Wichita eagle., 1889-04-23

and history, and, as it vanished, quietly ex-
pressed his regrets.
The rest of the trip was marked by dis
tinct GOODNESS on her part.
How she longed for Francisco, with his
chivalrous poetical instinctsl
To be sure, the next day she received
box containing five beautiful fans; but
that was small balm to her sentimental
nature.
As they were going to the ennis-ground
one morning Bob picked up, among the
rose-bushes, what seemed to be letter.
Yes, she saw at a glance it was her I'M
fortunately placed letter, intended Tor
Francisco; and selling 1t she was prompted
by her roman tic soul to save II, with the
feeling that it would yet make Mr.. Wolfe
Browne the happesr Of men. Quickly no
personal names were mentioned in it. so II
it had been perused by strange eyes no one
would have been the wiser in regard to the
writer.)
Sure enough, Beatrice and Francisco soon
met again. at rehearsal for private theat-
ricals, and, after some explanations, she
pressed-as she thought-the battered,
weather-stained letter into his hands, and
giving him glance full of tenderest love,
she fed.
What was her horror that night on dis
covering the letter still in her possession!
What could she have given himi A ter
rible suspicion came across her tender soul.
Could it have been that bill from the hair
store, for new bangsi Mol that missing
memorandum re-appeared. But she failed
TO find one of the slips of paper on which
was copied the speech she was to deliver in
the play, when politely rejecting an IN
worthy suitor in these well-chosen words
Thou driveling knave, marry theei OF
a truth, if thou vast the only knight in the
kingdom, never would thee uarry!'
There were other lines, all tending to
prove that the knights proposal did not en-
tirely meet the lady's approval.
A dozen times she began an explanatory
letter to him, and twelve times she aban-
doned the idea.
Finally the date for the next rehearsal
arrived, and with a palpitating heart
Beatrice fastened to the meet.
The usual restfulness, quietness and
peaceful order prevailed which characterize
amateur theatricals on the first dress
rehearsal, and the costumes gave the
customary satisfaction.
At last Beatrice espled the wavy locks of
Francisco in dim corner; evidently he was
buried in revery.
In the din and confusion she stole quietly
up behind him, and laying her pink fingers
over his eyes, whispered ''Guess."
In second her little hands were seized
and covered with kisses, intermixed with a
declaration of love in torrent of eloquence.
She suddenly realized it was not Francisco!
No, it was Bob in his stage wig and COS
tune. Without one word she took to flight;
her head whIrled; her surprise at the pro-
posal was even exceeded by her amazement
at such sentimental eloquence from the
matter-of-fact Roberto.
AS for Francisco, that evening he point
edly avoided her; evidently the note he had
received by mistake gave mortal offense.
There was one part in the play they were
rehearsing where she, as the beautiful
Princess in the tower, passed a missive
through her prison bars to noble knight,
for which role Francisco was cast
This time her romantic mind again came
20 the front, and she conceived the idea Of
handing him the old, weather stained, nom
delivered letter of watering pot fame. 1t
was still legible, and how romantic it would
be to have the faded epistle finally bring her
love to her! And it did. She added post
script: 81 shall be in the conservatory after
the rehearsal"
The scenes and accessories were as COM
plete as is usual in amateur theatricals, but
in trying the prison scene she found the
barred window was SO high she could only
see the waving plumeS of her truSty knight,
who was supposed to steal silently by the
easement, seize the note ana fly. But with
it all he found time to give her delicate
tinger-tips warm, thrilling pressure, and
though she could not see his face, she felt
IL. L hol tn6 md bod
triumphed.
In her picturesque garb Of theimprisoned
Princess, as soon as the scene was over, she
FASTENED to the conservatory.
1t so happened that the electric light, by
which the rendezvous was Illuminated, was
that evening going through series of &c
centric flashes; and as she entered, snapl-
and with dull, heavy thud, total darkness
fell She had time to simply catch one
glimpse of stalwart knight crowned with
waving plumes, and the next moment she
was comfortably nestled in his protecting
arms, and almost before word was spoken
ring was slipped on the third finger of her
left hand. Then, snap!-and up flashed the
electric light. for an instant only; but what
a revelation it was! In that one second she
saw in palm sheltered nook, a knight of
We olden time' on his Bonded knee, pressing
the lily-white hand of ''ladye falren to his
lips and the light shone full on his imita-
tion-Irving features. II was Francisco!
She then also recognized that the shoulder
on which she had nestled, and the protect
ing arms by which she had been surround
ed, belonged to Robertol
She was glad darkness followed it gave
an opportunity to conceal, TO certain ex-
tent her conflicting emotions.
She felt mortified at herself for not faint
ing, but instead of that it seemed as if she
did years thinking in one moment; and
she resolved that Roberto, for it was his
ring that she was now wearing, should
never be undeceived And after all. the
consoling thought came, it was algfally
rOmGnticf
She afterward learned that all this
COMEDY of Errors" had arisen from the
fact that a sudden change had been made
In the cast, and Roberto had been assigned
Mr. Wolfe Brownies part in the prison scene,
thereby receiving the weather-stained let
Ter of acceptance.
Beatrice planned All exqulsitely aesthetic
wedding, and it must be confessed that, for
matter-of fact young man, Roberto sub
mitted to the rehearsing and costuming
angelically For once the imitation-Irv-
ing Francisco was outdone. The fair
damsel who had undertaken TO rekindle his
dampened affections was most unro-
mantcally stout. That much was trNmphi
But, alas having at last secured his
sentimental darling, Roberto became re-
calcitrant, and, so to speak, kicked over the
aesthetic traces In spite of all his brides
efforts to induce him TO give the Italian