The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-07

pleased to lose it, for hate to see a
girl throwing away her opportunities
as you have been doing of late
Now. it so happened that, at this
same moment, Mr.. Lionel Falconer,
sitting in the smoking-room of his club,
was receiving equally sage counsels
from his friend Bates, who stood IN
much the same relation to him as Miss
Leighton did to Maud Elton.
Don't make laundering ass Of
yourself. my dear fellow" that world
ly-wise bachelor, Bates, was pleading.
4 could tell you lots of things about
Mrs. Martindale, only / don't care to
pass for scandal monger: and, be-
sides, while your present infatuation
lasts you wouldn't believe me. All
beg of you is to go easy for bit and to
avoid committing yourself In due time
your eyes will be opened, and then you
will arise and bless NE. If it would re-
lieve your feelings at all to curse me
now, curse away; l don't mind"
Lionel Falconer, long-iegged, taci-
turn young man, whose smooth-shaven
SOuH Ilst>l 0OO ditCiSo al
sion during Mr.. Bates harangue, of
which the fag end has been reported
above, refrained from cursing his
friend. He merely took his cigarette
out of his mouth for a moment and re-
piled, laconically:
"All right, old chap"
But he was by no means sure that IL
Lo Hx,,
sure that he had not committed him
self infatuated upon the subject Of
Mrs. MartindaIe's charms he assuredly
was not; he had begun flirting with her
simply and solely because Maud Elton
had seen fit to hirt with other people.
But he had been fattered and ajoled; he
had been dexterously led on from point
to point, and his present impression was
that he had gone almost, if not quite,
too far to recede. After all, what did
it matter? He Was one of those luck
less beings, an eligible young man;
somebody was certain to marry him be-
fore long; the only girl for whom he
had fancy had turned her back upon
him, and Mrs. Martindale was at least
an amusing companion.
As may be readily imagined, less Gym
ical views of life began to prevail with
him at Lady Knightsbridge's ball that
evening, when Maud Elton, wearing,
like the lady in the ballad. ''the colors
he approved'-his racing-colors. in fact
-beckoned him to her side and gave
him a kindly little scolding. He was
10 70 fhof clfDht
misunderstanding which might have
arisen between them had been entirely
due to his own stupidity, he was very
soon brought to the point of acknowi-
edging that his ostentatious devotion
to Mrs. Martindale (which in truth
Maud had not even noticed) had been
enough to ALLEVIATE any friends, who
could not be expected to know that
sort of woman" But when it was in
timated to him that he would have to
prove his repentance by attending Mrs
Elton's river picnic and forsaking the
concert to which he had been hidden.
he pulled a rather long face.
I'm sure don't want to go to her
concert, nor to snybody's concert"
ut OcCldTSo- LII hiuSi III III
line. But, you see, as | said would be
there -"
You said you would be at our pic
mic. You may have forgotten it. but
you did say so, and II you break your
work-well, then | shall understand
that YOU prefer Mrs. Martindale's com
pany to ours, and ! shall act accord
iugly."
Needs must when certain persons
drive He knew, or thought he knew,
what Maud meant. and he said to
himself that. since he was now resolved
to break with Mrs Martin6ale. one
pretext would serve as wall as another.
Nevertheless, it was not without trepi-
dalton that he threaded his way across
the room towards the recess whore
that rouged. powdered, and be-
diamonded little lady had for some min
utes been scrutinizing him srspicioUsly
through her eyeglasses Matters had
gone rather far between him and the
fascinating widow; he foresaw that
there would be trouble. and his antici-
pations were speedily verified.
Let you off? Oh. dear, yes; viii
do that with the utmost alacritT. If you
wish to be OF, - Mrs. Aartindzle said.
in answer TO his hesitating request:
only you must please 70 understand
that You won't have 2 second chance OK
leaving ne IN the Iurch- an not az
customed TO being treated in that way,
and ] don't like IL
Il believe accepted the Eltons' in
before / had yours" Lionel az
frmed- boldly. Anyhow, Miss Elton
swears did "
NO doubt she IS prepared TO swear
TO anything. Bat really don't care a
pin whether was first N the field or
not You can throw these people ever,
and you VIII have 10 throw them over.
Il you value Tny-frlendlsh1p- / have
reasons for making point OF IT.
She had. indeed. AID it sounded ike
an audacious proceeding on her part To
say 50; but she was an experienced
woman. and she had found Mr. Va
eoner yielding On previous occasions j.
was ~ unpie2sau, surprise 10 her 20
hear him reply now
I'm awfaliy sorry. bit Tn afraid
can't throw them over"
Just as you like. SIZE -e5oined. care
less.y- ''1oa must make your choice
between them ard Hae. :hat's al
That was exactly what be had sozr,
and he did nos regre. his choice; oaly
it can never be . ycET pleasant ihin9 "a .