The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-23
JOEL AND JOAN.

Joan McVey, fairest of Calhoun county's
daughters and the pride of Morgan town
ship. That he should love was no misfor
tune; but that a yawning social gull
should stretch between Joan and himself
was a calamity Of fate. For Joel, poor lad
worked around, and had never foot OF
land in his OWE right, while Joan was the
helress Of 800 acre farm, which certainly
was worth $50 an acre if it vas worth a
cent And, furthermore, JoaR's father was
the town clerk! Peter McVey, clerk of
Morgan township" What an awful
sound it had for Joel, whose vague ideas
conceived the office second only to the
governor and third beneath the president.
They had spoken but once, yet he could
never forget that day, and his mind dwelt
upon her honeyed words until life became a
| desert waste and was given over entirely
to the mirage of fevcrish dreams. She was
returning from town In her fathers demo
crat wagon, and Joel was tramping through
the sand in the opposite direction. He saw
| her and his heart thuInped his brawny
breast like a trip hammer. 'tShe's looking
right at me-" he nuttered with choking
throat, and so she was He turned to
| allow the vehicle to pass Something
seemed to whisper to him: "Joel, now or
never. Here is your opportunity. Go it,
| lad!'
Good evenin', Miss McVey," he STAN
| mered, although it was high noon
Good morning, JOEL" said Joan, with
equal disregard for the time of day.
o the sweetness Of that voice! Jest like
meIler wind wistlin' through the scrub
oaks" sighed Joel rapturousIy, and he
turned to watch her out Of sight. Great
was his reward, for Joan likewise looked
around for another glimpse of the hand
some youth. She smiled His blue eva
mus" heaved like fretfUl river, and he
strained his eyes until she faded into the
misty shadows of the woods by Hackett's.
For one whole week Joel was in q seventh
heaven; but as time wore on, and his
initial success seemed likely to be his last,
he fell into the slough of despond His
bashfulness would not allow of his follow
ing up the first bold stroke while the iron
was hot, and he waited SO long to garner
sufficient courage that he feared his case
was hopeless.
Not having the stamina to bravely ad-
dress her, what did it devoIve upon him to
do? He must either give up all thought Of
her, or-or-why not write? He wrote
fairly good hand, but ais spelling was fear
full and his composition worse. Here is a
letter he began:
miss McVa:
DEER MADIN-This weather is Bad for hayin
an don't care whether die or stay wen i'm That
Rekles like you an If you like nc
Getting thus far he was in great agony
for word. After wasting his thoughts
for ten or fifteen minutes, he showed mis-
good sense by destroying the letter.
10 n ha1 20
chased a work entitled 'Lothario's Com
pendulum; or, An Easy Path to Courtship
and Marriage Containing a Complete Set
ofLetters, from Cold to Madly Impassioned, |
to Fit Every Variety Of Condition. Fully
Illustrated"
With this book he returned, and that
night, in the solitude of his chamber, with |
a tallow dip at his elbow, he indited an
epistle that did him great credit.
Behold it:
MIss-The boreal fires Of my passion are blaz-
ing with intensest fervor dy soul is borne on /
their seething billows to the eysium Of ethereal
fields, or falls back into red hot furnace, bat
ting with doubt Thus ever with alternate hopes |
and fears nay life is gay sad. l would ask thee
gentle one, if in our brief but heavenly compan-
ionship you have learned to care for me-to love
mel My life, my happiness, nay, my very soul
hang oa your reply. How l remember the first /
time ever saw you! 1t was at the inaugural |
ball Your golden hair was dressed in the sweet
est Of French twists and you had bunch of Gala
lilies at your breast Oh, how radiant how
bright you were! The president smiled on you,
but fancy your every glance was mine Was n
not so' And do you love me? Or must I. with
your denial of my love ringing in my ears, bury
my bleak life in heathen lands afar9
Answer me soon, dear one, for this uncertainty
is dreadful Languishingly, JOEL JENNINGS.
In passing, would say that portion of
this letter did not appear to Joel as quite
the proper thing. For instance, he never
saw an inaugural ball" (whatever that
might be), and he could not renem Der that
the president had ever smiled on Joan, but
he was 50 afraid of garbling his beautiful
copy if he attempted TO alter it that he
copied it all, put it into pink envelope,
and dropped it in the postofIice with trem-
bling fingers.
Then he waited Two days, three days.
four days passed and still no answer But
came, and, 10, when Joel made
inquiry st the Office a fragrant lavender
note was handed him. He turned it over
and over in his hand. On the face was his
name IN beautiful script, and spelled with
two capitalism honor Joel rarely con
ferTed upon himself; on the back was red
seal as large IS a silver dollar, with a de-
vice Of two deers aspectapt on the inscrip-
ton, 81 qU6ris peninsulam aZnanam, cir
cumspice.
How beautiful" thought Joel, as he
spelled it out and wondered what in the
world it meant.
He could not wait until he got home be-
,ore reading that letter. He would know
ais fate et once, and he openedit forthwith:
DEAR JoEI-Lopg, long have I, with fondest
,motionS dwelt upon dreams Of you In ny bou-
lor. many night, have watched the light from
,labaster lamps solntillating iris hued beams
;pon the objects Ge yeTtu with which my cham
'er overiovs, and. oE, 0sar one, soneway, some
low, each fairy gioGm twisted itself into other
airy CLEANS end coGoTived 70 picture your dear
ace 70 my love blinded eyes How hopeless
eenei ny passion then how hopeful seems it
low Do I re-ueuoer the inaugural baIs All,
ae can ever forget il: remember how. lean
Nc upon the arm OF tie Barcn POunderZo, / swept
hroush stately U1inUeL catching your eyes ever
nd Auo1-Low sweet, how kind, how exquisitely {
enoer, NhGe cared for president or nob!es L I
'as enough Tor ne u know yoa saw ne, and that =
7nS II your thoughts. Sweet fate for humble me / ,
write me, write Ulc often dearest Expactantly. ! :
JoAN LATIIDA AcTEr
Returning 70 the farm that afternoon ;
oel seemed 10 be walking on ai-, so light
Eere his spirits. He felt that the world
vas his and, though he secretly worried
veT the Baron Pounderzo, he rs fain 10
eileve his highness a myth, and Of no
nore substance than the inaugural ball
-hich he had opened in a previous letter. I
When be parted the covers OF his com
endium TO find channel for his gushfaS
cart, he understood Joan's reply, for
here II was on page las, directly following
be letter be I'D yFrittanl- He and Joan y