Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-04

counrer ana narIene1 the asyonisned youtt
against tine shelves behind
A crowd collected in moment Drunk,
| said one; Mad said another; and thost
behind began to press forward, and those In
front to sheer away. In truth, this gaunt
creature with the flaming eyes looked VIC
lent enough for anything. Amid q general
clamor for the police, the proprietor Of the
shop fortunately appeared on the scene. He
was not going to have q fuss made there, be
said: so Bond was hustled into the street.
He turned when he got clear OF the crowd
Tried, poor thing,' he shouted back.
ABut she was acquitted I swear she was
acquitted"
-Sne was guilty, though cried the assist
ant, viciously shaking his fist from thu
doorway.
shut up, you idiot" cried the proprie-
tor. And shaking the youth by the shoul-
ders. he pushed him back into the shop.
Bond scarcely knew how he got back tu
his rooms His pile Of manuscript Law on
the table; the cat sat purring before the
fire; everything was precisely as he had left
it But OH how different it all seemed, He
dropped into a chair, and the veins stood
out in his pale forehead, and his hands
worked convulsively. Eulalie in q felon's
dock, Could men be so mad, so cruel, 50 un-
just! 1t was impossible.
One solitary idea now took possession Of
him-to find Eulalie, though with what
object he did not determine By strange
chance he met her in the street next day
met and scarcely recognized her. Moving
swiftly and stealthily along, as if she
feared to be seen, with her hair in disorder,
her face no longer touched by that art to
which it had largely owed its beauty, and
her dress old and slovenly, she was indeed
dreadfu!ly changed. Bond started back
when he saw her, his face deadly white; he
pressed his hands to his heart, it gave such
a painful throb; he could scarcely believe
his own eyes.
His earnest gan seemed to discompose
her, for she dropped faded old umbrella
in the mud, whereupon he rushed forward,
picked it up, and handed it to her. She
took it without word OF thanks, a scowl
being all she gave him. Then she hurried
away, leaving him in panied bewilderment
"A bad un, sir" said policeman who
had been watching this little scene "A reg
ular bad IN" He winked in the direction
of the retreating woman
But Bond was already out of ear-shot,
hurrying after her in obedience to an irresist.
ible impulse to offer her all he had, yearn-
ing to tell his love and acquire the right to
protect her. Though his ideal was little
more than a memory, the woman remained
and, in his eyes, she was still beautiful
But though he Owed down one obscure
street after another he could not find her
And at length, murmuring to himself, 'Ah,
yes, her smile was very sweet" he wearily
dragged himself back TO his lodgings
Once again, and for the last time, he saw
her. 1t was on the following afternoon He
was sitting at the open window, absently
caressing the cat upon her lap, when she
happened to pass by on the opposite side of
the street Looking up at the window she
suddenly stopped and stared Before he had
recovered from his surprise she stretched
out her arms and cried:
-Oh, my pussiel Nell, Nell, come to me
The cat sprang through the window and
crossed the street in less time than it takes
to write the words. There could scarcely
be doubt about the ownership. The ami
NAL, with arched back and Strengthened
tail, was delightedly rubbing itself against
her shabby dress, and she was bending
down, talking to it as it were her child
Bond was not slow to grasp the situation.
He rose hastily to explain the circumstances
under which he had bought the cat from a
lad, whom he had believed to be the rightful
owner He was trembling in every limb,
for had not his opportunity come at last,
as some one has said it always will come to
the man who waits! laundering down the
stairs, he whispered to himself: Even the
cat loves her and she loves it. / knew she
was good and pure and lovely"
Il must apologize" he began, advancing
awkwardly, ~Miss-Miss-''
Mrs Trovers," she said, rather def
antly
Mrs" he gasped, staggering back Then
she was a married woman. This thought
affected him even more painfully than the
one that followed it Some time before he
had read in the paper a charge of swindling
brought against Mrs. Travers, described
as n member of a gang Of fashionable
sharpers. Then you are a widow" he
cried, with startling energy. 'Oh, in PHYS
sake, say you are q widow
She laughed scornfully. Pointing to
seedy looking individual who was ap-
preaching, she said:
what have you to say against me. Just say
it right out before him, if you dare"
Poor Bond skunk away to his darkened
room His dream was over: his life was
spent He relapsed into his old bookworm
habits, wore clothes as ancient as ever, and
to the despair Of his landlady renewed his
edict against busting. The life had gone
out of him, and three years after, strangers
carried him to his rest in Ksnsal Green his
!andlsdy the only moVrnr.