The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-03-19
Stories of an inland State.

|
told her who he was and why he had com,
/ to her and expected TO remain there for Z
few days, she attempted to speak but hel
| voice failed her.
| "Why don't you kiss me, Mrs. Tilford p
asked Burr innocently.
The woman came forward and kissed
him as though he were stone.
May / come in?" asked Burr.
She merely motioned.
He came in and sat down on a hard
wooden chair. Mrs. Tiiford took a rocking
chair and collapsed, weeping tremendous.
~ and holding her apron to her eyes.
When she had recovered in a degree
Burr asked: How are you, Mrs. Til
fcrd?"
But she only wept the harder.
And McGraw -
Hes gone said Mrs. Tilford. "And he
borrowed dollar of me to go on and
never heard of him.
Then she began to talk and her gar
rUlity exceeded the intensity of her silence
Of a moment before She told him every
thing. First that Clara Drew had been
faithful to him for all these years though
she had many chances: about the letter
she wrote and which Burr did not receive;
about how they saw all about his fame in
newspapers when ne first came out; about
the deaths and the new babies in the COM
munity. In fact she related a detailed his
tory of Gaylord for six years. All of which
pleased the great musician nightly.
You haven't a piano have you?" asked
Burr.
We'll the likes Of you"' exclaimed Mrs.
Tilford. 'Of course haven't
well, get one
Mrs. Tilford stared in blank astonish-
ment.
go down town and buy one for me- I'll
give You the money and when you get the
piano I'll present it to you. Get the best in
strument in town and have it brought here
at once"
Mrs. Tilford's establishment increased
Suddenly she broke out with:
Mr.. Burr -'
"Well?"
May kiss you again. The other was 50
unfeeling-like."
She stepped over and he kissed her.
She blushed deeply and rushed out Of
the room like giddy girl.
Hold up cried Burr. This is a draft.
1t will pay for the piano. Now I want you
to call at Mr.. Drew's Office and tell him
to call here Immediately after supper. He
is not to tell any one at his home that I
am here. You understand
A few minutes later Mrs. Tilford passed
up the street of that town with a strut
worthy of an exceedingly cruel queen. She
ordered the piano with the air of woman
who bought four thousand pianos a day
regularly. She issued orders to Mr.. Drew
insolently.
Immediately after supper Mr.. Drew call
ed. The piano had just arrived and Mrs.
Tilford was walking back and forth in
front of 1t as much as to say: Touch it if
you dare"'
Burr shook hands rather stifiy with Mr..
Drew. In the old days Drew had been his
hitterest enemy. He did not seek to make
too much peace with him now.
Clara" said Burr. Does not know I
am here. That is as I want it. I do not
wish her to know. expect to be admitted
to your house by eight o'clock. 1 do not
expect her in the parlor. I expect that to
be unoccupied. 1 rely on you to carry
this plan OUT
Mr.. Drew shuf1ed his feet and looked
away. There was a tone in this man
ly.
Mr. Drew" Burr went on coldly. az
have come 20 marry Clara and take her
away"
Mr. Drew started to humble something.
Il expect my wishes carried out to the
letter in this particular
Drew felt fiattered as we'll as crushed.
trim had az he
He took from this a suit and began to ar
lay himself in it. He stood an hour be-
fore Mrs. Tilford's tiny mirror arranging
his necktie. He had appeared before
before without the trouble of
arranging it at all. But he was to meet
the woman above all the world and he
must look well. At times he became ex-
hausted and had to rest. But at last his
toilet was completed.
do look well?" he asked Mrs. Tilford.
Beautiful" said Mrs. Tilford.
And will she be pleased?"
You do not know how much"
'She loves me, Mrs. Tilford?"
Loves your
IT know she does. Oh! Mrs. Tilford,
Am so happy-so happy"
The feeble artist chung to the arm Of
,hair. The emotion of the moment had
weakened him.
'AIr Burr" began Mrs. Tilford.
"Wen?"
'You will play on the piano?"
yes
Mrs. Tilford gathered the cover from the
instrument carefully.
1T is very beautiful said Burr.
81 should say it was"
But Mrs Tilford," exclaimed Burr
What could you be thinking of! It's an
Upright, 1t has no legs and you love piano
egs SO welr'
And you remember that too" exclaimed
Yrs. Tilford.
why didn't you get square?"
They're out of fashion they said"
so they are. I'll play
The music did not begin at once. Burr |
moved his fingers up and down the glisten- |
ng keys.
Then |
The rush of the sucking wind and the |
vierd Shrek OF the witch astride her broom |
n mid-air piercing cloud after cloud in an |
ngry gallop purposeless and without end. |
md now the globuled notes of a lark drip |
ing from its slender throat and the purr |
r amorous breezes in the long grass and |
he silken CULVER OF the sunlight on a wide |
meadow and the querulous chatter OF |
ebbly brook. A young girl with wondrous |
yes stood there a wild rose in her hair /
out upon her lips with naked out-stretch-
d arms. And he crept over the velvet /
rass down where the color OF the wild /
oses and the warble OF the robin mingled /
4 blended color and tone. He touched her
air and drew all the tresses out and ran
hem through his fingers; he passed his
end over the paipita'ins Pushes OF her
heeks and stroked the silken surface OF
er lips and knelt and kissed her snowy
cot The blasts OF the upper air drew
-eSfSrlsssiy ha0E and from rhe