Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-20
y CAPT. CHARLES KING, U. S. A.,

1 ~~O~~O~-
times, but he was for going In with the
others, when he felt little hand press
ure on his arm, and Mrs. Belknap's
great dark eyes were gazing up into his
with mournful, incredulous appeal
Don't you know I want to see your
she murrnured so that only he could
hear. "Wait."
And, much bewildered, Mr.. Perry
waited.
She stood where she could look
through the screen door in the parlor be-
yond, watching fuEsively until the party
were grouped under the hanging lamps
and absorbed in looking over one an
| others shoulders at the famous albums;
then, reckoning to him to follow, she
fitted, like some eerie sprite, on tiptoe
| to the southern end of the veranda,
where clustering vines hid her from
view from the walk along the parade.
Perry began to feel queer, as he after
wards expressed it, but he stalked along
after her, declining to modulate the
thunder Of his heavy heels upon the re-
sounding gallery. She put her finger to
her lips, and, after a nervous glance
around, looked at him warningly, be-
seemingly.
"What on earth's the NATTER was all
| the perplexed and callow youth could
find to say, and in tone SO utterly de-
void Of romance, sentiment, tenderness
anything she wanted to hear-that in
all her eXperience-arll she had had not
ittle-pretty, bewitching little Mrs.
Belknap could recall nothing SO humil-
iating.
Glow can you be so unkind to me?"
at last she whispered, in the tragic
tremolo she well knew to be effective; it
had done execution over and again. But
big, handsome Ned Perry looked only
like one in a maze; then he bent over
her in genuine concern:
"Why, Mrs. Belknap! What has hap
pened? What has gone wrong? What
do you mean by unkindness?"
She faced him, indignantly now: sis
it possible you profess not to know
"By all that's holy, Mrs. Belknap,
haven't an idea Of what you mean to
charge me with. Tell me, and I'll make
every amend I know how"
He was bending over her in genuine
distress and trouble; he had no thought
but to assure her Of his innocence of any
conscious wrong. She was leaning upon
the balcony rail, and he rested one strong
hand upon the post at the shaded corner,
above her head, as he bowed his own to
catch her reply.
For a moment she turned her face
away, her bosom heaving, her little
hands clasping nervously, the picture OF
wronged and sorrowing womanhood.
His blunt, ragged honesty was some
thing she had never yet had to deal with
This indeed was game worth tho
candle" but something of higher order
than the tbreadbare firtations she had
found SO palatable heretofore. She had
expected him to be revealed by this time
as the admirer who had only been play
ing a part in his apparent acceptance OF
the situation of the last two days; she
expected to be accused of coquetting
with Dana, of neglect, GOODNESS, insul:
towards himself; and this she would
have welcomed; it would have shown
him still victim in her tolls, a mouse
she might toy and play with Indefinitely
before bestowing the final coup de grace.
But instead Of 1t, or anything like it,
here stood the tall, handsome young fel.
low, utterly ignoring the possibility OF
her having wronged him, and only beg
ging to be told how he had affronted her,
that he might make immediate amends.
1t was simply exasperating. She turned
suddenly upon him, hiding her face in
her hands, almost sobbing:
And L thought we were such-sucb
friends!'
Even that suggestive tentative did no,
lay him PROSTATE. Fancy the utter in.
adequacy of his response:
"Why, so did r. This was too much. |
Down came the hands, and were laid ir
frantic appeal upon his breast. He did |
not bar the way; she could have slipped |
from the corner without difficulty, bu.
the other method was more dramatic.
Let me go, Mr.. Perry" she pleaded |
IL might have known; / might have |
known" The accents were stiflel. heart |
Don't go vet, Mrs. Beiknap: don't &c
without telling me what-what I've
done And poor Ned impIoringly seized
the little hands in both his and held then
tight. Please tell ME" he pleaded.
mo, no! You would not understand,
you do not see what have to bear Lei
ne so, beg, please: l cannot stay"
And her great dark eyes, swimming in
ears. were raised to his face, while With
faint-struggles she strove
o pull her hands away, relenting in he,
purpose 70 go the moment she felt thar
lie was relaxing the hold in which they
we're clasped, but suddenly wrenohing
hem from his breast and darling from
lis side, leaving Perry in much bewil-
lerment to face about and confront tk
ioctor
\ little opening had been left in the
ailmg at the south end of the veranda--
he same through which she post surgeon
lad passed the night Mrs. Lawrence mad
howa 10 Perry the answering signal
isht; 1t was the doctors ''skers cut" be-
ween the colonies quarters and his ewn
lde door, and soft, undertaking turf lay
here between. Absorbed in her melo-
lrama, MIS-. Bell1nas had failed to note
he coming of she intruder; absorbed in
rs own stapefactien and has fair part
lers apparent depth of woe. Ned Perry
leard nothing but her soft words and
OTTER signs. until deep voice at his
houlder-a voice whose accent hetraved