Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, August 11, 1913, Page 7

THE EVENING TELEGRAM, LAR ELAND, FLA, AUG. U, 191s. | you, Miss Benton?” he asked, detain- WILL SING FOR YOUI Il the other world-famous sing- have a VICTROLA. xclusive agents for the Victor ing Machines, $15.00 and up, sy Payments. LAND BOOK 'STORE Benford & Steitz LE & HULL g agents forthe celebrated t & Co’s line of Wedding In- s, Letter |[Heads, Business ting Cards. We Invite you d .see our samples. E & HULL Optemetrists Phone 173 'aacland, Ne. )asure To Show Goods” D;:' g / ir’i ‘ i iy w:'v ,“LHH' [AND goes out to the man whe has MONBY IN Money in the bank enables yeu te earry eut yeur pt others te jeim yew put in am enterprise. Try te dea] witheut some MONRY OF YOUR OWN; Try it with SOME MONBY that is eure; you y ADVISE YOU en business matters, an time, our Banking With Us National Bank F LAKELAND Life of Linen lnundry work s whot Joo @ boching b od wanghig, Try m : "i, nd Steam Laundry r Fire Insurance EE———— ANN & DEEN m 7, Raymondo Bldg. / R VS S upas——— LITTLE CINDERELLA She Was Used as a Foil for a More Fortunate Cousin. By H. N. EGBERT. - Cinderella was a foil for Beatrice. That, perhaps, was the real reason why Mrs. Lanham, who had never been known to do an unselfish act, surprised her intimates by asking her little orphaned niece to make her home with her after her brother's death. Esther and Oliver Bepton had grown up together in the same home in Ohio, and Oliver had supported his widowed mother and sister until Esther’'s brilliant marriage to a wealthy lawyer. The Lanhams had gone up in the world and when Mr. Lanham died he was one.of the rich- est corporation lawyers in the coun- try. Esther mourned her husband de- cently for a year; then she moved to New York and soon became a member of the rich and not very intellectual soclety that finds its doings recorded daily in the newspapers. Why Mrs, Lanham should have ta- ken little Cinderella—whose real name was Elizabeth—into her home was a mystery until Mrs. Bentham- Jenkins solved it. “Why, my dear, the reason is per pectly obvious,” she said to a friend. “I% is only necessary to look at the children’s faces. Did you ever see & more glaring contrast between beauty sad homeliness? Beauty and the Beast, I should call it; and that char- ity child wen't improve with years, either.” Elizabeth heard it and ran away to ery. But she had always known in- stinctively that the difference between herself and Beatrice was as that be- tween darkness and daylight, Beatrice had an abundance of flaxen hair, mer- ry blue eyes, a contagious laugh, and o figure which gave promise of that | quality which is called “svelts.” Eliza- beth was thin and sallow and lanky, llld nobody ever stopped to admire her as they did her cousin, Perhaps this was partly due to the fact that Elisabeth wore Beatrice's oast-off dresses, after the trimmings had been removed and a certain dowd: iness imparted by Mrs. Lanham's deft fingers. That excellent woman knew' the valwe of a foil for her daughter, l Weould Dross Horself in the Gewn. particularly now that Beatrice was of a marriageable age. Beatrice was kinder. Once she gave Elizabeth one of her cast-off ball gowns. “Some day you may be invited te & bell,’ she said, with innocent scorm, “and then you will be glad to have semething to wear. But don‘t tell mamma or she will be angry. She did not know that little Cinder- olla treasured in her room a pair of Beatrice’s old slippers which she had rescued from the lumber room just as its contents were about to be thrown away. In the seclusion of her little attic ehamber she would dress herself ia the gown and in imagination she would be the belle of some ball, the admiration of all eyes. But nobody ever invited Cinderella to a ball; first, because she was only a sort of com- panion and never met anybody; see ondly, because it was understoeod that after Beatrice’'s marriage she was te g0 out inte the world and werk for her lving. And that date, toward which Cinder- ella looked forward with rapturous anticipation, was likely te be long delayed, if one could believe in signs. Lester Martin had been a frequent caller at Mrs. Lanham’s house of re- cent weeks. Martin was the soa of old Roger Martin, the banker, but he was more than that, although it eount- ed for less with Mrs. Lanham—count- ed for nothing at all, in fact. He was the most famous architect in Ameri- ca and was the man who had designed the new frieze for the state capitol. He was always very kind to Klisabeth, and because he the only person who ever noticed "her she longed for ing her. Elizabeth did not know what to say, 80 she said nothing. “You dear little Cinderella,” said Lester Martin, and bent down and kissed her. How she got out of the room Hlisa- beth did not know, but she was in her room at last, and sobbing as though her heart would break. She cried wildly for hours, until Beatrice came in and found her there. Beatrice was too much excited to fio- tice Elizabeth’s red eyes. She began chattering about Lester. “Mamma thinks that he is in love with me,” she said. “She says he wouldn’t come here so much if he wasn't. And it will be such a fine match for me, for his father is worthl & cool ten millions, and I shall have carriages and autos and go to Paris each year and—" “Do you love him, quired Elizabeth, “I don't know. I guess I could,” gaid Beatrice, whirling about. “Mam- ma says you needn’t come down to- night because we are having guests.” She came back presently. “Do you know old Roger Lester is giving a fancy dress ball next month?" she asked. ‘“Yes, the invitations have just come. And, oh, I forgot to say that there is one for you, Mamma has written accepting for me and declin- ing for you.” When she was gone the girl gave way to an access of unrestrained grief. For the first time rebellious thoughts came into her mind. Lester loved her, Else why had he kissed her? No man ever kissed her before, To kiss meant, In her simple yview, to plight one'’s troth for ever. Or had he been play- ing with her? It was obvious that he meant to marry Beatrice; but then he must have had & passing affection for her, Suddenly an amazing plan took root within her. She would go to, the ball. She had never been to a ball, but why should she not go once? It was to be a fancy dress and nobody would recognize her, masked and dis- guised. There was Beatrice's dress, but that had been altered and Beatrice had had so many dresses that she would never remember that one. And there were Beatrice’s elippers, She trod on air during the next four weeks. She went so happily about her duties that more than once she caught sight of Mrs. Lanham surveying her with amazed disapproval. At last the night of the ball arrived. “You need not sit up for us,” said Mrs. Lanham condescendingly, “We shall probably not be back until late, and you must be up early in the morn- ing to accompany the parlor maid to the station to put her on the train. Poor Mary could never find her way about the streets alone.” Mary, the parlor maid, was going home to pay a visit to her sick mother, But Elizabeth did not care, for her Beatrice?” in- heart was beating wildly from sheer |*® ecstacy. When the auto rolled away she hurried upstairs and slipped into the ball dress and slippere. Then, with her head and shoulders shrouded in her wrap she went into the street and entered a street car. Nobody stopped her at the door. Masked, among & hundred other masked women, her presence excited no comment, She recognized Beatrice, in her creation of filmy white, and her aunt, seated among the chaperons and | watching her daughter with an expres- sion of admiration in her eyes. But nobody dreamed that Cinderella was there. It was ten o'clock. Two hours | —and then she must go home as silently as she had left, The music intoxicated her. Eliza- beth could dance divinely. The little drudge was in heaven as one partner after another took her upon his arm and swung her out among the dancing couples. But when she saw Lester ap- proach and gravely ask her, her head swam and her eyes fillcd with sudden tears. “Shall we go into the conserva tory?” he asked, when the muslo stopped. He offered her his arm. At the door of the ballroom they passed Beatrice and her mother. Thelr eyes rested on her, and with a sudden ter ror Elizabeth per:eived that she was recognized. Mrs. Lanham rose to her feet with an exclamation of anger, and, over coming herself with an effort, scowled at her. Elizabeth trerabled with fear. She had not calculated upon the after- math. “What is the matter?’ Lester asked, as they sat down. “You are not feel- ing well? May I get you a glass of water?” She shook her head. Lester placed his hand upon hers. “Do you think I do not know who you are, Cinderella? he asked, “for all that mask? Bee if I can guess. You are Miss Benton and you ran away to the dance because Gorgom would not let you go.” “And I can never go home,” sald Elizabeth im panic. “She recognised me. I had never been to a ball be fore and I ocould met bear not to just once. I don't knew what I shall do.” “I'll tell you,” said Lester. “You need never go home agaln if you will mATTy me.” He mistook the look in her eyes. “0, Cindereila,” he eried, stretching out his arms lengingly, “I love you with all my soul. It was you I went to ses, not Miss Lemham. I know all about your eircumstaness and your un- happy lite. But, Cinderella, I want you for my own, and I know a clergy- man over in Jersey whe doesa’t go to bed till tweive, and if we take a taxh oab we can just make it WII you WHY SAFER ' THAN CASH Paying by checks is not only more convenient than pay- ing in cash, but it is safer, because it eliminates risk of loss. Your account subject to check--large or small--is cordially invited. AMERICAN STATE BANK J. L SKIPPER P.E. CGHUNN President Cashier JUONIGN GARAGE.. P. D. LOGAN, Prop. Ail Makes of Automobilesand Self Starters and Lighting Systems Correctly Repaired. Tires, Inner Tubes and Full Line of Supplies on Hand. Your Patronage Solicited, Phone 65 W. 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