Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, December 19, 1911, Page 10

Doll Cart cart on the Christmas tree. A Vagabond Dreamer By Dorothy Dougias (Copyright, 1911, by Assoclated Liter Press.) “You are trespassing on my prc erty!” came a voice from the moo light. Blair scrutinized the clump ¢ bushes. He had supposed the whit thing flitting about there to be a slin beam from the moon. “But the gardeners mnever come down here and uncle is away, so it i8 all right.” The voice was nearer to Blair than before. He shaded his eyes and looked more elosely. A low ripple of laughter ac- companied his search. “Here I am.” She had parted the bushes and still Blair feit that a wedge of moonbeam had squeezed down through the trees. He stared at her with his hand shading his eyes, “I can't see whether or not I like your eyes,” she said half petulantly. Blair obediently dropped his hand and turned toward the light that tame from the small door of his cara- van. The dreamer’s look was in his eyes and the dreamer's whimsical smile on his lips. Molly looked at him with grave eyes for a moment. “What are you doing here? she asked, edging nearer to him. “Looking for fairics—like you,” he said in the tone of one speaking to a shild. « "l am eighteen.” She resented his tone. “And then what do you do?" “] weave them into fairy tales.” “[ suppose that you mean you are & writer and that your name is in all the big magazines?” “About that,” he smiled. “Couldn't 1 just have one peep into your caravan?" she asked. “It looks so cozy.” “It is cozy.” He was amused at her quaint curiosity. *1 will have to lift you up on the step.” “lsn't it darling!” She turned toward him. I didn’t know gypsies bad such exquisite—" “But 1 am not a gypsyy,” put {n Blair, and in the darkness a strange bitterness crept into his eyes. “If I Dolly Carts in all styles. Make the little ones happy by having a A Few Suggestion —— m....--.,‘m:_n—v..-—b-—-‘- THANKING OUR FRIENDS AND PATRONS FOR THE BUSI- NESS THEY HAVE EXTENDED US THE PAST SEASON, WE WISH ALL A MERRY CHRIST- MAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. akeland Furniture & Hardware Co. L. . THE EVENING TELEGRAM LAKELAND, FLA., DEC s for Christmas Buffet No mcre suitable e S¢ thas We have a complete line of Art Squares in Axministers, Tapestries, Wools and Fabrics at prices to suit every purse, Rock and be merry, nothing will make you happier than rocking in our rockers. They are fine, good, and substantial; all finishes. eyes opened wide. “l have hteard of the protege of| John Gray—yes. But 1 had not known [ she was so—grown up,” he flnlshcdi lamely. “Well—beautiful then.” deep into his eyes. She returned the look wonderingly. “Oh, oh—I feel such a funny little thrill inside—here!" She clasped both hands over her breast; and stood gaz- ing at him. Blair turned swiftly away from the innocent awakening in her eyes. “Perhaps you had better come down from my caravan.” His own voice was a trifie husky. “Or [ will be tempted to become a gypsy and run oft with you” “But I don’t want to come down. | feel happy —1 want to sing—and dance—and—" She broke off ab- ruptly and that wondering look swept Blair's own, Blair was silent for a moment while he struggled against the tu- mult in his heart. This witch had breathed on hidden chords; he felt strangely unaccountable for his ac- tions, his words, “You ate tired,” he said finally, “and little girls should be in bed at this time of night. Come!™ But Molly Ashwell stood sitii and looked down at the arms extended to lift ker from the step, then her eyes traveled up to the face on which the light shone full. “Do you know,” she stated, “that you look very much like Uncle Gray?" Blair turned swiftly from the glare of the lamp. “Come!” he sald, and his voice held a note of command. With a little hurt look in her eyes Molly put out her hands. For 8 breathing spell the universe seemed hung in midair. Molly tore herself free then and fled in the darkness. Blair watched her go, a moonbeam darting from path to path and finally into the old rose garden and up the great stone steps between ihe guard- ing lions and out of his sight through the French windows. For a long moment he sat staring at the windows through which she had gone. Finally he arose, unteth- ered his horses, hitched them to the caravan and drove off into the night. “She is too wonderful,” his lips re- peated. “I could not withstand her long.” He looked were 1 would shut that door with you inside and lash up my ponies!” “Oh, wouldn’t that be lovely!™ She clapped her hands joyously. “But poor uncle would never get over it “He has managed to survive other losses.” Again that pained bitter- ness swept into the vagabond's eyes. “You know he is mot really my uncle” She had not moticed his re mark. “l have lived hs:s only five years. I'm adopted and Uncle Gray s going to give me all his money,” she confided maively. _ “So 1 ynderstand,” Blair gaid. Three years came and went before Molly Ashwell and the vVagabond Dreamer met, three years in which her eyes had worn a pecular, brood- ing look—a look which John Gray had trled in valn to fathom or to lighten. “You occasion. | He had grown a shade paler. | “I have cause—a terrible cause for it,” being miserable—but 1 deserve was all he had said. She glanced quickly at bhim now as they sat in the theater. The curtaln “You have heard oi me?" Mo!li‘nl A are not so happy looking yourself,” she had chided him on one .. up on a new play. The l00fl0-| At the Dinner. Last Christmas a certain minister was Invited to a big dinner at the house of one of the leading men in the town. At the dinner table he was placed opposite a goose. The lady of the house was placed on the minister's left. Seeing the goose he remarked: “Shall 1 sit so close to the goose?” Finding his words a bit equivocal, he turned round to the lady. and said, in a most inoffensive tone: “Excuse me, my lady; I meant the roast one.” was an interior. “It is almost exactly like our draw- ing room!" exclaimed Molly breath- lessly and waited for confirmation of her words. John Gray neither answered nor seemed conscious of her presence. As the play progressed Molly felt the peculiar tension that held John Gray. After a spasmodic clutch of the hands on the chair arms he re- mained as one turged to stone. The play was the old, old story of the son who had frequented the stage doors and had been turned away from home by an irate parent. In this case the son had lived in the theatrical atmosphere merely as a stepping stone. He had run away from home to go on the stage that he might galn intimate knowledge of stagecraft. The strong plot woven in this fabric was neither here nor there except that at the close of the last act the author was called forth. He came from the wings. “My son!™ John Gray sprang to his feet and | held out a pair of shaking arms to- ward the man on the stage. “My Vagabond Dreamer!” came & girl's voice through the hush that followed the meeting of father andl son. Regardless of the excited n\uliem-e.; the two men met and the older man | clagped the other in his arms as if| he was still a very small boy. | A suspended breath held the audi-! ence. E i Finally the quiet tones of the vaga- bond went out to answer that um-| acked question. *My father and I have been long! estranged—I am too happy to say more, except that 1 thank you for re- ceiving my play so kimdly."” A Complete Line of LADIES’ 16-BUTTON KID GLOVES ————————————— Also 24 Pairs Ladies’ HIGH BUTTON VELVET SHOES These and many othcr Novelties the Store of J.W.CHILES %, I A Convenient Myth, “Why do you still keep up that ab- surd Santa Claus myth?" asked the cynle. “l should have thought you would have laughed at it.” “Because,” answered the man with | a large family, “it is convenient to || have some one to blame for presents that fail to please.” OPPORTUNE. e — ———————— —————————————————————————— When You Want R S PR Y A Buggy A Wagon A Set of Harness A Lap Robe An Automocbile Robe or anything require riding¥or driving, se¢ M’GLASHA The Hustling Harness and Buggy V" Two Steres 1000-111 South Florida George—Ah, Lily, dear, this will be the jolliest Christmas I've ever spent. During the thunder of applause’ Now that we're engaged I think only that followed a slim little figure of the future. slipped quickly out of the theater and 14ly—Do you® Well, at this time of into the great limousine that crept the year I think only of th up to the curb at her call. i z Y — Her heart was beating painfully in dull, migerable beats, ! L o i A remarkable new safe lock has Nobody loves me,” she wept softly peen invented. It is provided tlthl into the kindly cushions. - phonographic mechanism, so that it She sat huddled and broken, neither | can be opened only by the volce of seeing nor hearing the excited crowd ' the owner. A mouthpiece like that of that came forth fb":m the theater. 1gq telephone takes the place of a knob | It seemed ages before the two men. on the door, and this is provided with | arm in arm appeared. Molly dried | the usual style or needle. which trav- | her eyes hastily and peered out as elg in a groove in the sound record of ! they approached. the phonograph cylinder. Before the ! The younger man glanced at the gafe can be unlocked the password | :‘:";“1;‘\:‘.‘“;‘l:‘yl:'“:"eh:;:‘“‘; g0 i“: must be spoken into the original cylin- l - e a quick der by th ig SOVeEAEL. ¥y the one who made the original She was very near him and the limousine had turned into a darkened | street when next she heard his voice “Mine! All mine" he whispered | against her lips. “Can we go in the caravan?” Molly asked by way of answer to his ques- jior ¢f a moment later. —————rm—— Victory Net for the Sluggard. boy must wake up, behind by the poor Safe Well Guarded. d for ! Striving Must Prevall. l Did you ever hear of a man who bad striven all his life faithfully and singly toward an object and In mno measure obtained it? If a man com- stantly aspires, is he not elevated? Did ever a man try heroism, magnan- fmity, truth, sincerity, and find that there was no advantage in them— ‘that it was a valn endeavor?—H. D | Thoreau. The or he will be left boy.