The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-09-01
outstretched hand, and couldn't resist say

| For nearly two months circumstances
prevented my going to the fort; when, one
day, was exceedingly surprised to receive
visit from the surgeon.
When he came in he seemed to be strug.
| Cling between intense excitement and a
desire to retain military composure.
He stopped just inside the door and
saluted.
Madam" he said, "I have come to take
| Constance home with me-"
! looked at him in blank amazement
"ConstaRceP' repeated; ''she isn't here.
| haven't seen her."
My words seemed to take all the strength
| away from him, and he dropped into a
| chair.
Mon Dieu, madam" he cried appeal
| ingly; don't say that again; she must be
! with you"
II assure you am telling the truth, ser
geant. But what has happened"
What has happened? Alasl ma petite
Con has left me. 1t happened thus, mad
ana; three days ago called to her in the
morning; she did not answer. l knocked
at her door; still no answer. | went into
the room; she was not there.
Everywhere l searched for her. The
man who had been on duty at the gate in
the early morning said that about an hour
before sunrise she went out and walked
toward the city. That is all the clew
have to find her, for she hasn't any friends
outside the fort. | went TO Jack, but he
had seen nothing of her.
''He loves her, madam, yet he says hard
things of my little girl. Things that
have ordered him out of my sight for say
ing" the old man added proudly.
''Then, madam, thought of you. Per
haps Con had got tired of the fort and her
old father, who's dull company at best, and
had run away to pay you visit for little
holiday. It has taken me three days TO
find you, madam. It wasn't dutiful of her
to leave me without word"
Then be suddenly remembered that he
had not yet found her, and he got up with
a groan.
wait" said. "what are you going to
do now2 Has she no relatives she might
have gone tor"
Fe looked at me sadly and shook his
head. The tears were Running down his
cheeks and he seemed incapable of speak
ing. He evidently knew nothing of Cons
love affair, but l began to have a grave
suspicion that the brave lieutenant was at
the bottom of the mystery.
After a moment he took a newspaper
from his pocket and laid it on the table.
81 found that on her bed," he said. '1
noticed it because Cons not much at read
ing"
The paper was q week old and one of the
marriage notices had been cut out. knew
it was the notice that had been wanted, be-
cause the reverse of the column was the
middle of political article. 1 made the
sergeant sit down and take glass of wine,
while | sent for another copy of the paper.
He waited in patient silence, his eyes fixed
on his cap, which he held tightly clasped,
and his hands pressed between his knees.
After waiting an eternity-as it seemed
the paper came and there was the notice,
just what had feared, yet expected to see:
-Wilburn.-On Tuesday, July
Is, at Rochester, by the Rev. DR.. Cotton,
Henry Warwick, U. S. N, to Catherine
Merritt Wilburn."
Poor little Con had seen that notice and
gone at once to find out if it were true.
knew from my talks with her that her
ideas of places and distances were Of the
vaguest, and that she was capable of start
ing on her quest for the lieutenant with
nothing but her love to guide her.
All that l knew and all that guessed
had to tell the sergeant. 1t was no easy
task. 1t was very difficult to make him
believe that his little Con had had a
sweetheart and never told him. When he
did he wanted to go at once to send a
challenge to the lieutenant. Then he re-
membered it was more important to find
Con, and he sat down again, feeble and
heartbroken.
At last l made him go back to the fort,
and promised at once to get detectives to
look for bis daughter.
We hunted for weeks without finding |
her, and in the end she came back herself, |
as quietly and mysteriously as she had dis
appeared.
Her father found her ghost, as he |
thought at first, stretched across the door
way of his quarters one evening.
She was burning with fever and out of |
her mind. No one could find out where |
she had been or what she had done. AL |
though she talked necessarily, it was all |
about beautiful dresses and prince.
Such a handsome prince" she would !
cry, with shining eyes, land he is going to |
marry me-to make me a princess-and !
then shall have my kingdom"
Poor little Conl In the cherries light of |
daybreak she went to inherit her kingdom /
1.-The kingdom Of heaven.
1t is November now and the leaves are
beginning to fall on Cons grave. | went |
TO the fort today for little talk with the /
sergeant. AL his brisk little movements
are gone, and be seems twice as old as
when | first saw him. Even his military
air has vanished, though occasionally he
makes an effort to straighten up and sa-
lutte.
He lives with Jack. Jack is very good
20 him, but every day the old man comes
back to the fort and sits basking in the
sunshine, for we are far enough south 10
have plenty Of warm days, even in Novem-
ber Con is not dead to him; she is always
with him, living presence that he talks
TO by the hour-his little girl whom he
loved and lived for-"Ma pauvre petite"
he fondly murmurs-Charlotte Rogers in
New Orleans Times-Democrat.
One Way of Getting Dat of Lie.
Another woman had said 70 her 'fTs n !