Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, December 29, 1914, Page 2

RAMBLER AUTO SERVICE CARS FOR HIRE PHONE 274-RE D FOUND OUT TOMMY By H. M. EGBERT. Vu lcanizing Done at 711 E.Qak t | M SddSd b ddd st | The Ideal Christmas Remembrance The personal thought — spirit of the giving, de- termines the value of the gift. What] then, could be more fitticg than your portrait for the Christ- mas remembrance —t o carrvy your simple mes- sage of friendship? A dozen portraits solves, at once, a dozen perplexing gift problems. Hinke Photographer Tampa 513 1-2 Franklin Street {Lakeland Pender;s 01d Studio Studio now open every day Make an appointment today DO YOU TOILET PREPARA. , TIONS? & We insure that our Marinello find the i)%ggcglisva:s the most economical can only be purchased here, Shampooing WANT PURE prenumtlons c‘?ntaln no harmful cla lnello ‘toilet preparations Facial Treatment Electrolysis Halr Dressing Manlouring Scalp Treatment INELLO SHOPS Room 103 Dyches Bidg. Lakeland. Fia. MAR Phone 412 OUR SHIELD 4 IS OUR MOTTO Which is proven by our six years success in Lakeland. Maker of the National Steel reinforced concrete Burial Vault .Building Blocks of all discrip- tions. Red Cement, Pressed Brick, White Brick, Pier Blocks, 3 ‘nd 4 inch Drain Txle, 6 7 and 8-ft Fench Post; in fact anything made of Cement. | FLORIDNNATIONAL VAULT CO To Our Patrons: PLEASE PHONE Us to get your Work not later than 9 o’clock Wednesday morning, in order to give you the best service during the Season's rush. Lakeland Dry Cleaning ——PLANT—— PHONE 405 Cor. N. Tenn, and Pine St. For Good Dry STOVE WOOD Phone 201-Red or 18 We will do the rest. W.J WARING What Mildred Carter saw in Tommy Leeson nobody had ever been able to dllcmr. Tommy was a little pale- fuood, freckled, insignificant sort of chap, with a passion for old armor, and Mildred was one of those fine, strapping women who no sooner set foot in a ballroom or anywhere else but they form the nucleus of a crowd of admirers. Tommy had a million or two, but then Roy Thornton had about as much, and everybody knew that Mildred could have had Roy as soon as she dropped her glove. I think it was the disparity between them that attracted Mildred. Tommy was too shy to come at her beck and call, and she mistook it for indif- ference. Anyway, she must have found him out soon, because, by the time they were back from their honey- moon in Europe, she was treating him like a dog. They rented an old place in the Catskills, a sort of heirloom of a place full of old armor, which Tommy spent all his days cataloguing, and Mildred gathered the usual crowd around her. They were a pretty fast set, and Tommy seemed to be the most insignificant person there, I had always liked both Tommy and Mildred, and I knew she was a decent sort of a girl at heart. So I went to Tommy frankly. “Look here, old man,” I saild, “if you'll excuse an old friend's interfer- ence in what ought to be your private affair but isn’t, you're in danger of losing that wife of yours. Why don’t you bundle Thornton and the rest of that crowd out of the house?” “Mildred likes them,” 'rommy an- Bwered, turning a white facé on mé. Then he went on with his catnloguing One night, when Tommy was seated his room, busy with his hobby, I found out how matters stood. I had left Mildred and Thornton on the ter- race, and, happening to go out with my cigar, intending to take a smoke in Thornton Looked Like a Ragged Beggar. and think things over, 1 suddenly heard their voices on the walk below e. “Why don't you leave him, dear?” Thornton was asking. “You can get a divorce out west. Everybody does " I could not hear her answer, but the tones were very tender. I told Tommy. “Tommy,” I said, “if you love your wife, you will save her from herself. It isn't you you have to think of, but Mildred. Suppose she was being at- tacked by a savage cur and couldn’t fight it off—wouldn’t you act then?" I didn’t know how much impression my words had made until the next evening. I had gone off for a stroll— there wasn’t much company for me at that period—and when I came home I saw a singular spectacle. Mildred was stundlng by the drawing-room window, very eréct, very white, with her fists glgnchgg. Thornton wag leaning with 8asy insoficiance against the mantel, while Tommy stood by the door. He was trembling with anger, but he saw me and called me in. “Don’t go, old man,” he said; want you here.” Then he turned to Thornton again. “I'll repeat for Jack's benefit what I have just said to you,” he exclaimed. “You have told me frankly that you want Mildred. The only reason why 1 refuse to give her to you is that I don't believe you have any more ca- pacity to be true to her than you had to be true to me. But if you want her, I will fight you for her, as you humorou-ly suggested.” “My dear Tommy,” drawled Thorn- ton, “of course I'll fight you it you want me to. But I don't want to hurt you, and I'm afraid I'm rather a bet- ter boxer than you ure. So you'll have to choose some weapon which will give us an equal advantage—mush- rooms, for example, or poisoned pills.” “How about swords?" asked Tommy, still quivering. “My dear Tommy, I didn't know your studies of the antique included the art of swordmanship,” Thornton answered, “but as I happen to know something about it—" “There are two folls in the hall,” sald Tommy. “We can remove the buttons. Will you be In the stables at seven? “Sure,” grinned Thornton. | Mildred intervened with a passion- ate exclamation. . “It's all right, dear,” Thornton as- sured her. “It isn’t nice to fight about ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— L —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— — aeeea® - | THE EVENING TELEGRAM LAKELAND, FLA., DEC. 29, 1914 you, but Tommy understands the situ- l ation, and it will be easy just to plnk him in the arm without hurting him | much.” 1 was sorry for Tommy. I was . afrald he would find himself unequal ; to the task he had set himself, buti when I went to his room I found him ! gazing smilingly at a couple of foils, from which he had just removed tho buttons. They were thin, flexlhloI ‘weapons, with which it would be hard to do much damage, unless one got the polnt at such an angle that it would make a clean thrust. I thon‘ht Tommy would get a scratch or two and that that would end the affair, “Tommy,” I said, grasping his hand, “I belleve, under the circumstances, you are doing the right thing. But do you know anything about swordsman- ship?”’ “I had a few lessons in Paris,” he replied, and took me by the arm. “Jack,” he said, “I'm going to win. I know it—because I've got to save Milk dred from that blackguard.” ‘““Suppose she doesn’t keep the agree- ment,” I thought, but I didn't say any- thing. 1 was resolved to watch the duel pretty closely, and to step in and thrust up the weapons the minute either man was in serious danger. So at seven o'clock I went with Tommy to the stables. Mildred and Thornton were already there. He had buttoned up his coat, and he took my foil with a business- like air which made me fear for Tommy. I believed the cur had planned to do something mean. He was too much of a coward to kill hifa, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had cut his face about, to disfigure him. As for Mildred, she was standing back against the wall and watching both men with a singular expression; she seemed like a person dreaming, and certainly there was no look of love upon her face for Thornton. I {k she had become é’ongcloug of evi pnrt But she was too game call the affair off. “Remember, gentlemen,” I said, as I placed the men in position and drew the foil buttons from my pocket, “in case of accident we swear that the buttons came off accidentally. That's understood? Then get ready!” They toed the chalk lines I had drawn, and I lowered my cane. For half a minute the thrusts and parries were so swiftly given that it was impossible to see who was the better fencer. Then I saw a look of surprise come out on Thornton’s face. Tommy was at least his equal with the weapon. Thornton seemed to be devoting all his efforts to guarding his face, for he held himself well back, while at the same time he exposed his body rather carelessly. Suddenly 1 saw Tommy's blade dart forward. It seemd to go through Thornton's chest. Evidently it had passed under his arm, for Thornton did not appear wounded. I saw Tommy set his teeth as he renewed the attack; and then it dawned on me that he had Thorn- ton at his mercy. To my surprise Tommy began to fence in a very curious way. He used his foil now something in the manner of a sword, making a succession of sweeping alashes, at the same time adroitly parrying Thornton’s lunges. All at once a ribbon of cloth flew out of Thornton's coat. The blade had come within a quarter-inch of cutting him open. Swish! A second ribbon flew in the opposite direction. Then a third and.a fourth and a fifth followed, until Thornton’s coat hung in ribbons about him. There was a ghastly look on Thorn- ton's face. I thought then that it was due to Tommy’s Incredible swordsmanship. But it wasn't. Slash! Swish! Slash! Thornton looked like a ragged beggar. The coat was all gone in front, and now etrips of walstcoat and shirt began to follow it. And then a gentle rasping sound became audible. The foil point seemed to be striking metal. An in- stant later a last slash from Tommy's foll gent the rest of Thornton’s shirt- front flying, disclosing—a tightly-fit- ting breastplate of flexible chain armor which hung on one of the dummy fig- _'u;;g%ln an obscure place in the hall. The toward had put this on beneath his shirt. No wonder he had guarded his face so carefully and exposed his body! In spite of my close attention to the fight, I managed to steal a glance at Mildred. All through the duel she had clung to the wall; but now she started forward and stood, with parted lips, staring at Thornton. Tommy had resumed his ordinary method of holding his weapon, and was quietly parrying Thornton’s sav- age thrusts. I stepped between them and held up my cane. “That's all!” I sald, and Tommy lowered his point. As he did so Thornton lunged with his foil. The point caught Tommy under the collar- bone and went clean through. Thorn- ton pulled out the blade and Tommy toppled over. “Sorry, Mildred,” said Thornton in a shaking voice. He drew her aside. “What will become of me?” he whis- pered. “T'll have to go.” He turned to me. “Have I killed him?” he asked. He was ashen pale and his knees would hardly support him. “No, you cowardly dog,” I answered —for the wound was not a serious one and the small opening had already ceased to bleed. “Small thanks to you,” I added. “Get out!” But Mildred had pushed past him and flung herself upon her knees at Tommy’s side. “Tommy!” she whispered, head upon her knee. “Tommy!” Then I knew that Thornton would his never trouble Tommy's peace again. : Shones: (Copyright, 1914, by W. G. 1915 Looking Forward Let’s be Boosters for the Coming Tell folks that you live in t BEST TOWN, THE BEST STATE and BEST COUNTRY ON THE GLd BELIEVE IT TOO! Become a Customer of the livest ware Store and you will surel a Booster for the Model Hardware C Phone No. 340 LA PBI MRS. H. M. COWLES, Prop. Under New Management. Refurnishedand thoroughly renovated, and everything Clean, Comfortable and First-class. Diniug Rcom’ Seivice,Unexcelled. Rates Reasonable. Y ur Patronage Cordially Invited. : SEFPFEEEPEREE PRI R R R IR {Whether It%is A Bound Book # Pamphlets Letter Heads Bill Heads Envelopes Business Cards Calling Cards Invitations Programs Or Anything that Is to be Printed Remember the Evening Telegram’s Job Office Is one of the BEST Equipped in the State and will be glad to take your order. Superior Work Quick Service Reasonable Prices Is Our Slogan Phone 37 Evening Telegrem Buildin Head of Main Street —u i Fresh Apalachicola 2 5 Oysters 50c qt; ptliuc Try our Home-made Peanut Brittle and Chocolate Fudge H. O. DENNY Elliston Building. PHONE 226. Prompt Del. L. W.YARNELL LIGHT AND HEAVY HAULING HOUSEHOLD MOVING A SPECIALTY HORSES AND MULES FOR HIRE Office 109; Res,, 57 Green . MAIN ST. and FLORIDA AVE. Lake Mirror Hotel b {rgp 1¢ IT'S SO! C. E. TOD ¥ GROCERI We are at your service fo carried by an Up-to-date Phone orders glven promp W.J.REDEL PH FISCHER ¢ | ESTABLISHED SINCE 18 Equipped with Modern chinery we are able to do at Short Notice. We use and Guarantee all Work at Satisfactory Also a fine line of RATTLESNAKE and BELTS. POCKETBOOKS, Shoe®, Han Work Called for and Delive We pay Parcel Post charges one way, amounting to $1.00 or over PH FISCHER & S( SO. LA. AVE, Begin the New Year Wear Our Stylish and Co Fitting Shoes If it is STYLE and COMFOR'T COME to US. Introduce your Feet to CORRFCT F Our SHOE REPARIRING DBE MENT is in charge of an EXPEF work done NEATLY and PRO "ICK SERVICE ou: specialty. LLED for and DELIERED. DUTTON-HARRIS C( 123 Kentucky Ave. FOOTFITTERS Shoes that Fit QU CA Beautify your La Let us tell you ho Little it will cost. g W Lakeland Paving and Construc 207 to 216 Main St.