The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-15

cIEIn- No asxeo meu ruad power 20 act
for the4rm and II ] would name figure ="
Well, old boy, Of course you told him
| thats-
81 was worried-never mind by what
and his talk sngered me -SaldI: Ny dear
sir, my partner, Mr. Cobb, has intrusted
me with full power n the premises The
Busted Hopes is for sale for Sc, 900; not
dollar less.'"
Even IN his excitement Andy Cobb man
aged TO telegraph restraining signal to
some one-out OF sight from Brundige's
| standpoint-in the little bedroom and par
| lor.
! well, my iadl'
/ Brundige sighed YEARLY. There IS
nothing further. Only the offer was COB
bled with q celebrity thai showed how badly
! the property was wanted. It seems they
are confident that our old claim Is future
bonanza-the richest in the hills. could
have sold for 81, ooeasay If had not been
such fool However. &c was my offer. and
know you viii let it stand"
No need of the implied query. Under no
circumstances would Andy Cobb question
the wisdom Of any CT the '1ad's" proceed
ing5, and least OF all at such time Brun-
glorious tho1ghtEths wondrous secret
was to be reEealed-the magic secret whose
potency could even dim the unexpected
Light of coming wealth and happiness cast
athwart the minerss weary life.
ed, dear oil boy" The CHEEKY voice
trembled Just little, but it was with TO
pressed joy. when spoke this mornin'
Of my own hopes didn't know how nearly
they was realized"
You have hean from her?'
Man alive have seen her! Better than
that, she is here this minutel Better than
that, she didn't come alonep'
Perhaps Brundige paid no heed to the
last sentence. a graceful female figure
had appeared at the inner door, kindly
featured, blonde lady Of middle age, whose
years had masured rather than robbed her
Of her beauty With an unconscious re-
turn to the old gallantry of other days
Brundige lifted his hat and acknowledged
Andy's laundering Introduction. Molly,
dear, this Is Ed, you know, the best feller
in the world, always exoeptin' yourself"
'MolIy's" reply was heard, but hardly
understood, for Brun9ige had become
aware that the gray eyes were not resting
upon his face, but cast with tender SYM
patty at some one beyond, standing be-
hind him in the doorway.
Suddenly the riddle was solved. Two
plump arms, muslin clad and circled with
golden bands, were tightly twined about
his sunburned neck; a wealth Of raven
tresses lay upon his breast in marked con-
trast TO the dirty scarlet Of his flannel
shirt; while rich, pouting lips that had
once granted him kisses, as an empress
might bestow her most precious jewels,
now pleaded pitifully for kind word.
''Edi darling Ed! have come so far to
find you. Please say that I may stay.
Don't drive me away, dearp'
Drive her away! Great heavensl As
though a man, dying with thirst, would
dash the proffered goblet to the dust; or
a soul on the verge of Paradise voluntari-
ly descend to the lowest pit OF Hades! Al
terward he found time TO laugh at the bare
idea Of such contin gency; just now there
was no time for such thoughts.
Dearest loved one, tell me how this
can be! How did you find me?" he asked,
after mutual explanations had cleared
away the last cobweb of doubt in which
scheming enemies had hoped to fetter their
lives.
"AlI OWN to this bright little wife Of
mine," began Andy, when Brundige sud- |
denly called him 10 halt.
Your wife2 You don't mean to say that |
you have"
YES, I do, though" persisted Cobb. |
We called in at Squire Billings an had |
the knot tied first thing. But"
Hold on AGAR" interrupted Brundige. /
az like that idea of yours Suppose you /
run down and tell the squire to walk up |
this way few minutes"
Cobb and bis wife exchanged glances
The fact is, Ed, my boy" remarked the |
newly made Benedict at length, las Molly |
has engineered this scheme all tho way |
bein' friend TO your little girl /
there, an buildin' up the hull business on |
nv reference to you in one of my ltfters, /
why jest thought I'd let her go ahead 4
with the affair in her own way. So far /
we're all satisfied. I'll bet my undivided .
half interest in the fifty thousand on that. /
And as Mrs. Cobb has invited Squire Bill /
lings TO call around ter night at early can
delight, move that the old pnoprietors II
the Busted Hopes celebrate their Lass
night IN the shanty by gittin' supper IN the
ordinary way, with the usual accompani-
nents Of a regular meal, sech as fried
reaches, an chunks of mud in the gravy,
an'"-
But with a celerityof movement that
struck the '~pszds'' as something wonder
fui, they were unceremoniously hustled
out beneath the pines TO enjoy with the
squire the pleasure of a lazy smoke, while
the new bride and the bride prospective
shouldered the responsibilities Of the
household, and braved without fEnching
the terrors OF the cuisine that caused poor
Andy so much misery il the past-S. D.
Barnes in Yankee Blade.