The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-25
Stories of an inland State.

Al last after series of the most I'M
usual delays, Tuesday evening arrived ant
twilight found Mr.. Douglas Martin on 4
settee in the vine-clad porch belonging {;
the widow Banks.
She had bioden him be seated there uH
III she had finished her tolet-the finish
ing touch being the tedious subsection o.
a certain refractory curl. which did no
fall quite to her finical taste.
And then she came out-in blue, il
freshly ironed blue-bringing with her q
! breath of delicate perfume of the femi
nine GOODNESS that excites all mems ardor
| the GOODNESS of clear, sparkling eye and
pink cheek and white. ruched throat
"Oh, Lucilla,' was the sum total Of Ms
vocabulary al that moment and he ross
! and reached out his hands.
She gave him one with little show o.
| formality which did not chill him in tbs
least.
"Lucilla," ne went on, my fair partner
in sim
'In sin. Mr.. Martini
| In sin, Lucilla, in SIM"
She did not dispute him. seeing he was
bent on maintaining his position.
| 'Lucilla,'' he said, sea ting himself on the
| settee and drawing her down beside him
revel in wickedness. For days 1 have
been scorching in the hot furnace OF pro-
piety, in the hell, Lucilla, hell of rectitude
And at last l have come into this heaven
, OF wickedness, where / can smile and
| smile Lucilla and bask in SIM
She started TO interrupt him, but he
/ stopped her with a sweep of his arms
| beavenward.
Mature, Lucilla. bids me smile and
shall smile. Behold the purple bell OF
night above US, dimpied, beaded, specked
I with worlds, Lucilla. Behold the silver
moon, shining in lovers eyes, simmer:
| ing on gl:mmering meadow, glistening in
dewy daisy On Lucilla, the universe
| the sky above US. is it not all a grand
! good sInile?'
| She turned her queenIy little head to
| him. 1T is all smile Lucilla' he went
on. 1T is all happiness. all joy. all bliss.
| beatitude and several other words / can
not pronounce. Oh Lucilla, l am SO
! happy"
You love nature. don't you, Mr.. Mar
| ~" she asked under sudden recollection
that she must keep up her end of the
conversation.
Mature. Lucilla?" he said. do I love
| nature Lucila? Do the little birds fly Lu-
ella? Do the open-eyed daisy daisy Luz
: ella? Do the honey-suckle suckle, Luz
ella? Do 1 love nature? Lucilla? AS
the poet says "When-but have forgotten
what he does say, Lucilla-but 1 do love
nature"
And she began
"And world. Lucilla. world has put
the cruel letters of sorrow On me. Ma
ture says smile. The world says: Look
glum.' 1 am the sympathetic. the grave.
the sober. the serious, the sombre, sor-
rowfrl bereft, bereaved Mr.. Martin. That's
my reputation. To smile is sim
He paused and looked lovingly at her.
"Ah, Lucilla.'' he said, Il smile. 1t
is a sin, but 1 smile. smile in your
presence for you alone know that 1 can
that / do"
His eyes had fallen on her ear. He now
lifted his hand to this voluted member
and nipped it between his fore-finger and
thumb
'Lucilla," he then exclaimed, what a
beautiful. what beautiful shell-like ear,
Lucilla, look me in the eyes What beau
tiful. what beautiful eyes, They smile
(and they did. With the lips, with the
eyes, with the nature. Lucilla. too smile,
though it be in defiance, 1 smile
He had dropped his arm surrepttiously
around her. A cameo ring on his finger
Rad caught in some drapery and he was
making an effort to free his hand without
letting her know of the presence of his
arm.
"Mr. Martin" she said very slowly ard
very sweetly, Mature is indeed beautiful,
but it is not all smile II IS not all joy
and bliss. There are times when the sill
yer light of the moon dies and the daisy
droops and the pleasing face of nature
pales before the breath of death"
Death he fairly Missed.
Death said the little woman. Death.
Mr. Martin that comes with equal
Don't, Lucilla,' he moaned, dropping
his head on his hands.
I'VE must all, Mr.. Martini
Don't he pleaded again.
For, Mr.. Martin" she persisted,
death"
"Lucillar' he cried "Lucilla, spare me-"
do you know. Mr. Martin. that death
why, what's the natter"
Mr. Douglas Martin had bounded back
ward and was standing putting with emo
tional agitation before her.
"Wha-a-t?" she said. advancing and fac
ing him.
"Lucila, Listen, Can you not see what
you are doing? Can you not see that my
life is a choked chicken now. without
pleasure without hope, without compan-
ionship and I come to you. confessing my
true nature and opening my heart for you
20 read chapter by chspter-for 1 have
concealed nothing? 1 tell you I viii smile
that 1 will steal away from my lawful
self and bask in the forbidden Joy of
laughing and then you Lucilla, you, Luz
ella. speak of DEATH
Death? Mr.. Martini
Yes death. What does IL 20. Il ro5s
me OF my sinful smile; II embitters my
soul Lucilia. il brushes. II annihiiates me.
look upon your eyes. Lucilla. and you
speak OF death and the professional bug
bear is before NE, Lucilla. for seeing your
eyes and thinking of death / think Of
professionally closing them and putting
rickles on EN-"
''Oh Mr.. Martini she cried with some
thing CT horror in her tone
That's il. Lucilla. Death is trade with
me. not poetry I look upon our sweet
red lips curling moment ago in a smile
in the moonlight and you say death and
think OF taking q wet cloth and tying
up yCur jaw. and laying carbolic acid soah
ed rags OF your forehead Luclla. AMI
tanning enbaiming fluid in your arm
on Lucillat'
Mr.. Martin" she exclaimed. turning
very pale and facing him with ar evil
dent tone OF anger, ''you forget yourself
You are angry" he pulled.
VINO wouldn't be-" she snapped pet
ushly.
There, There & IS" Re uaoansi. Jus.
as expected; Ny smile i my ruiustion-