Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-01

society of her lawyer. His companion"
ship had become agreeable to her, and
though she was far from admitting to
herself the idea of any especial fondness
for him, still the more she saw of him
the more welcome his visits became. He
was SO strong, so comforting, and he
knew Just what was the right thing to
do, and he had the faculty of lifting her
mother from the contemplation of her
griefs.
When Annie arrived at the door of the
surrogate's office a young man of gentle
man like appearance stepped forward,
and, lifting his hat, said:
II have been waiting some time for
you, Miss Templeton, and quite impa-
tiently."
Annie drew back astonished.
81 am afraid have been awkward in
my speech" he continued. Il meant to
say that for any delay Mr.. Holbrook will
blame me. lie is very exacting in bust
ness matters That is why l say l am
inpatient
"Why, it is not yet 10 O'clock" ex-
claimed Annie.
Pardon me, 1 am afraid your time
piece is out of order. 1t is considerably
after 10. But here is note l am charged
by Mr.. Holbrook to deliver to you"
He handed it to her with bow.
Annie took it and read:
"SURRoGATES OFFICE,
New YORK, Sept. IA, 1884.
"MY DEAR bliss TEMPLEToN-I fegret
so much to cause YOU the annoyance l
undoubtedly do this morning, but bust
ness knows no other law than its own.
The surrogate sits at home this morning
"a fact only learned on arriving here.
have other business as well as your
own before the surrogate, and as he will
sit but for a short time, must hurry off.
leave a clerk to escort you. Your sim
cere friend, HENRY HoLBRooK"
When Annie had finished reading the
note she looked up with confiding
smile, saying:
'You are then clerk of Mr.. Hol-
brook"
Eyes, Miss Templeton, and entirely at
your service. The surrogate is confined
to his house with cold, and sent word
down that he would not dare to venture
out, but that he would listen to all who
had pressing business at his house. Now,
if you please, we will go there. Here is
a carriage 1 have had in waiting for
you"
The concocters of the design against
Annie's freedom had evidently counted
upon her ignorance of the methods of
conducting business, for while to almost
any one experienced in the world this
would have proved bat clumsy device,
yet, directed against an unsophisticated
creature like Annie, its very simplicity
and transparency made it the more skill
full.
1t is true that after entering the car
riage, and after she had had time to
make furtive examination of the young
man who had taken the seat opposite
her, she had mentally concluded that she
did not like him, and that he seemed to
he everything else than a gentleman,
though he dressed ik one and assumed
signs which influence 4 her judgment, as
they do that of most womci:. His hands
were Enthusiastically dirty, and his finger
nails were in mourning.
A male observer, especially if slangy,
would have said that the young man had
been on "bat" the night before; his
hair was harsh and tangled, though well
oiled; the inflamed rims of his eyes, his
parched lips, and the heavy puffs like
cushions under his eyes, would have
shown this, if plain odor of gin cock
tails, above the breath heavy with the
favor of cloves and roast coffee beans,
had not told the tale
But Annie was not experienced in such
things, and she gave little heed to one
who, after all, was nothing TO her
merely an instrument of Mr.. Holbrook.
She did wonder, however, why it was
that he had gotten a coach so close, and
one in which there were such small win
dows. Il was so stuffy. The young man
did NOT obtrUde himself. lie was appar-
emily busy with memoranda and papers.
Once he lifted his head 10 say that it
wasnecessary for them, in order to make
able portion of the town.
To this she made no reply.
Finally they turned into the street, the
dirt Of which passed all comprehension
upon her part.
Children seemed TO swarm on the side
walks; women, often drunk even at that
early hour, and clothed in rags, talked
and quarreled on the sidewalks and on
the stoops of the squalid dwellings.
She became interested in the scene,
novel to her, and leaned forward to look
from the window. She did not notice
that the young man had drawn the cur
TIN over the window on the opposite
side IF the coach.
He broke the silence that had con-
dnued for some time:
Il beg you will excuse me, Miss
Templeton. l know it is not the proper
thing TO do, but / am suffering greatly
with my eyes this morning Have l
your permission to apply lotion TO
them:''
Wondering at the strangeness of the
request, she nevertheless murmured her
permission, and turned again to the
street
He drew his handkerchief from his
pocket and then a bottle, with the con-
tents of which he plentifully saturated
the handkerchief.
Before she could realize what was be-
ing done the young man snapped spring,
tho c,.rfa II, shot IN over fha win dow -,