Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-02
LOVE AND SCIENCE.

rose to her lips, and, with slight con
traction of her brow that was in reality
Indicative of Impotence, she drew the
curtain across the large square pane and
walked abstractedly away.
Agatha West was peculiar in some
ways. For a year and a half she had
been on intimate terms with John Ros-
wick, and in all that time never once had
he been in her presence without feeling q
deep sense of his own inferiority and de-
pendence. Not that she was strong
minded. No one would more quickly re-
sent such an insinuation than she. True,
she wore rimless eyeglasses, and at times
affected severe simplicity of dress that
was decidedly becoming to her plump,
brunette beauty. Nor was Roswick an
effeminate creature. He was, however, a
man that easily lost confidence in himself
when in the presence of the opposite sex,
md at such times was liable to become as
awkward and helpless as a badly jointed
Rutomaton endowed with only O mono
syllable power of speech.
Roswick was O man Of considerable
wealth, and possessed strong love for
mechanics. His life, for the past ten
years, had been spent in an elaborate
workshop fitted out in the upper part Of
his house on Dousey street, where, day
after day and night after night, he ham
mered and filed and filed and hammered
at some product of his handiwork His
great hobby was electricity, and with the
advent of the telephone, electric lighting
and kindred inventions he became so in
fatuated with bis chosen work that he
scarcely took time to eat and sleep.
1t was through this devotion to his
studies that he became acquainted with
Agatha West. Just how this was brought
about need not be detailed here, but suf-
fee it to say that before the summer was
gone his work began to be neglected, and
his affections were, in part, transferred to
the moro complex and hopelessly confus-
ing study Of womankind.
Agatha was consumed by mighty as
pirations when she left Wellesley. Her
horizon was boundless. In the valedictory,
which it was her honor to deliver, she ad-
vanced the customary platitudes regard
ing 1.-The dawning life, adown whose
shadowy vista we are now about to make
tracks, or words to similar purport. In
common with the multitude of ladies who
each year blossom simultaneously with
the June roses into ''the stern realities of
life," as they are pleased to term it,
Agatha was filed with the vague idea
that she had mission" that hence
forth this old world, largely through her
influence, was to run on different prin-
ciples. With each succeeding year, how
ever, this inner consciousness slowly died
the death of inanition, until now, at
twenty six, little remained but o mild in
terest in the arts and sciences fostered
by her intimate associations with John
Roswick.
To tell the truth, that evening was the
third consecutive time that Roswick had
called on Miss West with the premeditated
Intention of declaring his affection and
asking her to be his wife. For the third
time he had failed ANONYMOUSLY. How
he had managed finally to bid her good
night he had not the remotest idea A
dozen times during the evening had the
all important declaration Of love risen to
his lips, and dozen times had that
dreadful choking embarrassment effect
ually silenced his intended utterance. On
topics he had managed to
acquit himself fairly well, but with an air
Of abstraction that necessitated frequent
apologies to the object of his blind worship.
This. then, was the reason Agatha
watched his retreating form with an air
of veXation, and left the shadow of the
curtain with something dangerously near
q frown on her mobile features. His in
fatuation was no secret to her. To what
woman is her admirers mind as a sealed
bookf And the feeling she entertained
toward him, long ago self acknowledged,
only tended to make her less tolerant of
his prolonged silence.
To say that John Boswick was discour-
aged and vexed with himself would be
but mild statement of facts. On his
walk that night he ragged in
wardly every step of the way, and it was
not until week later that his mental
barometer had risen to its normal altitude.
The Tuesday evening following his last
doubly emphasized fasco Roswick, secure
In the privacy Of his own inner workshop,
dropped his tools for moment and gave
himself up to profound meditation.
Il am q fool, and know itl'' he ex-
claimed aloud, giving the work bench a
vigorous thump as he set down curious
looking machine upon which he had been
at work. What's more, Agatha knows
itl' he continued. He called her Agatha
glbly enough when unembarrassed by
hor presence. Indeed, this habit of think
Ing aloud had become, through circum-
stances. fixed one, and, as on several
previous occasions, he recoUnted the
events Of their last meeting.
Il can't stand this any longer~ he ex-
suddenly. "Ill see her to-mor-
row night and have it all settled in some
way. This foolishness must be stopped.
The idea! Afraid of woman! And
Snow-at least, I'm quite sure-she-she
likes ne Let me see," he continued,
nusingly. How can introduce the sub
iect7 Iknow!" he calculated, with sud
len inspiration IN ask her if she thinks
here Is any danger of sewer gas in my
lew ROSY Of fatsi That will lead up to
.he subject nicely" And then Roswick's
mind skipped gayly from one point to an.
,ther as he formulated in his own way the
leading up to the all i'm.
,ortant question. He even went so far |
IS to set it ell out. How he should stand |
It such moment, with bent head. wait. |
ng for her reply. He would 90 on thus |
nd thus until. having In his imagination /
leard all she said, as he paused at differ |
Mt times, no would eventually throw one |
IN around her trim waist as he made the |
ne great plunge In his enthusiasm hs
brew his left arm around q convenient |
'ost and beamed fondly on last months
This aroused him to sense Of |
IS surroundings and he was silent for
w moments.
A low tapping at the door of his work
1op aroused him. He listened somewhat |
npstiently to the soft tones of his Sis
RS well modulated voice.
Don't let me disturb you, john" she |
as saying. Il merely wanted to tell |
On we have SnciGod that tho childran'S