Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, December 23, 1911, Page 6

PAGE FOUR. BOB'S PRESENT By ETHEL by, dear! have a perfectly scrumptious Christmas with Rob and his folks." She vanished in response to her husband's call, but thrust her head in at the last moment. ““I hate to leave you alone. When do you expect Bob?” “He was to come at 12" Sally’s voice was muffled perhaps by the cushions among which she was curled. “Twelve—two hours! Scarcely time enough for primping!” And with a teasing laugh her sister fled from the room. Sally sprang from the lounge and for want of some better outlet for her feel- ings began viciously to toss the cush- fons on to the floor, stamping on their harmless satin covers as if they were vipers. She stopped, a little ashamed, when she found the maid staring at her curiously from between the portieres, “Ready to go, Amn?" “Yes, miss, hut I'll wait so as to open the door.” “I'm not go ing,” said Sally calmly—*at least pot till 12, It's a pity to spoil i your day just to “READY TO GO, ANN? open a door, which really I'm quite able to do for wmyself. I'ut on your things aud g0 The girl giatefully withdrew. few moments she reappeared. “I'm going now, miss, and 1 hope you'll have a merey Christmas.” Sally, left alone, drummed forlornly on the frosted window, There had been a heavy suow, which the sunshine turned into myriads of crystals, a per- fect day for sleighing, while the jingle of distaut bells made most tantalizing music, “Sally, you are a fool.” She con- demned lierself aloud. “May thinks you're going sleighing with Bob, then | to dine and he made much of by his family. She innocently believes your sofitaire is ut the jeweler's to remedy a defective setting. She couldn’t sus- pect that—that you're such a fool— such an 18 carat fool.”” Sally collapsed once more among the cushlons. She knew now that she would give the world to recall the episodes of the past week. Two short, delirious months she had been engaged tv Bob, and he so worshipingly proud and happy that an untimely ending to their romance had seemed impossible. Sally had always been spoiled and her willfulness humored, so when Bob dic- tated to her she resented it very bit terly. Among Sally's acquaintances was a man of rather sporting proclivities, whiose chief attraction was his entree to premiers at the theaters. Sally's knowledge that Bob disapproved of the man had not prevented her attend- ing a particularly interesting opening under his escort without informing Bob, who chanced to be passing the theater as she entered. e ar- rived next even- ing to protest, hot headed and a little dicta- torial, whereat Sally defiantly broke the en- gagement. But, though it was four days ngo, she had not tak- en her sister into her conti- dence. Now be- fore her stretch- ed a long, _dreary, lonely holiday. She «oalf wished she had confessed her situation SNE PESVED A Nom and gone with 10 508 May and her husband. But here she was, stranded. Not only would she be desolate, but starved, for, the maid making holiday, too, the icebox would be empty. . Sally snifled in self commiseration. Perhaps starving was not a bard death, She had heard it made people drow- 8y, a point in its favor, seeing she had not slept for four nights. A conver- eation wherein Bob had teased her about her pride—“false pride” he termed it—haunted her. “You'd die E'RE off now!” cried Mrs. Wentworth, joyously flut- In a e rather than own you were wrong,” he i had accused her, half seriously. Now | the alternative faced her, for, though she might not die i. the body. there seemed to bLe something inside her breast that had sickened and was surely dying—would die should Bab fail to return Half desperate, wholly repentant, she penned a mnote to Bob: srong, and I'm sorry. It's mot Christ- mas without you.” She sealed it and, | hurrying to the telephone, called a mes- . 2 |deftly hidden in her muff before Bob's “1 was | T | FROM THE TREE BARRINGTON C— Bob would not forgive her and did not come? Perhaps he was away and tering into the room. “Good- | would never get the letter. It might Of course you'll I be mislaid. She could never be sure it bhe got it or not. Suppose she had to go on looking and hoping for him and he never came! She had heard of such cases. Where now was her vaunted pride? Should he come she would prom- ise anything he asked. She was prepared to be as ylelding as May. She could go no further. Somehow an hour dragged it- self away. A hundred times she had gone to the window, drawn by tin- kling bells. When at last the gong sounded there needed a second summons before she could master herself sufficiently to open the door. She found only the house boy and at first could not follow what he sald. “The gentleman sent this card. I'm to wait for an answer.” Recognizing Bob's name, she drew back to read alone his peaciled words: “If you care to drive, will you come down? The horse won't stand, so | cannot come up.” “At once!” she cried. It was not three minutes before she reached the curb, and Rob handed her in. He was beside her, and the sleighbells were ringing a perfect Te Deum of thanks and triumph, so that at first she did not notice how quiet he was. “Boh, aren't you glad it's Christmas and we're together agnin—aren't you, Bob?' There were tears in her voice. The letter had cost her much, and she hungered for his acknowledgment. Skimming down a side road in the park, they were alone and unobserved. Bob drew the horse down to a walk, turning a little sternly on her. “I'm glad to have you with me, Sal- ly, God knows. Dut if the last week's a sample of our getting along together I doubt if we are wise. Certain things a man can't stand for. But we won't talk about it now. You promised me this day—gave up other plans—and I could not bear to legve you alone”— “There are plenty of other places”— begamr Sally hotly. “But you wouldn't go and ackuowl- edge our broken engagement.” “How do you know”"— “Because of myself,” admitted Bob ruefully. “None of my people know. You come today just as if nothing had happened.” “And afterward '— Sally could hard- ly articulate the word. £he felt stified and threw the robe off, as though it binder- ed her DUreath- ing. Replacing it, Bob’s hand innd- vertently touched hers and tighten ed over it as though he would never let her go. Sally sat very still. 8he under- stood. Bob had come back of his own free will, not because she bad sent for him. He loved Dher despite her faults. Could she “THERE,S JUST ONE get her letter MORE. back unopened she might save her pride. By gentle- ness she would win him wholly to herself, yet be spared the humiliation of having sent for him. They drove pretty much in silence, each preoccu- pled. lLeaving her at his home, he drove on to the stable. When the servant admitted her Sally's cager eye seized on her note unopened. It was SEIZED ON HLR KOTE UNOPENED, sister rushed in in a whirlwind of welcome and gossip. “The trec's just loaded. You didn't send your gift for Bob, so I suppose you brought it with you? Claire seiz- ed on Sully's fur, and the envelope fell from its concealment. “For Bob!” she exclaimed. *“Your present! What can it be, so small and flat?” Sally snatched at the note, and as ber grasp closed on it the recollection of all she had suffered swept over her afresh. She had admitted she would give the world to recall Bob. “Put this on the tree for Bob. It's understand.” | hold gathered about a brilliantly light- packages. Sally trembled. | each move Bob's father made would . time he overlooked it. At length the | tree stood denuded and the last mys- terious bundle had been handed to its rightful owner. “There's just one more—for—for Bob, 1 think,” whizpered Sally softly, then penger. While waiting she sat with bands clinched painfully, afraid of her courage deserting ber. Her voice was wneven in the digec- 3 when he had ia sheer fright fled to the inner room. 1t seemed hours before Bob found ber and caught her to his heart. “My own brave, true sweetheart! But, oh, I'm glad it’s Chyistmas and we're to- gether agaln.” THE EVENING TELEGRAM LAKELAND, FLA., DECEMBER 23, 1911 j WAS MADE FOOTBALL SAINT i Englishman, in 1520, Becomes a Mar- | tyr for the Strenuous Gridiron ! Game. Footballers may be interested in | the following piece of folklore about the game. Although it is not gener- ‘ally known, football has a patron { saint. In 1520 a boy named Hugh, | who was one of the champions of his day, had the misfortune to kick a ball through the window of a Jew's house. Whether the ball struck the man or any member of his family is not known, but certain it is he was very much incensed about the affair. Determined on revenge, he eunticed the unsuspecting Hugh into his home and plunged a knife in the youth's | back. The English people were very ! much cut up about the loss of their! champlon, albeit not as much so as| was Hugh. They severely punished | his slayer, made the young football | player a saint and gave him a big and | expensive funeral. They even wrote verses, bad verses but still verses, de- | scribing the virtues of “sweet S8ir| Hugh” and his prowess as a football | player. Football was forbidden in Eliza- beth's reign under pain of imprison- ment, the reason being the extreme brutality of the game, we are told. And James 1. debarred “all rough and violent exercises like football” from his court. In spite, however, of the prohibition against the game, the Lon- don apprentices often kicked a foot- ball about the strects to keep them- selves warm in winter, and it is on record that in the severe frost of 16G5 the London streets were “full of footballs.”— Tit-Bits. | A Flat-Footed People. Sir Alfred Moseley, the English edu-l cator, who says that few FEnglish schoolboys are flat-footed, is surprised by the statement made by Associate Superintendent Stevens, of this city's schools, that arched upper surfaces are lacking to the feet of one-third of their male puplls. Perhaps a greater per- centage of the girls are likewise de fective. The malformation affects the spine, throwing the body into incor- rect postures. 1Is it characteristic of the whole people? The physiologists tell us that a high-arched foot. can only be natural- ly developed and kept by exercise In walking. The English people are great walkers. Thelr climate, not subject to violent changes, and their cloudy pro- tection from the sun's warm rays, en- courage exercise out of doors. A young nglishwoman thinks nothing of a morning walk of ten or twelve miles, That would be a task for her American sister, and the men in this country would consider the custom a sheer waste of time. Speclal exercises and artificial helps are needed if their feet are to be kept in coudition. The prac- tice of rising on the toes for a few minutes each morning, the body's weight bearing toward the outer edges of the soles, I8 recommended by the orthopedists both as a cure and as a preventive of flatfootedness.—New York Times, Praise for United States Army. There i.. less caddishness in the United States army thau is to be found in military forces elsewhere in the world. In England the reservists and the yeomanry are rather snubbed at the instruction camps and the ma- neuvers by the regulars; at San An- tonlo 1 saw no sight of this.—Colum- bian Magazine. Put Out of the Pale. The latest circulation scheme of & Berlin newspaper is the engagement of two physicians to attend gratuit. ously upon their yearly subscribers An annual subscription carries with it the free ser s of one of these two skullful doctors. A few months ago the paper telephoned to one of the staff phvsicians: *Don’t attend Herr Mueller any wore. His subserip- tlon has «vpired.” Of the Same Shape. Customer—"*What have you in the shape of oranges?" Grocer—“Well, we , have baseballs.”--Harlem Life. 00\"00&\‘0(&&(\‘*(@0&1‘(")000':'-3"% Lufeey’s | o THE PLACE OF not the gift 1 had planned, but bell | ! ed tree. Endless seemed the beribboned | thinking | | iecad him toward her note, but each | Better Things Following 2 merry feast, the house- | Ice Cream Candies A Few nguestions: Liggetts Delicious Candies A nice line of the famous LIGGETT'S DELICIOUS CANDIES, which are always appropriate for Christmas presents. — Idilét Casesa_nd Hand Bags See our line of TOILET CASES, HAND BAGS and a lot of other useful things in making your gifts. A large line of HOLLY BOX PAPER, empty boxes suitable for your presents, merking tags, stamps, etc. Our Cut Glass Goods are Closing at Cost QO o g QO QOO LSOOG s 255 > $33EBELIILLL: DD P00 2o §356535% P SEG DD |Lake Pharmacy Alligator Hand Bags, etc. ALLIGATOR HAND BAGS for Ladies, GENTS' CO PIPES, FOUNTAIN PENS, SMALL BOXES CIGARS. TN DTt LN PUSSES Toilet Articles “ICEY” HOT BOTTLES From $1.50 UP. COMB a: | 1 SETS, MANICURE SETS, and full line of the Pinus Aiu«: trifle toilet articles. PERFUMES See our line of PERFUMES in nice packages. A Mermmas to_A_J LRTTLLLILRLLL 3282 I FOR THE Christmas Table T u rkey S Cranberrics and Celery SWEET PICKLE., PEARS AND PEACHES, OLIVES AND OTHER DELICACIES THAT YOUR EYES SPARKLE AND YOUR LIPS SMACK AT THE SIGHT. Use Burnett’s Extracts Lemon, Vanilla, Rose, Banana, Pineapple and Strawbcri Use Burnett’s Color Extracts For Cakes, Cream and Desserts I Have Fruit Cakes, and Other Cakes and Crackers, in quantity. “White Rose” Plum Pudding, Good enough for Kings and Queens. s 1,000 Ibs. of fresh candy, including a50 Ib. sti L