The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-20

Its the dollar, not the sentiment,
with you, Fred, she astutely returned.
Fred made no reply. Possibly his re-
spect for gold was a characteristic ad-
uniting no denial.
But the young girl was again perus-
ing the report. and in the last line she
encountered four words previously un-
noticed: MIR. Witham badly injured"
Her face was slightly paler as she
looked up.
He's given more than his dollars,
Fred" she said. in a low tone.
Fred looked grave. At the same tine
there was depicted in his expression
vague sense of relief.
We'll, that lets US out" he returned.
ITO tell the truth, Dolly, l was begin
ming to wonder how we could extricatO
ourselves gracefully"
But Fred erred and that gravely, II
believing he was TO escape thus easily
from the correspondence which he had
begun. Three days later he was again
summoned into Miss Halsted's pres
ence, and that young lady met him
with look of blank dismay. She had
ham and of a character vastly dissini-
lar to those of earlier date. Moreover.
z small package accompanied the let
ter. Within reposed ring whose glis-
tening stone was worthy to grace even
DolIy's taper fingers, and the sender
was following the ring.
Here the young girl calculated,
almost tearfuIly. Hes coming here"
Fred knit his brow; manifestly he
was disconnected. and he took the let
ter from her hand. But there was no
loophole for demonstration. The
writer was no longer an appealing
swain, suing for favor: he had met
with accident-had narrowly escaped
death, and by it was warned that de-
lay frequently entailed disaster. At
the closing statement, however, Fred
exhibited some slight relief Mr..
Witham did not intend ''roping a
nounced. He would await Miss We'll
don's pleasure at the Palace hotel
And we'll have to meet him there"
Fred declared, in tone of desperation.
we" the young girl exclaimed.
I'm not Miss Weldon
''Well, / will them Fred returned.
But what will / tell him-that you're
sick, dead, or have left the city?"
Miss Halsted shook her head.
THAT would only mean procrastina
ton, with an explanation still to be
made she said, obviously.
NO; if you are going to meet him
if you dare to meet him-tell him the
truth"
Fred WINGED. It had not previously
occurred to him that an encounter with
Mr. Witham might entail bodily dis
comfort.
"Do-do You supposeihe'n fight?" he
cueried. half absently.
Il hope so; you deserve it," was the
young girls reply. Then she paused
and her eyes sparkled mischievously as
she noted her companions detection.
"No; l don't mean that, Fred" she
added; 81 would not Hike you to get hurt.
But you must see him"
But words are not actions. TIE fol-
lowing day was nearly at an end when
Fred entered the Palace hotel and
glanced over the register. Inwardly he
was praying that the name of Witham
should not appear upon its pages; that
its owner might be reposing beneath a
wrecked train. shot by express robbers,
by the wayside-anything.
But there it was, and at sight of it he
repaired to the barroom.
That courage. however, which is at
tributed to Holland appeared to have
lost It's potency, and he soon returned
20 the office. His hand trembled as he
drew a card from his pocket; but it had
to be done, and he rendered it to the
clerk.
Mr.. Witham," he said. tersely.
Five minutes later speaking tube
wheezed, and he watched the clerk.
But the suspense was of brief duration.
Yes; Mr.. Witham was in and would
be pleased to see Mr.. Weldon at once.
The bell boy, too, seemed as if bent
upon Fastening the ealamitous work,
for he at once conducted him to the
door of Mr. Witham's room and tapped
loudly on the panel.
Gomez was the CHEEKY response that
foated through the transom, and Fred
shuddered. Then he pulled himself to-
gether and turned the knob.
But en- the threshold he paused. Mr..
Witham-the ''cowboy'-was seated
within, and of exterior he was not at
all formidable His features, albeit
bearded. were boyish, pleasant and
rather handsome. and his attire was
that affected by man of the world
But it was not with him that Fred was
now conoerned-Dorothy Hasted was
seated on his knee.
Fred was like a man dazed by some
sudden revelation: he seemed. almost,
to stagger. But the cowboy" smiled.
Then lifting Dolly he deposited her
In his own seat and advanced with ex-
tended hand.
My wife, Mr.. Weldon" he observed,
lightly. 1--WE have had her fathers
blessing; trust we have yours"
Fred stared; he was yet like one in
the dark. and he scarcely noticed the
hand which clasped his own.
Eyes, Fred" she said, with a wealth
of smiles and bushes, I'VE must con-
fess to q little deception. Ny own
photo. and not Mile. Clos. was in
closed in your first letter. and after
the second my-my husband always
wrote two letters, one for US and one
for me. And, really. Fred, think his
appreciation of the situa ton influenced
me-just a bit-in what has happened"
Fred bowed-very coldly: he was
himself again 1t all goes 10 show"
he afterwards averred, that women