The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-01

I
| " If il were SO evidently in his power
to assist her. But, having made the
proposition. would he not have fci'
mere respect for me had it been Pc
| litely refused? Or would he have
| thought rne prude, and regretted his
chivalry?
"Er-yes. thank you. very chivai
rous."
All the girls laugh, and / realize
with a stara that / have answered
| Lulu's simple request. if / would not
| have more ice cream. somewhat alb
sent-mindedly. TO put it mildly.
You must be in love, Nathalie.
| laughs Lulu. and, like a simpering
| school miss, blush, which makes he
SC angry that further accession OF
| color waves up to- my forehead. and
| the conviction is strong -ithin me that
/ resemble nothing more than full
blown peory.
Reflect on my appetite, and don''
say I'm in love-" l answer,
Talking of being in love, you should
see our handsome neia 'hbor," said
Lulu. He is young physician. but
well known. Perhaps you lave heard
of him-Dr. Bernard Burke"
why, he is the doctor we are going
to have if any of rs are ILL.," excia'm.
"Is he really nice looking?'
Indeed, he is. / have been try 1ng
10 develop some interesting disea 81
ever since first saw him." she replies.
And, by the way" she continues, Tho
generally passes here just about this
time. Come to the window and watch
for him, Nathalie. and l viii wager
you'll manage to get up some allment
within the week. The stakes to be
soda water"
l jump up as she speaks. and make
rush for the window. closely followed
By the rest OF the girls. AS get half
way across the room my high heels
again fail me: my ankle turns, and |
measure my length on the floor. The
girls laugh, after the manner Of girls.
A tumble is 10 me generally a source
of infinite mirth, and l cannot blame
them for their merriment. l try TO
rise, but sharp twinge Of pain in my
foot causes NE to sink back with a
groan- No doubt l turn pale, for the
girls become sober and cluster around
me anxiously. Every moment is agony,
but when l am perfectly still 1t is not
so bad. What is to be done? We con-
suit anxiously.
81 shall send for DR.. Burke" declares
Lulu, seriously. There is . burst of
laughter, and even l smile.
You owe me debt of gratitude for
this" 1 murmur, rather weakly, to
Lulu
l am beginning to feel faint and
sick, and after l am helped to the sofa
] lie back with my eyes closed, while
Sue Dalton fans me, and May Bostwick
runs for some salts.
Here's the doctor" whispers Sue. at
last in my ear. Under other tircum-
stances l could pity you MORE" she
adds.
open my eyes languidly and look
up. Shades of my rainy mornings
walk! 1t is my knight Of the umbrellal
"And shall be able to walk with
out a crutch this week?" l ask,
anXiously.
1t is a month since that never-to-be-
forgotten luncheon at Lulu Bradley's
and my foot is still in statu quo, as it
were, although can get around the
house and am in the parlor. now, with
DR.. Bernard Burke. It Is the first time
| have seen him alone, and we have
never mentioned our "a Their unconven.
tional walk.
Il am quite sure you will be out by
Saturday. Perhaps you will still need
a slight support-a cane or"-his eyes
twinl1le-''an umbrella"
We both laugh.
did you expect me to refuse your
help that day? Tell me what you
thought of me. But if You think was
brazen, do please gloss it over as much
ls you can"
"lf had thought It at all out Of the
way for you to accept my offer / never
should have ven tured to make il, for in
that case / should have had no right"
he replies and l wonder that never
thought of that before.
Il should have been both disguised
and disappointed if you had declined
s.. i
will tell you just how it was. walked
behind You for about q half-block, de-
batting in my own mind what l should
do. We were both going the same way,
and / saw there was no shelter You
could seek excepting doorway, which
involved tedious waiting, and would
have been an impossibility if you had
an engagement t. To pass you seemed
impossible. and to walk behind you.
too selfish to be thought OF for a mo-
ment.
" IF she takes nv offer the way I
mean it, | thought, i shall respect
her and admire her good sense If she
treats it as an impertinence il cannot
hurt me, and it will not prove that my
impulse ought to have been suppressed.
Judging by the independent poise OF
her head l think she possesses iudg-
ment. and VIII be grateful to me
Il must acknowledge l felt some
trepidation as / approached on. and
voted you, in schOolboy vern2cular, a
regular trump when, after search
ing look from a pair Of beautiful eyes,
You smiled so sweetly and allowed me
to hold my umbrella over you"
i glanced at the doctor
Was il not strange that we should
have met again that very day." be-
gin, hastily.
Il think it,was fate" interrupts Dr..
Burke, audaciousIv.
And then he goes on and saws so
much that quite lose track of it all.