The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-14
Copyright 1898,
by the Author.l

sNever mind who told me, Dick. Is
it true?''
well. he did make some suggestion
| of the kind; bat don't know that the
lady would have me- Everyone isn't as
easy to please as you, little one"
''Oh, Dick" she groaned- IL
couldn't give you up, think, unless I
was sure it was for your happiness.
could you give me up at all?'' he
asked, banteringly; but her reply was
quite serious.
"Yes, could, and would If was con-
vinced it was for your good" the little
woman said, with such an expression
i of resolution in her face as convinced
Dick that she was quite Quixotic
enough to make the sacrifice.
'And how am to convince you that
would be happier engaged to Miss
| Hackett?" Dick asked, scratching his
head, with a droll expression of per-
plexity.
"Dick, dear. your father will never
forgive you if he finds out not only that
you won't take Miss Hackett, but that
you will take me-
II haven't broken it to him yet" {"
Dick answered lightly. I'm an un-
selfish fellow, and like to keep my little
trouble to myself as long as can"
AS he spoke he lifted ''his little
| trouble clean off the ground with the
arm which was round her waist, and
set her then gently down. Her little
! ness and hghtness had for him charm
complementary to that which his great
size and strength had for her.
Hell hear of it and disinherit you,
Dick
II don't think SO. My father is not
always like what you see of him. Be
fore he fell in unexpectedly for the
property he was the most generous of
men; but his sudden riches, which
made him socially, ruined him moral
ly. He became suspicious, cynical and
miserly. with, however, the strangest
occasional reversions to his old gener-
Gus self. Now, if l caught him in one
of these lucid intervals and confessed
our engagement to him then, believe
he'd not only approve of it, but give Us
lump sum down for our emigration
plan
but be won't hear of it from you,
Dick. Gilbert will tell him.
Gilbert? He doesn't know of it him
SELF
"Yes, he does; he told Miss jackson
of it,
''Phew! He'll certainly put a spoke
in my wheel in that easel" Dick ex-
claimed with insuppressible concern.
''I'd better be beforehand with him,
Minnie, and make a clean breast of it
at once to my father" he added.
When, however, Dick hurried home
to make this confession to his father he
found that his brother Gilbert had been
beforehand with him.
$50. sir,' his father cried, the mo-
1nent he entered the study, and before
he could even open his lips. $50, sir,
I'm to congratulate you upon your en-
gagement to Miss Morris! Very good;
very good! l shall be glad to make
precisely the same settlement in her
case that l promised to make if you
had married MISS Hackett."
Here Dick stammered amazedly: TITS
really exceedingly good of you, father"
Not at all, sir; not at all. ! prom
ised to settle on you a fortune equal to
Miss Hackett's, and now I promise to
settle on you a fortune equal to Miss
Morris. That's fair, sir, ] hope" he
added, with harsh. sardonic laugh.
''B ardly, sir" Dick replied, bitterly.
ut is neither generous nor just to help
only those who need no help"
Its Christian, anyway, which is bet
ter than being generous or just. He
that hath to him shall be given, and he
that hath not from him shall be taken
that which he seemeth to have Eh?"
Its hardly the moral OF the parable
of the prodieal, sir. Like him l came
to ask you for sum to start us"
Not penny! Not penny! Not a
pennyr' cried the old man, furiously.
III you choose to take your own way
you make your own way"
Very well, sir" And Dick turned
abruptly on his heel and Quilted the
room
1t was a terrible blow to him, since
he was some thousands in debt, and
had been brought up in the idleIess
and helplessness of q man with great
expectations He hurried off, rather
weakly and selfshly, it must be con-
fessed, to confde the whole trouble
debts and ALTO Minnie. Great was
his surprise and relief to find that she
took, now when the blow had fallen,
the cheerful view he had failed to make
her take when it was merely impending.
sit will be all right Dick. dear. you'll
see" she reassured him, brightly. over
and over again. till she succeeded IN
injecting him with this hopefuiness.
Indeed. she seemed IN almost hystcr-
icany high spirits, and laughingly in
sisted upon branding him as her very
own" by cutting away to the very
roots lock Of his hair- She kissed. too.
the little bald spot she had raads-the
first Kiss she had given him, but not the
last For when he rose at last, and
late, to take his leave. she followed
him outside the door, and there in the
darkness she said, with sudden catch
like sob in her voice: 'StOop down,
Dick" And when he stopped she put
both her arms around his reck and gave
him clinging kiss. which moved him
deeply.
Dear old Minnie, You love me al
the mere the more trouble bring you
Good night, darling"
But she made no reply, or he heard
none. He walked away. thinking ot
the inexhaustible patience Of her
love, which answered 10 every demand
rpon i thousand fold more than was
asked for II was not Ii toward