The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-14

! Why not, when this might be thevery
means of bringing us together: And
then l thought how 1 should persuade
| her that my wish TO find her out had
overcome all scruples. and that with the
seeming liberty which had taken had
shown myself ready to surrender myself
her prisoner and await her sentence
for life or death!
could hardly wait for Saturday after
noon to come, and was in a fever until
the few clouds of the morning had dis
appeared and left me the golden SUM-
shine needed to print the prize picture.
watched the first print with breath
less attention, lest it should be too dark
or shade too light. And when it seemed
exactly right removed it carefully and
| put it In dark place, and laid another
piece of freely fumed paper upon the
negative. Then 1 put the printing frame
out again on my window sill and began
to fuss with another negative.
How 1t happened never knew, but
there was Grassland when l turned
to the window the printing frame was
gone.
picked it up on the sidewalk-forty
feet below-with my precious negative
| shivered into thousand pieces.
All my hopes now centered on the one
print which fortunately had secured
And oh, the agony OF anxiety that l went
through IN the toning, mounting and
Furnishing of that one priceless print!
RTTt 1 Eel o. To- 4
perfect in every way-beautiful, artistic,
beyond question the best piece Of photo
graphic work that had ever done.
So, in spite of the irreparable loss of
the negative, / felt almost happy, for
with this l would surely accomplish my
double purpose. 1t could not fail to win
the prize-a small tribute to pay to my
unknown darling's beauty. And it
would also be the means of bringing US
face to face. For the picture must GER
talnly find its way into the hands of
some of her family or friends, and she
would hear of it, see it, be little indig-
nant perhaps. But her father or brother
or guardian would be certain to resent
the supposed liberty, and might even
him to task for his presumption; that
was my most ardent desire-the very
clew l wanted. Once l knew where to
find her, and then could manage all the
rest.
was radiant with satisfaction, and
was now only keeping the finished pict-
ure until should have chance to take
copy of it for myself; for I could not
make up my mind to part with it alto
gether until had found the original.
l was coming up town the next after
noon, my mind full of the beauty and
winsome grace of my fair unknown,
when | ran across my old chum Fred.
1t was the first time l had seen him
since his marriage, and we each had
much to say.
81 want you to meet my wife, Tom;
l know you'll like each other. She was
as disappointed as l was that your i'll
ness kept you from coming to our we'd
ding. Are you all right again now?
You look well. Can't you drop in upon
us tonight? We are stopping at the
buckingham until our house is ready"
Il shall be most happy to" answer
ed. And accordingly presented myself I
that evening at the door of their private /
parlor.
Fred welcomed me cordially, and his
young wife dropped the roses she was
arranging as entered, turned and came
forward smiling and with outstretched /
hand
l staggered backward-I believe l |
should have fallen if Fred had not
caught me by the ar1n-for the beauti-
full unknown in my prize picture with
whom | had fallen so desperately in
love was no other than Freds wife!
What is the matter? You are ill" she
cried, while she hastily brought me a
glass of wine.
1T Is nothing-nothing stammered.
81 believe I'm not yet quite strong. l
beg your pardon for being such fool"
The wine restored me somewhat, and
l stayed long enough to remove the feel
ing Of embarrassment that naturally fol-
lowed after this awkward scene.
When at last got back to my room I /
looked at my picture eagerly. The same.
beyond the shadow of a doubt And
then began TO realize the full extent Of
my double loss. Impossible to continue
my alteration of the fair unknown
since now l knew her to be the wife of
my friend, and impossible to send the
stolen picture of another mans wife into
a pubic competition.
| turned the picture to the wall, and
Eat for long time lost in thought. Then
/ seized pen and wrote:
DEAR FRED-Truth is stranger than fiction. With
this send you the photograph OF fair stranger
who deliberately and unconsciously walked into
my picture when was OF on a photographing
trip two weeks ago. This VIII also explain my
peculiar collapse this evening II takes A smaller
thing than such queer coincidence 10 upset fell
low when be IS still below par. / know you VIII
prize the picture, for Il is the only in exist
ence, and the negative unfortunately is broken
With respectful remenbrances to your wife. your
old friend ToM
As | sealed my note the word ks
met cleaned mockingly up from the
dark wax. l tied up the photograph and
sent 1t OF by messenger before l had
time TO reconsider my decision.
"Good-6y to my dreams-and 70 nv
prize picture, said sadly. as the mes
senger pursued his way down the DARK
and silent street.
1t was gone. and already I repanted OF I
my haste. Then, as a sudden thought
struck me, l exclaimed:
stRy Iowa - c,r sd - TIL %o~a The |