The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-22

to do, and they In turn hate me for it. One
under this roof Is an unpleasant looking
man, whom my father wishes me to marry
on account OF his business prospects, and
suppose. his attachment for me. He has
annoyed me 50 with his attentions that
almost hate him, and he knows it. He is
jealous and has very mean disposition.
dare not go out at any time without his
knowing 1t and speaking of the fact II
such way that my father, who is dread
( fully strict, hears him and gives me a lee
/ ture. Ii he sees me walking home with q
! young man, or sees me get letter or hand
/ one TO the postman, he tells 1t; then, Ci
! course, father wants to know all about 1t.
THE rest of these delightful people are
/ forever spying too. The consequence is
am forever In hot water. Now on Lehigh
street, $50, there's a man whom / like very
much. Robert Barring is his name. He
! knows you quite well by sight. l will
/ thank you exceedingly if you viii give him
! this note and stop there when you're or
| your way here, so if he has any message
| for me he viii give it to you. You see,
| father doesn't allow him TO visit me, so we
don't see each other very often-only when
l can slip out for an hour or so, when he
joins me and we take a walk. If you'll be
our letter carrier we'll get along much
better. Then by being a little careful
George Birch Will be so nicely outwitted.
When he has no more tales to tell i won
der what he will do. Well l suppose you
are willing to be our mutual friend, aren' t
you?'
She was standing there and had laid her
hand in mine. Ipromised TO serve her, then
left her by the way I'd come. In the
months that followed / saw her many
times and carried to and fro many mes
sages between the sweethearts. l had been
their mail carrier for six months and had
given her start up the pole almost as
many times, when her father died OF
course her lover went to see her then as
often as he liked, so there was no more
need of me. One morning about two
months after her fathers death she ran
down stairs and overlook me as turned
the corner. She told me she was to be mar
ried that night at the minister's residence
and that she and Robert wanted me to be
one of the witnesses.
II consented, though wondered il she
didn't know what hard request she'd
made Of me- l stood up there bravely,
though it took all my power to do so, and
ing, and | wondered if he did then or ever
would love her as devotedly as / did. Short
~ afterward l doubted it very much. He
was not overly kind to her, staid out at
clubs late and was not as considerate for
her feelings as he should have been. l saw
her just often enough TO know she was
very unhappy, though only bride of ten
months
George Birch became very sullen. He
never spoke to Barring except to tantaliZe
and wnen he'd been married one year Birch
so grossly irSulted him that there was an
alteration in which both were wounded
Barring died within twenty-four hours, but
Birch lived to suffer awhile.
He had lingering SPELL then improved,
only to get worse later Katie had been a
widow for year, when she sent for me to
tell me that George was dying and wanted
to see her. She was very nervous and mis-
cradle; she dreaded going, yet had no wish
to refuse. l advised her to go and went
also, at least as far as the steps. wouldn't
go in the room. When she came out there
were tears in her eyes and she looked pale
and frightened. She told me in low voice,
almost in a whisper, that he was dead I
walked with her to her door, then left her
alone with her unhappy thoughts. Her
husband left her but little wealth, so she
went back to the northwest room of the
red tenement, the one in which I'd first
seen her, which she rented quite cheaply
and manage, very well, with her baby
girl for company and small hired girl
for help.
Il visited her only occasionally until she
left OFT her garb of mourning, then [ went
there more frequently. In time she prom
ised to be my wife, but three years went by
without her setting our wedding day. She
told me that George Birch had said that if
she married me or any one else he'd give
her no peace, but haunt her day and night.
She did not want to believe that he could,
but weeks before the day set for our mar
riage she was in terribly nervous state,
and declared she'd seen George in her door
every night for month.
The evening before we were to be mar
ried was sitting in the room holding her
child on my knee and thinking of the bright
morrow when the back door opened sud
denly and she screamed: Look at George
Birch! 1t IS not his ghost, but him, him
self See how he looks at mel My God |
can't stand it, | can't marry you, Simon
| can't can't. Save my child don't let
her see that facep She moaned, wrung her
hands and looked mad.
Il went two blocks for a physician, but
when | returned Katie was gone looked
for her, and others, too but we never found
her or heard any tidings bearing on the
subject. The general opinion was that in
her fright and excitement she had destroy
ed herself. But how, without there being
some evidence afterward I am DuZzled IN
know.
Il sold my new home, or the place that
was to have been our home, and taking her
child | took up my abode in nay same old
lodging house and there I've lived ever
since for this child, who will be second
Katie Allen in beauty God grant her
happier life.
Il gave up my position as lineman.
could not climb pole without thinking of
her. Since then I've been knocking
around, doing anything that came to my
hand, until today, when | was called into
service through necessity.
THE red tenement is sold and is TO be
taken down Hearing this I've been COM
ing here now and then, each time think
ing twas the last, to look at the house
where l first met and loved my beauti-
ful'-
Simon passed, looked fondIy at little
Katie, then gathered her in his arms,
tucked her feet within the 'front.' of his
coat, bowed silently, crossed the street and
walked slowly, with eyes full to the brim
and quiveFing lips, 10 the room in which /
he lived with every creyice Of his heart
open 70 admit the light from baby eyes and
Z he music of childish rratrIa hOBinsx Il /