Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-03-12
Lady ,ssm a.nure,p-so glad y0u .s. tn.

J
one bit in all these eighteen yean Its in
credible, Ellie. When look at you car
hardly trust my OWE memory. It can't b
more than eighteen years since w two bot
headed young things, almost on the eve Of
I cur wedding day, quarreled about nothing
and made . shipwreck Of our lives
Lady tspiritediy,-I did nothing Ct thu
kind You've no right to say such = thing
l have had the happiest sort Of life. Ny
children are perfect darlings; my husband
was the very best man IN the world; my
only SORROW was
Knight-His death, Exactly Iexpectsi
you to say 50. OF course, you were sorry
about it. You are good woman, certainly
You mourned for him; but time Is q
wonderful healer, and you soon outlived youl
grief
Lady rising indignantly)-You shall no,
speak to me in such a way; wont listen to
YOU
Knight tcslmlyl-Sit down Ellie, I'll apol-
ogize; it wasn't soon, but you have outliyesi
it Why. child. its the way Of the world,
one outlives everything. Ellie, how young
you are, in spite OF your-how manyi-years.
When you throw up your head in that old
way fancy myself hack ON your uncles old
porch in Chester; You We're very willful
girl, Helen
Lady with heightened color)-I am a very
willful woman
knight Qaughing)-I haven't the slightest
doubt OK 1t, my dear; fortunately, | can
manage willfulness-and you-better than
did in my callow days Seriously, Helen. l
have something to say to You; We didn't
meet by accident. / was waiting for You,
waiting ~ say it. Your train hadn't gone, l
lied TO you. Yes, did: don't look angry,
listen and hear the old story. Ellie, answer
the old question: came to-day to ask it
Lady IEurriedly, glancins about distract
ediyl-O, hush, hush; do hush; some one will
surely, surely hear you,
During the last few sentences elderly
party in glasses, torn by the conflicting emo
tons, feminine sense of honor always soak,
feminine love Of romance always stroi.g has
alternately fidgetei to proclaim her presence
and remained breathless 70 conceal it At
this appeal honor triumphs and she heroic
ally and noisly drops her sun-umbrella,
which Knight picks up and returns with a
polite bow. Thus admitted TO his con:idencs
Z casts honor t. the winds, and leaning
forward shamelessly. anxiously, eagerly,
sympsthizingly listensD
knight with perfect calml-Le any one
hear. let the whole world hear. told you
honestly years ago. l repeat it as honestly
to-day-I love you, Helen; will you be my
wife.
Lady lblushing painfully you don't
know what You are saying; you can't mean
1t; you can't be serious; You haven't loved
me al this time
Knight tstill ealmly)-No. my dear, !
haven't
Lady fndignantlyl-Then why do you
want to marry met You only saw me last
evening You La Init chance to fall in
love with ME if you forgot me the minute We
parted
Knight Gaughing,-O, the righteousness of
feminine logic! My darling girl, who said
that forgot you the minute We partedi
haven't gone about the worll weeping for
You all the time. but, believe me most truly,
have loved no other woman. After our
FOOLISH, silly little quarrel and our still mora
foolish parting. was miserable.
Lady--Why did you rush of to Europes
Knight-Why didn't yo. stop M, One
sord would have been enough. I. WAS iool-
sh If had staid in New YORK vs.. ksse
-kissed and made up in a week
Lady-You must think l was very for
giving; itwa. ail your fault, to begin with
knight-Graa,ed
Lady-Well, of course, was silly and dis
agreeable AMI obstinate. I'm 50 sorry, Tom;
but you went away, and / thought you
didn't care, and -
knight tdryly) - And a good, stupid, rich
old man came along and-and you married
him!
Lady with dignityl-Our conversation
had LOT
speaking to wife Of her husband Takes
up her book and begins to read knight
studies the head of his cane mcodily. A
long pause.)
Knight suppose you are right about ii.
Ill try not TO offend again. When look az
you l forget-everythins! Well, | went to
Europe, AMI if hadn't been afraid OF your
laughing at me I'd have come back Oh the
-aIne steamer.
Lady-O! Tom. if you only hadi
knights | wrote you a letter.
Lady texcitedlyl-Tomi | never got it!
Knight (compos.jly) Il never sent It; the
day it would have left fathers letter came
from New York, telling me of your new be-
trothal
l.ady-Yuu might have saved me.
knight-From marrying the lost man in
Il
had known your most excellent and respect
able husband FOR many year,. The same
woman could Il love him and me IL YOU
intended 10 marry MN without loving him.
why, it was poor lookout for him, but that
did me no good.
LAZY (pieadingiyl-Tom, | was 40 very
miserable. AMI he was really very good to
lie and-you had left me, Tom.
kniSht-lielen, YOU said you never wanted
To sec my face again Well, spent my
miserable quarter of an hour, then ! bracei
up, hal charming trip went every where,
saw everything, staid four years. came back
cured Fathers death has let ne SO rich
rs to lie an idier for life lam an eligible
pettsd and made much of. I've got deal
of pleasure out OF life never quite forgot
you, Helen, but didn't gr:eve for you any
more than | did for poor Jack You remem
Der Jack. Elliei
Lady teagerly)-And how you held me on
his tack, Tom
knisht-And how you screamed when he
began 10 trot
Lady-But hung on; tina. was the first
time i ever saw you
knight docking at her titoughtfuily--
You've changed since then; you wore your
hair in pigtail
Lady-Which YOU and Jim used to pull
Knight You were badly freckled then /
never saw you looking prettier than you do
to-day.
Lady with pleased little ,aughl-Absurd.
In spite Of my how many years. and all
knigbt-Anl alli Now, ! suppose | should
say that when heard you had ceased to 10
forbidden fruit AL the old feelings came
.s..txt
wasn't III
look sadl-Yss last February. What dii
you say;
Knight-You won't 10 angry ayainI
think ! probably said -Poor old duffer!
Well, he wasn't chicken" or words to that
effect.
Lady dissustedlyl-Is that the way men
talk Of each other
knight-That, | regret u OWE. is very
much the way in which men talk OF each
other at clubs
Lady-Thea l wouldn't go 50 much u
clubs
Knight shall not in future; shall Inly
60 where can take you
Lady ignoring last r-msrkl--Wers you
glad when you heard,
knisht-So, not until last winter.
lady-iAst winter!
knight-You see, Helen, yon were
widow with two children l supposed, OF
course, YOU we're old and faxed
Lady indignsntly)-oli And faded!
Knight most abiect!y--My dearest Ellie
said suppos.d ell, you dii not perhaps no
tee the edi II J had thought /; possible You
oOuld still lie % delic.ously pretty Gady
blusses most charminslyi Id, why, IL have
flown 70 You,
IAdy-Ani last winteri
Knight saw Jim the other day a, the
Philadelphia club and be happ.szei % SAY,