The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-27
MRS. PINKEYE.

They had been very, very happy during
she few swiftly passing months OF their
welded life, and in spite of the memory
Of business reverses and of week OF con-
sinual struggle to meet her payments
Mrs. Pinkeye smiled smile OF iref1aDie
eontentment as her brougham s-opped De-
lore the door of the handsome house thas
had been her mothers marriage GIT, anu
she thought of her dear Horace waltlng
for her in his boudoir-dear Horace, whose
lips in a few short moments would DC
pressed to hers Even the frightful posi-
bility of financial ruin, that awful specter
that. ever since her return from their nom
eymoon to And that trusted employee
had proved unfaithful, had haunted her
almost ceaselessly day and night, vanished
from her presence in the beatlhc anticlpa
lion OF her husbands kiss.
.sWhat is shis you tell me, Alexis?" sife
was saying two minutes later to her hus-
bands valet as she carelesSly threw her
nat into chair Mr.. F.nkeye gone out!
And has he left no word for me?"
'.He-he went ont about 3 o'clock, fai-
tered the man, ''and-and he SAID ne
would be back by 5. He
Alexis said the lady in the tone 81
one accustomed 10 command, you are
keeping something from me. With whom
did my husband go out and has he pace
you conceal aught from mel"
The frightened servant, awed by the
sternness of the wonanS voice and over
come by the inherent weakness or bis sex,
at last blurted out that a lady whom he
did not know had called for his master
soon after luncheon and had taken him
away in a hanson. His master had hidden
him say nothing 90 his mistress about the
matter and had been careful to conceal his
departure from the other servants. lie
had gone out with the same woman every
afternoon for week, but had always re-
turned in time for dinner before. Upon
further questioning Alexis admitted that
he had once seen the strange LADY kiss his
master.
Maud Pinkeye staggered slightly, as II
she had received blow, but recovered
herself in a moment. You may go,
Alexis she said quietly. With strange,
unnatural calm she lighted cigar and sat
down before her library table. SO it had
come at last, and SO soon! What was there
left in life for her if she no longer had
faith in man? And if she could not longer
trust her Horace-if Horace were unfaith-
ful-great GOdl She could not allow her
self to think of IL. The overwhelming des-
olation Of that possibility was more than
even she, strong as she was, could bear.
And yet she must think of it, Oh, why
had fate been 50 cruel? What a paltry
thing the possible loss of her fortune
seemed by comparison with the dread Ca
ialnity that had overtaken her! She
crushed in ore hand an enameied brass
!nkstand that was on the table before her,
So that its contents were forced through
the pores of she tortured metal
Five minutes later she found herself,
she knew net how, in her husbands bou,
doir. An opened book lay on the table.
1t was ''Tae Lives of Eminent Washerwo'
men, by Dr.. Clara Huxley, Pm. D, and
1t was open at the story nf the faith and
devotion of husband who had helped his
wife at a financial crisis with money that
he had made crJcheting doornats for
livery stable while she had supposed him
to be idiing as home. Mechanically Maud
Pinkeye read a few pages and groaned
aloud at the parallel the tale suggested.
Then the doorbell rang, and moment
later she heard her husbands voice in the
hall inquiring anxiously if she had yet
come in. Che moment had arrived She
wondered that size was able to control her
self thus as she strobe down the stairs.
Then she knew that her heart was dead
yes, dead!
Horace Pinkeye tripped lightly up to
his wife AMI held up lis lush red lips for
kiss.
Darling" he said, did you wonder
why was away? and were you lone
some without me? say you were, dar-
lingr'
Maud turned away her head and, teid-
Ing her arms, drew herself up TO her full
height. .'Traiterl'i she Kissed. sTraitor
Tell me who is the woman with whom
you have been spepding your afternoons
for the last weet y
To her SURPRISE her husband did not
finch beneath her gaze. He laughed a
nervous laugh, but said without suspi-
cion of the consciousness or guilt In his
voice:
Has that nasty Alexis been telling you
things II he has, l shall slap him real
hard, right on his face too.
Who was the womal.:' Maud demand
ed starnly
Her husband burst into tears and threw
himself into her arms She knew then
that he was guiltless of any wrong against
her, and she held his head to her bosom
while he told the story that made her
happy woman again.
lit WAS my sister Ethel, Horace
sobbed You know she is the business
manager Of the Pathological Medical Sup
ply company, and, dearest, II had heard
that you were in-in financial trouble.
nnd-and had been reading about how q
husband had once earned some money for
his wife. anG II made Ethel give NE
some work at the factory. And so for the
last week have spent three hours every
afternoon punching the holes in the porous
plasters. l was late today because 1t was
pay day, ana, darling, here are my earn
lngs, 81. 50, ali for You! VIII you forgive
n-, darling, for deceiving you,'
As Maud Pinkeye strained her husband
10 her throbbing bosom she vowed In her
heart of hearts thar, come what might,
she would never for a moment mistrust
him again.-Eew York World.