Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, February 12, 1913, Page 6

money fo play with OU require money if you are o get all the enjoyment possible our of life. Only a bank account will help you to that pleasure. A very small sum will open an account at THIS bank. Ui FIRST NATIONAL BANK of Lakeland Long Life of Linen b\ along with good lsundry work is what you are looking for and that is just what we are giving. Try us. o Lakeland Steam Laundry Phone 130. West Main 8t. - g L} Is worth a pound of cure. For that reason it Will Pay Yot To. Insure While Fire Insurance can’t prevent the home from burning down It is the Source whence comes the means for the {BUILDING OF IT UP: : lirepresent reliable companies. 1 am dealing ininsurance only. That is my sole business. Y. 1. MAN Suceessor "to the Johnson lAgene Room 7, Raymondo Bldg. ' Phone 80 ; WWWM l i- SH YO ¥THE BEST IS nom—mo GOOD~ 2.5 HARCOURT&QO) o feravED BY CORRECT" MANUFACTURING ENGRAVERS LOUKSVILLE, KY,U.S.A. k WE ARE- THEIR EXCLUSIVE AGENTS FOR THEIR EXCLUSIVE LINE. Full line of Dennison’s Gift Dressings; also Gibson Art Co's ' Kngraved Specialties, Holiday and Fancy Goods, 1oys, Ktc, LAKELAND BOOK STORE. ] R. L. MARSHALL. CONTRACTOR AND BUILDER Will fwrnish plans axd spesifications or will follow any plans and specifloations furnished. SUNGALOWS A SPECIALTY Lu me thow you dome hhbud homes [ have iuh HEARD THE GALL Crusty Old Bachelor Who Sald i He Would Never Marrv Sur- renders at Last. BY JOANNA SINGLE. v the MeClure News- paper \mdlcate) “And now I suppose yow'll be gét- tin' married, Fordie.” Ford looked up from his paper, pipe in mouth, andfcowlegi at the old gis- sip. Mrs. Peters came in from the neighborhood an hour or two daily to do the work in the little house mow that his mother was dead: Then he was ashamed of the scowl and an- swered patiently: (Copyright, 1913 ‘g0 after that. ' The old gossip! ) | had had. “‘I'm not a fool. Tll leave here when the lease is out, and board and make something of myself. - I've had all the care—and glad to have it—of mother for ten years—since I was fifteen. I've nothing but my trade, and have just kept even with bills, Nothing—" “You're a right good worker, Fordie, and always with plenty. to do,” said the old woman. “and getting married don’t take much money—" “Nor any sense, either, from what T notice. Nothing, divided by twd—or more—doesn’t go far.: The people about here don't think. They live from hand to mouth. look ahead. They marry when the fancy strikes them, and then it's pov- erty and worry. I'm going to get out of the tread-mill. 1 wouldn’t have the face to ask a girl'to share noth- ing with me, to work hard for her board and clothes—and those none too good. I'd rather let her earn her living alone, hard as it is. It's more —fair.” The woman, now at the door, gave a parting shot. “She’s the sort some- body’ll get—she might ds well marry the one she wants.” Her tone was- significant, but he did not guestion her. “I mean Evie Jordan—she ain’t lived two year beside you. without seein’ you.” / Ford was glad she had the sense to But in his heart he heard the call he had been . trying to ignore—heart calling to heart, man to maid, All spring. with life renewing itself about him, it had been coming, and now it was hard to still. For though Ford "Hod: son’s boyhood Had a man’s responst: bilities,"he was yet only twenty In. and Evie was very sweet. His mind could not keep from Evle, and he missed her running in and out 'as she had done during his mother's Tong fllness. She was a gallant, bright-eyed girl, all courage and re serve. She grew upright like a young: tree. And never had she shown him a look beyond mere neighborly friend: liness. She sold gloves at Benton's. 8he came home and washed the dishes at night, and' helped Popsy, her little sister, with her lessons, and' made solid friends. Ford thought of. Frank Barker, who came ocecasionally to see her—he was older than Ford; wnhout Incumbrances, and owned a little place in the edge of town. He could care for the girl, Marrying Frank, a good enough fellow, she would not need to think about rent, worry over a doctor’s bill, or any ex- tras. Ford. was almost morbid about the dally struggle for bread he had been brought up in. His lintor much old- er, had married very young, and was a faded, anxious, petty woman. Her husband was discouraged. Their chil- dren had no particular chance. Would marriage turn Bvie into a woman like t? If so, he, at least, would not responsible. He disliked most married women. They were thin and anxious and selfish; or a little too fat, and a bit sloyenly. They lacked tone —the up-standing “quality—of, say, Evle, with her poise and stamina. No, Ford decided, he would stand | 8lone. He had always belleved a man could overcome any feeling, even love, ,lf he was not ready for it. He would work up to something like comfort and dignity in the community. He wanted to study a little—he falt his lack of mroe than common schooling. He himself had no especial parentage, no training but that of experience, no “backing.” He would not found a tamily until he could give it a better foothold for an upward climb than he If he waited, say, until he ‘wna thirty-four or five—ten years—it might be decent to ask a woman to marry him. Meantime he would sim- ply suffer it out and keep away from Evie Jorddn. Ford had only hlmsnlf to watch. Evile went her own way, she did her work, and sometimes from his yard, or at a window, he would watch her, Bhe was never mnervous, but strong, calm. There was a quiet, restful look In her dark eyes, even her plain way of wearing her hair rested him. He himself was fair and of quick temper. 8he semed always serene, always sen- timental, even when Frank Barker began coming oftener and sat about in the yard with Popsy, her little sis- ter, ever present. It was queer, Ford thought, that the man never took her anywhere. Didn't he ask her, or wouldn't she go? Occasionally ghe W to some amusement with a man friend, but never Barker. She stuck to her work at home and downtown. One night, having reached home from his work ahead of her, he was fn his yard when she came simply tripping up the sidewalk. . It wag hot and he knew_ she had workod hard-— she had been five years In that one ptore: She saw him, and beckoned gayly, and he came, glad he could not They ' don’t | cefuse She called her people from the front door. “Ob, joy!" ‘she said. “Hear the news! I haven't been working for nothing. . Fm head of the glove de- partment, if you please—eighteen a week for iwo monihs, ana after that | twenty! wopsy!” N Everybody rejoiced properly, * somehow Ford felt sober. Give us, a kiss, but not need him—or pnybody-—she earn- ed nearly as much'as he. It gave him a sense of failure, his courage fell It would have helned to talk the thing out—but that ‘was not Ford Hudson’s | way—it accounted for his half-morbid- 3 ideas about things. In a day or two a really breathless thing happened, and was'/ spread recklessly over the front page of the gvening paper, news being very scarce. Under romantic circumgtances an old relative of Frank Barker’s had left him some money—a. great ~deal of money for a young‘mechanic—-more than would be good for most men of his make-up. Ford saw the paper downtown, and was generously glad of the other man’s luck. “And then he remembered Evie. Of course now would marry Evie; he could give her everything. Ford tried to be glad for Evie, but he walked home slowly, and centered his own gate, a bit quiet and depressed. Up the walk to the Jordan, cottage Frank Barker was springing with a joyful step. Ford heard Evie’s voice weleoming him at the door, and went into his empty house; he sat alone until it grew quite dark, and ‘then went early to bed. It was Sat- urday, and he could sleep as late as He pleased. He awakened la and rose listlessly. He was ashamed of his weakness. Hé had determined on a course and must take it Without regret. Bésides, even if he had wooed marriage and other Evie with all his will, probably shef would not have had him. It was cer- tainly too late inow—Frank Barker's very step the night before had told him that. Ford got his own break- fast, put the dishes aside for Mrs.{ Peters, and went out into his bit flower-garden which he kept up be- cause it had been his mother's prldo and because he liked it hlmelf He .was glad the house was between him and Evie’s.home, He pulled a few weeds from the pansy bed, considered the grass which needed cutting, and then sat down under the one mapl tree on the bench. Unthinkingly, h 8tooped over, his elbows on his knees, his face resting in his hands. He did not ‘see Popsy Jordan's saucy face look round the corner, and then’ disappear. “What is it?” It was Evie's voice,. and he jumped to his feet, to see her ‘before hfm in' Rer little blue house dress. He stared a moment, then reached out Iul hand. Sho laughed. “What for?” : K . “Won't you let me wish you happi- ness—Evie?” She gave him a queer, sober, almost pitying look out of )lu: sweet dark eyes. “Of course—but just why?—nd why now? Popsy sald you were ‘siek or sorry, or something’ and I came to se if—" Then Ford sald when he meant not to say. “Ioughtn’t to be sorry to have you —marry Frank—only—I—I love you myself—and 1 simply can’t stand it for you—" She laughed a little un- steady laugh and held out both her hands. 2 “Then—you may wish me happiness —but not with—Frank. Frank is very nice; but he isn’t—" . He waited for her to finish, holding her hands very close. . She finished with her eyes hnnly meeting his. “Frank is not—you!” . Then he kiss- ed her without delay, and withou. shame, and Popsy saw him. She .pointed a brown forefinger at them. “I'l tell mother on you!" Frank laughed happily, and snatched the IHt- tle girl by one hand. “No, you won't! mother myself!” I'm going to tell Evle looked -at him blisstully, and | he asked her a question. , “Wil You—walt for me? sidered, her eyes aglow. “I'll wait a year—and work while I walt. I won’t walt.ten years, and grow old and lonely while you slave to grow stupid and well-off. I can earn money to furnish a little house in a year. You can buy a lot and build something In a year—I don’¢ care what, so it's—with you!" Popsy looked at them, her wise little head on one side. She began to dance about, clinging to Ford’s hand. “Oh, I know! I know! You are go- ing to get—married.” Frank Barker came up just in time to hear the child. His face set a Ilittle, as he She con- Snndl.v morning, : Popsy- | ¢ She aid |4 - We Won’r Sacrifice Qallty ’ but we are always studying how to Increase The Quantity We give the “most now but.we are anxious to g 1ve more. Phone us and prove it, Best nmd,pépm....-...-.... looked Inquiringly at Ford. Then ho A held his hand out manfuly. “I--believe Popsy's right” answer ed the happy lever. The other man was watching Evie, and said slowly;, “You were always—perfectly faly with me, Evie’ You sald I had no chance—but I never once thought of this—you never showed it.” Evie replied soberly, something like tears in her eyes: “Of course not—had I been—asked to show it?” She ran away into the house, and left Ford to follow her. — Generous Explanation, “What makes Bliggins so exceeding. lysrude in his manner of refusing a request?” “Tender heartedness. He sympa- thizers so Intensely with you that it miakes him nervous and irascible.” At the Ball Game. “And what is that man running for?™ asked young Mrs. Torkins. “He Is trying to get home.” “Dear me! How fond he must be of bis family!"—Washington Star. (4 laowdrm, AQ-pounnl pails. . . ee. o . 1814 R N .ll G Tweedell L eliGgst The best Union Made cigar in town. \ They have stood the test. The Town of Beautiful Location The Town of Progress The Town of Opportunity Inquire About It At,Room 1, Baymondo Bldg., n.keland F]ondl C. D. M°'CAIN, MANAGER wahone 308, . WIIII[ STAR MARI([ D. A. HENDERSON Proprietor Corner Florida & Main Phone 279 The Sanitary Market Florida and Western Meats of All Kinds Fresh Vegetables 4% Mother’s Bread