The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-23

mess Ihe mines were developing
great output, and all branches Of in
dastry were prosperous and paying
well New buildings were going up
q courthouse, city hall, a big school
building and last, but not least, a
cllnrch. which was to be in the hands
OF real, permanently abiding minis
ter. De Leon was really coming with
in the pale of civilization, everybody
agreed And so. about this time, quite
a number of The boys" went to the
STATES for their families, and several
more, who had no families, went back
TO get the girls they'd LEFT behind them.
Among these was Ben Corliss. | had
known him in New Mexico several
years before, and we had been in sun
dry tight places together, SOFT was only
natural that, when i driftcd to DeLeon
at the time OF the rush and found Cor
tiss there. a certain degree of that init
macy born of previous association
should spring up between us, although
in our tastes and inclinakions we were
miles apart. But finding ourselves
among several hundred total strangers,
close tOgcther for three years. and, Of
course, ] was the first TO learn of Ben's
matrimonial iutentions-whIch, by the
way, wore declared only about a week
before no left for Iowa to carry them
out, at which time i learned. also, that
khe new house at the head of Main
street was the property of my uncom-
municative chum.
They returned In about month and
settled down comfortably in their new
home, apparently the happiest couple
In the world. They certainly ought to
have been, for they had waited for each
other nearly eight years, after a
romantic boy and girl courtship and
stern father episode.
was charmed had never deamed
that Ben would show any more taste in
selecting a wife than he had shown in
Some other matters which had come to
any notice. and was. therefore. entirely
umpire pared to becomingly greet the al
aogcther charming and pretty Young
woman to whom Ben. after assisting
her from the train with honeymoon
gal1antry, presented me.
AT tea that evening nothing would
no but | must, after having made all
the preparations for their home-cou-
ing, share their first meaD ! was vet
more forcibly impressed with Mrs.
Coriiss personally. She had a quiet,
5ut effective taste in dress: her man
ners were unobtrusively perfect; she
talllet we'll. yet modestly, and added
20 the charms of face and voice was
Hha: atmosphere surrounding her which
mace one feel at ease aud perfectly at
home in her presence
took occasion. later. to remark to
BEN that he had obviously held the
winning ticket at the grand drawing.
Shes an eagle-bird." affirmed her
spouse. vulga-ly, but appreciatively.
go, then, and do like
But at this point the subject of our
conversation reappeared. and Ben
I6esisted-
Look back at the year following
Ben Coriiss' marriage. as one of the
happsest l ever knew For me.
nomadio bachelor. who had known sc
little of comfort, and still less Of
eema1nne sccie<y, Tor more years than ]
cared 70 think of, to be admitted a.
one Of the family 10 the comforts and
cnjoyments of that delightful home,
seemed veritable sojourn in Paradise.
and wss the envy of half hundred
less fortunate chaps in De Leon.
The .next year was obliged to 90 &c
Montana and Idaho on business. had
only expected to be gone about three
months, but time went on and on. and,
immersed IN my work. out of the
world half the time, it was nearly
khree years before l returned TO De
Leon and civilization. In all this time
! had passed no word with Corliss. We
had no natural business interests. and
shared al least enc teeling-that OF