The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-27
WIDOW MCPHERSON.

| III snort, say you We appointed yourself
mentor over me at once and be done with
Ilt-hang i'll"
Lakely glared at his companion. Bristed,
immovable, went on smoking. a silence,
fr.ught with explosive possibilities, en-
sued. Finally Bristed arose He was
somewhat the elder of the two, and he was
saturnine and dark.
What are you going to dog" he de-
manded
IF you think Pm going to say
Then you go 10 the dickens by the short
est cut you can fndr' was Bristed's ulti-
matum.
The next day Mrs. Lakely tearfuIly
pressed me into an interview.
Il assure you have done my best TO dis
suade Horace" Bristed said
ooh, it's too dreadfulr' moaned Lake
| ly's mother, wringing her hands "You
| have always been such good friends-roou
mates and all-and young men will often
| listen to an older comrades advice and re-
| monstrance where q mothers. a sisters
are quite thrown away. Do use your in
| huence, my dear Mt Bristed. with my
poor, benighted boy! Oh, it is too shock
ing that he should be thinking for one In
slant even of such marriagep
II appreciate your position, you may be
sure, my dear madam. Ii is very irving
one" murmuTed Bristed sympatheticaIly.
| And it is so horrible, too, that there
should be question Of bringing such
| person into the family where there is a
young girl" continued Mrs. Lakely, put
ting her handkerchief to her faded, pretty,
ladylike little face.
Mrs. L8kely felt that this allusion to
her daughter was master stroke of diplo-
macy.
Certainly, / can appreciate your feel
ings here more than ever" cried Bristed
warmly.
''In the name of heaven, Lakely, don't
make such fool of yourself" he began, in
the tone of a more tolerant responsiveness.
"A fool of myself BY George! | think
I've good deal of patience to stand what
I've stood from you the last month, Bristedl
If a fellow didn't feel sore about throwing
over an old friend, by George"-
"All right, l understand your point of
view" said Bristed placidly. at isn't
agreeable to have warnings dinned into
your ears when you want to rush headlong
into the biggest folly of your life. But it's
the friends part to sound the warning, all
the same, whether it's agreeable or not
You might think of your mother and sister
a little in this matter, too"
What the deuce have they, or have you,
or has any one. for the matter of that, to
say anything against Mrs. Mcpherson,
Brsted:" cried Lakelv, starting mp and
confronting his friend, with his bovish
features adush and a kindling light in his
blue eyes. You say she's a little older
than p
Not little; a good deal. She's older
than ! am-mUst be" interrupted Bristed.
well, and even if she We're What Of
it? What are few years one way or the
other?"
"A great deal when the few years are on
the wrong side. But that isn't the worst
feature. You needn't force me into saying
things you wouldn't care to hear. But you
know as we'll as | do that McPhersons
widow has been talked about. Oh. unjust
ly, If you care to have it sol I'm not going
into that question. But the old fellow
didn't inspire the greatest respect himself,
and, at all events, good many things were
said of his pretty wife. Why, my dear fell
low" continued Bristed reSsoningly, and
with the kindly influence in his 8ne voice
and the softened expression in his strong
features which had always had so much
power over Horace Lakely's impulsively
youthful temperament, tits a preposter-
GUS thing, you losing your head and letting
yourself III for this sort Of thingl This
woman is no wife fer yOu"-
"You don't know herr You haven't even
seen her." exclaimed Lakely weakly.
Il have never seen her. that's fact. But
/ know her all the same. One always
knows a woman of that sort of caliber
They're very interesting to meet, very
stimulating; very amusing; very fascinat-
ing. They have ten thousand arts. While
their spell is on a man he thinks them
anything they choose TO be thought. He
believes anything-everything Afterward
be has an awakening, and il Is very well
for him if he hasn't 20 discover that he has
bound himself. hand and foot, while he
was under the charm. Flirs with an ad-
ventHreSs-for really you know NcPher-
son can scarcely be called anything else
6Ht with an adventures as much as you
like my dear boy, if you feel sure enough
Of yourself; but be very careful 70 s-op-a
long way of Of matr!mony. That's what
wise man does my boy.
Poor Lskelv. with his elbows or his
knees and his hands supporting his head,
sat stariug at the figures of the carpet
"Confouud i'll you always had wisdom
enough to fit out a. army, Bristed. be
groE!ed. Its no effort for you 70 keep
out Of scrapes. You couldn't get into one
If you tried You're 50 deucediy cold
blooded.'
When il dswned upon Mrs. Lakely that
her son might UNEXPECTEDLY be ca the
point OF listening TO reason the poor lady's
JOY burst forth in touching gratitude 70
Horace's friend. But It was short lived
Joy. At the end Of a fortnight she came
TO BTisted, pale With agitation, and com
muuicated the dire Intelligence that Mrs
Mcpherson had appeared in person on the
scene. that she was following Horace up.
Il suppose she feels that the boz has
been Shipping from Aer-Cdio1s person"
exclaimed Mrs. Lakelv. waxing bitter ia
ner righteous indignation. 1t = 100
shocking The vulgar fo-vsrdness q such
people / CO not fancy that she really
ans for Horace, you know. Il : LIS
uoaey-.Gsc : vast STE wants u secure
she knows the bov Las Just come iato lis
zrsudfather's property. AID she "a poor,
, hey say. though she ives VIM a appear
snce q luxury. that sAe = absolutely in
relGnious. Hex husband, L would seen
# heT nething whatever
Il ins-ipe there - d. doTibt abou, hat
said Brls-ed
Ana then Mrs Izke.y cane . Der Po:a, |