome, he regularly joined the
hangers on about the general store,
working at nothing, and giving but
little promise Of ever doing anything
else. He made a fit subject fer the
gossips. OF which there were many.
Nevertheless, Richard Doe was always
conscious that he possessed certain
latent qualities which ought to be
made patent. They needed only q time
Of trial to bring out their grit and pill
ability. And the time came, and Ruth
Ruth was the only daughter OF Abe
Walton, and a teacher in the village
school. She was a tall, slender girl,
scarcely out of her teens, whose face
was one of those quite as striking for
Its character as its beauty.
She admired Doe, liked him for his
sympathetic understanding OF his fell
low human beings, his sense OF the
dramatic, his untrammeled flow OF
words, which were the best perqHisitea
Of his friendship for a girl in her pro-
fession. Once he had reproved her
for overdancing and had brusQuely
turned from Tom Whitney's proffered
cigarette case. It was at the supper
table that Ruth had said:
dick lacks the pep that character
ICES the modern young man. He does
not smoke, he does not dance. He's
too handsome to work. He's q doIt. I"
One day, in desperation, Doe decid-
cd that he would force the attention
OF the village upon his talent He
whisper4d something into the ear OF
Abe Walton, who had already given
the youth big corner In his own
heart. TIE next morning he dropped
guilty CIT the village and the
tongues Of the gossips wagged furious
~. Mrs. h, who never meddled
with anyone's affairs, reminded the
neighbOrs that year before she had
said that Richard Doe would disap-
pear some day and would turn up
later in penitentiary. "As for Abe
Walton" she declared, "he has yield
ed his energy to the hypnotic infiu-
ence of that loafer scalawag"
It was true that Does departure
gave Abe more energy. He quickly
got contract from a New York jour
nalist for the erection of a pretentious
stucco mansion on the knoll adjoining
his own homestead.
Time passed quickly at Kensington.
June came and the robins piped their
sweetest lay, and the odor Of the rose
and the hoheysuckle stole through
screened chamber windows. At the
close OF balmy afternoon Ruth Wal.
ton sat alone in her own boudoir read
ing q war story which appeared In the
newspaper.
Suddenly she remembered that there
was a dance that evening in the pa
vilion. She arose, rubbed her face.
which seemed drawn and bloodless,
and FASTENED below to prepare the eve.
ming meal.
The dance had never seemed so
pretty and overcrowded. Nell Whit.
ney, In furry OF excitement, made
some complimentary remarks about
Ruth's dress.
Richard Doe is here" she said.
"And oh, isn't It dreadful, Ruth" she
gasped, "his left arm has been shot
OF |"
This was too much for Ruth. In the
stupor which almost held her brain in
thrall she heard a faint where's
Ruth9' 40 she tottered to the road that
led TO Kensington knoll.
Her hands wavered; her knees shook
at footsteps she knew only too well.
60! Go back, Richardl" she
screamed. Forgive me. / can't bear
TO look at you. Your arm - she gasped.
1t isn't as bad as you think, ruth,
catching her arm and trying to COM
fort her. "Seel"
Deliberately he unbuttoned his frock.
disclosing whole arm suspended In o
sling.
Force Of habit he laughed as no
buttoned his coat this time with the
arm outside. His jovialfty lapsed her
to steady calm. A thrill of pleasure
surmOunted her being as once again he
took her hand. A fresh June zephyr
swept the fragrant pine across the
knoll, where, sitting against the open
sky, stately mansion bathed in flood
OF 81 ~ moonlight.
"It's yours, Ruth. I did 1t for you"
he whispered.
"A solitary tear of joy stood on the
cheek of the girl, who hid her face on.
the breast of the man who some months
before she had consigned to the scrap
heap of character failures.
Gently he lifted her head, pushed
back her loose tresses from her face
and reyerently kissed her.
Somewhere among the deeper shatl-
OWS 0f lilac hush a Dair of ewes oykaI.-