The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-24

uinners at which I was ever present.
That may have been because Lucille
Van Etten was one of the guests.
have loved Lucille for FIVE years,
that was ever since my father moved
into the neighborhood, spent fortune
in landscape gardening, another in
building and furnishing and estab-
fishing Wyndham Woods in what had
previously been an ugly wilderness of
forest. / had loved Lucille from the
first moment l had seen her. And
had promised myself the pleasure of
telling her of my love on this day
the pleasure Of seeing her blush and
smile and dimple-the pleasure Of her
words of love, the tender touch of her
kind hand, the shy kiss of deathless
affection, in return for what l should
do and say. For was sure that Lucille
loved me. l was as certain of it as
was of my own existence.
knew the match was fitting and
suitable one, too, SO far as the social
and financial aspects of it were con-
cerned. And I knew her father and
my parents hoped it might occur.
Those facts might, I am sorry to say,
have been obstacles in the way Of
some modern marriages. But 1 was a
fellow of good sense-if I am in posi-
ton that compels me to say it for my
self
Gen. Lawrence Van Etten had won
fame in the army. He had won fortune
by speculation. 1t was said he was
worth a'million and a half, though he
always modestly discounted that state
ment fifty per cent. His daughter had
inherited her mothers fortune year
or two before we came to Wyndham
Woods. 1t was known to be on the
happier side of the half million mark.
My father had the reputation OF be-
ing one of the most successful real
estate operators in the west. Places
in which he had no monetary interest
were either very old or very new-old
enough to be fossiliZed, or too new to
have an existence elsewhere than on
paper. / had heard men of judgment
estimate his property at ten hundred
Thousand dollars; men of more con-
sentative habits-and less knowledge
had said five hundred thousand dollars;
Gen. Lawrence Van Etten, the best
friend he had in the world, had put the
figure half way between those two ex-
tremes. Father himself, when ques-
toned, always laughingly said he
didn't know; his manner, though never
his words, asserted that he didn't care.
The dinner party, though large, was
exclusive. The Van Ettens were the
1. ,o1l, IL
Friends and relatives from distance
made up the rest. There were many
boys and girls, from the little folks of
five up to the ones; who were on the
threshold of the teens. There We're
middle-aged men and women, and a
few whose steps were already on the
sleeper slopes of LIES afternoon. But
only Lncille and could justly be de-
nominated young folks"
My memory of the dinner itself is
rather vague and indistinct. There
was much kindly intercourse and
friendly mcrriment. But, on the
whole, it was a more formal affair
than / really liked Besides, l wanted
to DO alone with Lncille, and when
dinner was done l was not long in
drawing her away and out for walk
through the grounds
My arm stole around the waist of
the one / loved My eyes looked down
into hers-hers up into mine, until
they failed and faltered and fell under
my ardent glance. And | caught her
dropping face with a restraining kiss
my first, and hers-with her chin
half WAY from its honest level of love.