Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, December 31, 1914, Page 8

[ R V773 “THAT UNLUGKY NUMBER' By WALLACE HORTON. | (Copyright, 1914, by the McClure Newspa- SCENE FROM SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS, AUDITORIUM TOMORROW , MATINEE AND NIGHT. Matinee 3 O’Clock, 25¢, 50c; Night OLIVE'S VACATION —_— e —— By C. P. FISSON. Olive's short holiday was nearly ended, and she did not know how she was going to take up the old life again, it had become so distant during those two weeks. She sat in front of the farmhouse, staring out at the sea. In her hand Prices, 25¢, 50c, T5c, $'.00. Seatson Sale. round you. I guess you don't Know who this young lady is,” he added to the doctor, snarling. “If you ever ! traveled ten miles in your life you'd have seen her name on the posters— . Miss Olive Freyne and Mr. Bert Demp- sey, the famous tango dancers, the Siamese Twins, stage inseparables. Well, Ollie, ready to start?” Doctor Joyce swung round impul- sively. “Are you going back to—that, , Olive?” he whispered, drawing his hardly knew how she got through with the meal. But it ended at last, and once again she found herself outside. And.she gave way to bitter tears. How' differently the homely welcome of these simple folk from the face- tious gibes of Bert Dempsey, her danc- ing partner—Bert Dempsey, his pale face and sleek hair, his talk of affairs, seen through the cynical eyes of the city-bred man, 'whose acqualnhnco' with the world had been only in its least pleasant aspect. And Ralph—the eountry doctor! He would never know that she had learned to care for him during thoul two weeks. She knew that he ad- l breath through his teeth. “I must” she answered, staring | stonily at him. “You—you understand now, and—" “Yes, I understand now—and I have she held a letter from Bert Dempsey. | mired her, but so might any countryi understood from the first, Olive,” he He was coming to take her to Bos- ton, he wrote, and hoped, facetiously, that her rest among the “hayseeds” of Massachusetts would enable her to produce “the live thing” in imitations when she returned to the boards. He was coming at five o’clock that afternoon. At twenty-six Olive was already cel- ebrated throughout the courtry for man admire a woman from a big town, versed in the ways of the world. | It only she could be simple-hearted | again! l I She heard him coming toward her along the piazza, and she dabbed fran- 1 tically at her eyes with her little lace- ‘| edged handkerchiet. He stood beside her, looking down, and Olive looked up at him and tried answered. “Do you think nobody here : knows? My father knows—my moth- ér knows. They wouldn't say any- thing that would seem to contradict { you. But they know that you are a | heaven above such & creature as that” —he turned scornfully to the amazed Mr. Dempsey. “And they know that I want you, Olive. Will you stay with me?” her inimitable parodies of theatrical | to smile. There was an expression of celebrities. Add a talent for dancing which drew crowds wherever she ap- peared, and a face which was not the least of her commercial assets, and one can picture her. Whatever had induced her to cancel her engagement in the middle of the fall season and run away to the remote New England coast, she could not imagine. It might have been a growing dis- taste for the tawdry theatrical life, the hollow shams of enjoyment, the stale company of her fellow actors; or per- | haps some memory of her early days in the lMttle country town where she was born, when the stage had seemed impossibly wicked to her. She had given the impression that slts was a city stenographer to farmer Joyce and his son, Ralph, the young physician, who lived with him. A step at her side made her start and secrete the letter hurriedly. She ' looked up, to see the young doctor at her side. “So you are going to leave us, Miss Freyne?' he asked. “We shall all miss you. But you will come back?” “Perhaps,” she answered vaguely. But she knew that she would never come back. “Well, dinner i{s ready,” he replied, offering her his arm as she rose. “My | alarm upon his face. “You're mad!” shouted Dempsey, fu- ' “You are crying, Miss Freyne,” he eald, assuming the doctor's role. | “Your nerves are still unstrung. You , ought to stay here longer.” ! “How much longer?” she asked, still trying to smile. riously. Olive Freyne looked from one man to the other; and it ever the old lite had held her in its spell, the spell was broken in that moment. She did not epeak, but she looked | “Forever,” he answered. you to be my wife, Olive.” “I want Then seeing the frightened look im her eyes, he kneeled down beside her | and put his arms about her. | “I love you, dear,” he sald, “and I want to make your life happy. I know it has not been happy. I can see that. ;1 don’t want you ever to tell me any- thing—just stay here with me. You will grow used to this little village. You are made for the country.” “Yes,” she said. “But you don't un- ' | derstand, Ralph.” 1 That was the first time she had called him Ralph, and the word came to her lips so easily. “I don't want to understand any- | thing you don’'t wish me to,” he an- swered. “Won't you think it over— and stay here until you decide?” | Suddenly she found herselt sobbing | in his arms. How strong and protect- l ing he seemed. She put her head against his shoulder and let it rest there. Oh, if only she might; if only she dared! How long she lay there she never knew. It might have been five min- utes or fifteen. She was aroused by hearing a quiet step behind her, and, freeing herself, looked round to to see Mr. Bert Dempsey standing there. There was a sneer on his heavy face, and he looked as though he had been drinking; at any rate, he was ripe for trouble. steadily at Ralph, and there was a look in her eyes that told him better than words could tell what her dect- sion was. “Get out!” said the doctor to Mr. Dempsey. And Mr. Dempsey “got.”” * He “got,” snarling and muttering threats of legal aetion. But Olive hardly heard him, for there was a sure shield of her lover’s arms about her. (Copyright, 1914, by W. G. Chapman.) Choice Locations. “I'm going to let you in on the ground floor of this proposition,” sald | the man with a prospectus. “Don't expect me to interest my- self,” replied Mr. Cumrox. “I couldn’t be tempted with anything less than' a reserved seat in the board of di- rectors.” His. Excuse. Old Bullion—Don’t you think, sir, that you are rather impudent to ask for the hand of my daughter? Mr. Nocash — Y-e-s, sir, and 1 wouldn't have dome it if she hadn’t positively refused to ask you herself. —New York Weekly. CALLS ONLY FOR REMNANTS Handy Case for Shaving Papers Can | Be Made Attractive at Very Little Expense. Our sketch shows a handy little per Syndicate.) Mrs. Garvin surveyed the dining table with delighted eyes. Certainly there was little to complain of in that daintily conceived decoration for the coming of an honored guest b Sir John Vance, the great matinee hero and exponent of the drama, was coming in for high tea, together with a notable number of well-known per- sons. Sunday evening being the only .time when theatrical stars were free, Mrs. Garvin had chosen that night for -their entertainment. She fluttered about the table like a small bird twittering over a re- splendent flower bed and hoped that nothing would occur to mar the beauty of an expected joyous evening. Mrs. Garvin and her retinue of servants had spent much time and thought over the decorations suitable for an eminent actor, and the result was gratifying at least. The center of the table was a mass of laurel, and around it were placed fourteen little manikins representing Sir John in various parts through which he had won his fame. The little figures seemed to stroll about the table. A few moments later the doorbell rang and the first of the twelve ex- pected guests arrived. Sir John Vance followed, and soon all save one of the fourteen visitors were safely under the roof of their hostess. When another quarter of an hour had passed Mrs. Garvin became anxious lest something direful had happened to Drina Warden that would prevent her coming and thus upset the entire table arrange- ments. Another moment and the telephone rang. Drina could not come and there would of necessity be a vacant place at the table. Mrs, Garvin sighed. But since there was no chance of getting another guest at that late time she followed her party into the dining room, her fingers resting lightly on the arm of Sir John. ¢ “I wanted Drina Warden especially —to meet you,” she told him with dainty flattery in her eyes. “It is her loss, however, that she is unable to be here.” The great actor rewarded her flat- tery with his whimsical smile. “I can assure you I will not notice the absence of—anyone,” he returned, and Mrs. Garvin blushed prettily. “It cuts our number down to thir- teen, though,” she said laughingly. “I hope you are not: superstitious, 8ir John,” she added. and was startled by a quick glance he cast over the guests. “But 1 am,” Sir John told her frankly, “I cannot sit down with thir- teen at table. The greatest loss 1§ have sustained in my life followed such an occurrence. Do ask some one ! in; it does not matter who.” Miges Gray, the children’s nurse, pro- tested in vain. “You look as sweet as a new-blown rose in that pink blouse,” Mrs, Garvin told her. Enid Gray was flushed and inwardly trembling as Mrs Garvin pulled her by the hamd into that assemblage of notable people, but outwardly she ex- pressed the ealm of a placid lake, The ordeal of presentation was most try- ing, and only when the was seated be- side the guest of hener did she find time to realize that she was not dream- ing. He had offered her the flower | from his lapel the moment she had seated herself. “That {8 for being a goocd girl,” he told her with his delightful smile. “I would have had to miss this high tea Mrs. Garvin invited me to had you not completed our number.’ And since the ice had been broken in so effective a manner tea proceed- ed with more merriment than it would have had Drina Warden graced the table with her presence. Later when tlie guests returned to 1 S L*t Us Be Yo CETOITNVID We handle only fresh goods and we keep a f of Fresh Meats, Includ Nice Steaks, Roasts, Chops, Break Hams, Brains, Chickens, Vegeta Our Specialty. *9.’)”4 ] Hecac A’ inciuding Vegetables, Soups, etc. Lo A a0 8% “Don’t fail to see us” before having your Electrical wo We'can save you money and give yo **stuff’’ than you have been getting,\ a little less money. T.'L.CARDWELL, Electrical C EVERYTHING ELE CTR¥ PHONE 233 Wast Main Straat and Naw York KELLEYS Plymou BOTH | Better now t High class b reasonable prid high class pens Write ‘me befo where, H. L. KELLE “Oho!” he cried. “So now I under- stand why you wanted to stay on here, Belle! Hope you are enjoying your- self, I'm sure!” case for holding shaving papers or; the drawing room, each carrying a cloths, which can be made with any | manikin representing Sir John, Miss dainty little remnant of satin and | Gray would have slipped off to the bound at the edges with narrow rib- | nursery had not Mrs. Garvin detained “Mope You Are Enjoying Youreelf, I'm Sure.” mother will miss you—we shall all wiss you,” he reiterated. 0ld Mrs. Joyce kissed Olive as she entered the parior. “l declare, I don't know how we shall get along without you,” she said. “It's as good as a play bhaving you bon. The particular case from which our sketch was drawn was carrfed out in Olive saw that Doctor Joyce's face was very white. There was a steady fire of anger in his eyes as he turned i upon the intruder. cream-colored satin on which ap- “Is this what I don’t understand, l peared a pretty little design of pink Miss Freyne?' he inquired. “If this ! blossoms and leaves of various shades gentleman has any right to speak to you in this manner, I shall' apologize to him, much as it is distasteful to me.” “You'd better,” sneered Mr. Demp- sey.. “T don't stand for a country jay hke you playing the focl with my Olive.” “Your flance?” inquired the doctor, coldly. “No, no!" cried Olive, hysterically. “You don’t understand, Doctor Joyce.” “I've had my arms round her eyery | evening for the past two years,” ob- | served Mr. Dempsey, enjoying the doc- tor's discomfiture, “and when 1 888 - o¢ green The ribbon sedected to bind another fellow doing the same, I'M . the cage matched exactly the color of | naturally curious to know why.” the blossowms. Doctor Joyce did not deign to u:-l In making the case the material is swer, but turned to the girl. | cut out in the shape in the dlagram sround—no offense meant, my dear.| «Misy Freyne, will you please tell | on the right of the illustration, about But you are such good company. And | g whether that statement is true? | gix and ome half inches wide, and Ralph—" he asked. “If so, permit me to take ' folded at the points indicated by the Ralph was studying his plate. Pres-| 1y geparture and express my regrets. dotted lines. The portion marked A ently Farmer Joyce came stamping in and sat down to his meal. “Weil, Miss Freyne, I guess you back to your of- But I have a right to kuow.” “Yes. it is true.” answered Olive. “Sure! mmmwm.mm C is folded upwards om to in,” observed Mr. Dempsey. B and sewn down at the her. “No, no,” she commanded, putting ! a determined hend on that of ‘Enid Gray, “I want you to sing those sweet little lullaby songs you do for the kiddies. Sir John is very fond of music, he tells me, and none of us can sing a note.” When Enid retired to her room that night her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks flushed. She still felt the warm thrill that had swept over her when Sir John had drawn her hand close within hie own and the look in his eyes when he had said to her, “I have always regretted my superstition—un~ til tonight. Now—it is a most wonder ful asset.” Feared for Grandpa. Walter, aged three, was takem by his grandfather to see a great factory. As they were finishing their tour of imspection his grandfather happened: to notice that it was within a few minutes of noon. Taking out his watch, he said: “Now, Walter, keep your eyes om the hands of my watch and when both | of them point straight to the top something will happen.” Walter watched eagerly and just at the minute that the handa came to~ gether the great factory whistle. sounded a deafening hiast: Walter’s eyes danced-far aninstant, and then an awful fear overtook: him. “But, grandpa.” he gasped, - “what would they do to yom.it they knes. yom. ad thatllsan o~ oA — \ f Fresh Eggs Fre Fresh Vegetal Fresh Meat FRESH BUTTER--Infa is Fresh at our Store e accommodating force o We wish our Frien Happy New and Solicit their B Edmonson & 'I'Hg BIGIPURE FOOD STORE PHONE ©3- We Keep Fresh I anything in Can Goods that you may ..Is ¢~ buy your goods where You can get the mosfh That place is the grocery of ] . G. TWELL