The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-21

meath an open starlit sky. There was no
moon and the darkness favored her; she
had no fears that weighed against the hor-
TOR of seclusion with her own fancies- Be
sides, they were camping out of the house,
and IL she chose to sit up or walk about no
one could think it strange
She wished her father were here that
she might have some Of her own kin to
talk to, yet she knew not what 10 say to
him If he were here. She wanted some
body to sympathize with her feelings-or
rather, perhaps, some one to combat and
even rfdioule the uneasineGs that had late
ly come over her. She knew what her IA
Their would say; do you want to 60 or do
you want to stay here' Do you like these
people or do you mott" She remembered
the one or two glowing and enthusiastic
accounts she had written him of her visit
here, and felt herself blushing again.
What would he think of Mrs. Randolph's
opening and answering the telegram?
Wouldn't he find out from the major if
she had garbled the sense of his Dispatch
Away to the right, in the midst of the
distant and invisible wheat field, there was
the same intermittent star, which like a
living, breathing thing seemed TO dilate IN
glowing respiration, and which she had
seen the first night Of her visit-Mr. Bent S
forge. II must be nearly daylight now.
The poor fellow had been up all night, or
else was stealing this early march on the
day. She recalled Adele's sudden eulogium
Of him. The first natural smile that had
come to her lips since the earthquake broke
up her nervous restraint and sent her back
more like her old self to her couch.
-. l. Id e. 81
the tent when she heard the sound of low
voices approaching her. 1t was the major
and his wife, who like herself, had evil
IDENTIFY been unable to sleep and were up
betimes. A new instinct of secretiveness,
which she felt was partly the effect Of her
artificial surroundings, checked her first
natural instinct to call to them, and she
drew back deeper in the shadow to let
them pass. But to her great discontinue
the major in a conversational emphasis
stopped directly in front of her.
You are wrong, l tell you, thousand
times wrong The girl is simply upset by
this earthquake. It's great pity her
father didn't come instead of telegraphing
And, by Jove, rather than hear any more
of this I'll send for him myself said the
major, in an energetic but suppressed voice.
And the girl won't thank you, and
you'll be a fool for your palms," returned
Mrs. Randolph with dry persistency.
But according to your own ideas of
propriety Mallory ought to be the first one
to be consulted-and by me too"
Not in this case. OF course, before any
actual engagement is on you can speak of
Emiles attentions"
But suppose Mallory has other views2
Suppose he declines the honor? The man
is no fool"
Thank you'll But for that very reason
he must. Listen to me, major; if he doesn't
care to please his daughter for her own
sake he will have to do so for the sake of
decency. Yes, tell you, she has thorough
ly compromised herself-Quite enough, if
it is ever known, to spoil any other engage
ment her father may make. Why, ask
Adelel The day Of the earthquake she alb
solutely had the audacity to send him out
of the room upstairs into your study for
her fan, and then follow him up there
alOnel The servants knew it, / knew it,
for was in her room at the time with
Father Antonio. The earthquake made it
plain to everybody. Decline it-nol Mr..
Mallory will think twice about it before
he does that. What's that?-who's there5"
There was sudden rustic in the bushes
like the passage of some frightened animal
and then all was still again.