The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-01-22

"Who are some of your friendsr'
asked Wyllis, overjoyed at this unex
pected opening Of . better knowledg'
Of the Shadow.
Dick began to run over some names
Of acquaintances common to himself
and Eugene Willis, and at the third
Arthur Willis stopped him.
TON Rutherford and are Ole
chums," he said. Here is letter goI
from him yesterday. Read it-no
really, I insist rs favor to me-
"No, no; that would be carrying the
joke little too far, ~ said Dick, returning
the letter. but not before his quick eve
had discerned both address and sigma
ture. "Well, Mr.. Wyllis," he went on,
humorously, references exchanged,
as the advertisements say. My name
Richard Ellery. Familiarity called Dick;
my occupation that of commission mer-
chant. As for my charms of mind and
person, your cousin or Tom Rutherford
will describe them to you in the glowing
col0rs modesty forbids me use. This. y
waving his hand, showman-wise, sis
Miss Clara Deane, with whom 1 hope
some day to form a matrimonial ALI
ance, the same young lady you fancied
l wanted tN muir. But never mind
that now! And ELSEWHERE are you,
Bell?-this is our little sister Isabel. who
has been living here for the last three
months, cultivating fancied talent for
music, as you may perceive by her piano
there. But l forgot, the pianos sensi.
tive subject for you, too"
81 think, Dick" put in Isabel Deane,
with some haste, ''while you are ex-
planning things you might as well ex-
plain to me how you appeared here SO
suddenly, like"
Like the handsome prince in the
fairy talep''
.sNo. more like the horrid clown in
the pantomime!'
''My dear child" responded Dick,
loftily ignoring the retort, "the question
you propose would be an affair of time
and difficulty. We should have to in
quire into the first causes of things, the
principles of steam and motion, as well
as the springs that move the human
mind
"Oh! Dick, how can you be so tire
someP" interrupted Clara, laughing.
''Why can't you tell her that when
you knew l was going to visit her you
made up your mind to take me by
surprise?"
Their bantering talk formed sort of
running commentary, explaining all the
obscure points, and when Wyllis pres
emily rose to go he felt tolerably well
acquainted with them and their affairs.
Dick, in the name of the family, asked
him to come again, which he gladly
promised to do.
"But say" added Mr.. Ellery, with
sudden gravity, ''if You could make it
convenient to come like ordinary call
ers it might be better. At least until
burglaries get SO common as to justify
that sensational sort of entrance, you
know"
II suppose, Willis answered, with
rather sickly smile, ''that l might b.
considered my own burglar. 1t never
occurred to me that Twas performing in
that part myself"
by Jove! so you were," said Dick.
delighted.
Il remember now" Wyllis went on.
ruefully, ''that passed some one in the
door. 1t was too dark to see just what
did, but-well. of course. 1 soas going
rather fast, and I'm afraid pushed by
little rudely. l only hope it wasn't
some old lady whom 1 frightened near
~ to death, and who will always think ]
belonged to the dangerous classes"
Il can answer for that" spoke up
Bell. demurely. las I myself was the
old lady in question. You certainly
,cere going rather fast just then! But,
of course, it was all Maggie's fault for
forgetting to light the hall gas" she
concluded politely.
The color came to Wyliis' face again
as he stammered some disjointed words.
But somehow or other, as his eyes met
Bells. the blood came to her cheek
also. Then he bowed himself out and
went downstairs, rejoicing in the
thought of the days to come, in spite Of
the unpleasant conviction that, in the
room he had just left. Dick Ellery was
exploding in interminable laughter al
his expense.
A friend of Arthur Wyllis' once asked
him why he called his wife Mabel.
her name being Isabel, whereupon they
both laughed and looked mysteriOusly
at each other. and the questioner guess.
ed that thereby hung a tale. And that
was the tale that has just been told, Of
the Shadow of the Curtain. Put.
nam Osgood, in Detroit Free Press.