Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-24
had e6ssiped. recalled old days. had presented


detailed rosy and elaborate plans for the fu-
| ture, had talked over the naiadies of infancy,
and the various herbs, teas, baths and other
remedies for the relief of ailing babies, and
finally settled down into an exchange of con-
fdences.
What these four young mothers. with their
babes quiet and asleep in rockers, on sofas
and lounges, discussed needs not to be en-
tered on In detail Women Of the kind, thus
thrown together in the soothing twilight,
and animated by tea and cakes, and inspired
by hours Of interchange of gossip and
Renaissance. scale heights and explore
depths which man may not follow Much
that was said in low tones, and of that which
reached the ears OF the hostess little was
clearly coInprehended.
Finally there was pause in the converse
ton, which was soon after broken by the
chubby mother:
"Mary, why is it that you have never mar.
riedw
Eyes. Why's" said another. "a girl as
handsome ss you might have had a dozen
first class men to select from"
"a scandal" intertected another Of the
matrons But it must be all Mary's fault
The men have more sense She must be
stony hearted to have refused all the offers Q
girl like her must have received"
TEL us all about it, you bad girl What
is the reason you have been so obdurateI
Couldn't you find man good enough to suit
your fastidious faster
There were dozens Of other queries fung
on the hostess, who, with Redeemed cheek, q
half smile on her lips, and an expression Of
remonstrance in her downcast eyes, Listened
to the deluge Of questions and merry denun-
citation.
For few moments she sat and thought,
as if agitated by painful memories, and then
suddenly seemed possessed by new deter
minatlon. Her face grew serious, species
of defiant fame CLEANED in her eyes, and she
said in low, serious tone:
''Girls, viii tell you Gods tire b, out you
won't believe mel No man ever asked me to
marry him, and no man, to my knowledge,
has ever said to me one word of lover
This statement, made with the solennity
of an oath, and uttered by the splendid crea-
ture before them, was received with dersion.
''As you likel" she said. 81 have tolo you
the simple truth. We are all old and init
mate friends, and | will make q confession.
l was once fond Of young man-not in love
with him, you must understand, but liked
him better than any other of the gentlemen
whom | knew. He was very timid and reti-
cent, and acted as if he regarded me as too
lofty being to be addressed In the language
of ordinary mortals."
''Who was it2" came from all the tnroats
OF the interested listeners.
THAT l cannot tell you. He was splen-
did young fellow, and | came nearer liking
him than any other man have ever known. "
what was the outcome of itl Why didn't
you get marrieGs Was there quarrelF
II do not know He called two or three
times and then suddenly stopped Our last
meeting was friendly one, and | know no
reason why he never repeated it"
v
At this point the chubby mother attracted
the attention of the others by the exhibition
OF some very hysterical symptoms She COM
menced choking, giggling and swallowing in
O manner that threatened serious results.
She was slapped, famed and pstted by the
sympathetic sisters until at length she recoy-
cred somewhat her equarifnity
"Whaf is it," came in q chorus from the
bevy Of women that crowded about her
''Oh, girlsr' she gasped, between sobs and
laughter, Il know something's And then,
after prologue of little screams, exclama-
lions Of wonder and expectation from the
Others she said:
How ridiculous. and yet how seriousi I
know why the young man was estranged
from Mary"
''You dos What was itF' All listened with
eagerpess. The cheek of Mary the hostess,
paled to a deadly white and her eyes deep
ened in their intensity
"Oh, it is absurd and yet so terrible! But
/ will tell you. remember that there was a
little gossip about Holcomb and Mary, and
1t was rumored that he was waiting on her.
One Sunday evening my brother and some
other boys were coming along near Mary's
house, when they saw Mr. Hoicomb just
ahead of them carrying basket of fruit and
flowers. This, with great caution, he
lifted over the gate and placed on the
upper step OF the piazza, and then he
stole away The young fellows saw the act,
and, as they were not seen by Holcomb. they
concluded that it would be a good joke to
steal the basket and eat the fruit They did
SO, and now | see it all. Mary never having
received the fruit, never acknowledged it;
and he, getting no thanks from her for his
gift, thought he had committed an offense
His sensitive nature took alarm, he fancIed
himself sighted, or that he was being 70
buked for over presumption, and thereafter
avoided Mary"
20, Mary was Holcomb the young man
you were fond Of and yet not in love withf"
A vivid blush ran over her face. but she
made no answer. A moment later she
rushed from the room, and soon after was
discovered IN her chamber, with her face
buried in the counterpane, and sobbing with
convulsive energy
She now comprehended the mystery Her
growing love had been crushed, her happi-
ness ruined, by the prank of mischievous
boy.
This conclave of matrons and babies oc.
Cured year or SO ego Ii is confidently
believed among them that they viii be sum
moned TO meet again at the home OF Mary
some time in the approaching spring Hob
comb and Mary have been seen In public
places together; he strong grave, with .
gleam Of joy on his oountenance. she slen-
der, supple, and radiant as from great IL
Illumination Of her souL-Chicago GlobA
Historian Lossing'o Happy Thought.
The venerable Benson j LOSING told
the story, in New York recently. at the
dinner TO American authors by the Satur-