The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-30
Stories of an Inland State.

| Douglas Martin tried to see the serious
side of his arrangement from the lovely
Lucilla, but he could not. He understood
| that he had shocked her by telling her he
was glad her husband was dead and blamed
her for it. For If he had not been dead.
Douglas Martin could not have been max
ing love to the lovely widow. This was
| the truth and he believed that she had no
I right 10 take umbrage at it. If he had
| told her that he was sorry her husband
| vas dead he believed he would have i'm
| piled a lack of appreciation OF the widow,
| and in that case she could have taken UNI
! bragg.
To the chronic fun-maker everything is
srist So Douglas called the very mex
evening a the home of Mrs. Banks. There
! was an electrical rapidity in the move
ment, inside the house. of shades up and
shades down, of doors slanlming and keys
clicking. He knocked and waited, but
silence followed the first commotion and
after shifting from foo: TO foot and pound
ing the door vigorously, he grasped the
situat.on-he was locked out.
This srieyed him bit and ne waddled
back TO his establishment and penned a
loving note praying forgiveness for crime
which he would not acknowledge.
a
ing this missive 10 an arrow and shooting
ii, in romantic fashion, through one of her
windows but never having read how the
romantic lover managed TO prevent him
self from putting his loves eyes out or
slic.ng part of her ear away, or penetrat-
ing her lung he reconsidered this novel
plan and resolved to try the less romantic
and less homociGal agency, the L. S. mail
So he examined the address and the stamp
and poked il in little hole in the front of
the postoffice and waited. Two days, three
days passed and no answer. Four days,
five days and Wednesday night came again
and no answer. The letter had not been
delivered He was sure of that Another
was written much the same in language
and precisely the same in thought, and this
was registered The receipt was returned
10 him with her Acknowledgement. But no
answer came and another "Wednesday night
came around.
He thought of taking her by surprise.
But as he approached he found the little
porch deserted and the front door closed.
So quiet it was that he believed she had
gone away and hard lump in his throat
choked him.
He began to be uneasy. The illicit hui
nor began to fail him. He began 10 be
grave in fact. The necessity of his hypoc-
risy faded away and left real sorrow in its
place and ne began to family see that part
of the intensity. the t:mbre of his fun, had
been because it was forbidden; that his
grief had been effectual because ii was
affected, for he had found that his real
sadness did not take well, in fact, lacked
the massive impressive dignity of the
counterfeit emotion.
Peter Wattles had become regular caller
now and at last Martin revealed almost
everything 10 him. in search of his assist
ance He told him of his love for Lucilla
Banks and of her love for him, of his mis-
interpreted remark in regard 70 her hus-
band and his Punishment. He concealed
from Peter his liberty to laugh in the
presence of his loved one as well as other
details of the courtship.
II want her 10 let me come back, Mr..
Wattles," said Martin sadly.
You want my aid, l suppose" said
Peter gravely.
That's it, Mr.. Wattles, your aid. You've
got it. Your aid
Lets see. Let's pugnostrecate," said
Peter resting one finger against his nose.
~ was quite fly in my youth, Mr.. Martin.
and l shouldn't wonder but what I could
help you. Let US first examine into Mrs.
Banks
Examine into her." exclaimed Mr.. Mar
tin in palpable alarm.
Examine into her. Do you grant frs;
that she is tman?"
Grant it.'
"Ay. Is she woman
'Of course she is Mr.. Wattles.'
so far so good. Now, second. Is she
like other women"
mo, No. No" cried Martin vehement
Iy. Never. She is a paragon, brilliant
among her sex, Mr.. Wattles.''
Then" said Mr.. Wattles impressively.
THAT ends it. / can't help you"
Why"
Because 1 never met any garapons, Mr..
Martin
"Paragons?" Mr.. Wattles."
"Garapons, he persisted vehemently. "If
she was like other women 1 could fetch
her"
Maybe she is after ALL" murmured Mr..
Martin submitting.
well do you grant it?'
Yes feebly.
Then she has curiosity and II you can't
reach woman through her curiosity, you
can't reach her at all. Silence in the court
room, Mr.. Martin, while 1 explain. What L
propose is this. You go by Mrs. Banks
house once every day with your head bent
over as If you were hunting for something
you lost, and stoop occasionally and then
straighten up and go on hunting. Do this
every day. Then you will get her ina gina
ton all het up and she will think that that
night you left there you lost diamond or
something and that maybe you suspect her
of stealing it In about a week she VII
be able to stand it no longer and she will
rustic out and ask if you lost something.
Then you can say Yes, fair Lucills, your
esteem Thatd be poetical and women like
poetry or she might ask Are you hunt
ing for something and you could answer
Yes. fair Lucilla, seeking your forgiveness
and then she would fall into your arms.
Not right there on the street."
We'll maybe not there. but afterwards"
This strageticai masterpiece filled Mar
tin TO OVERCOMING He liked il and burned
but ne dared not let Peter Wattles know
he could laugh.
He gravely promised 10 try Il. And he
did. For seven days Mr.. Martin walked
slowly by Mrs. Banks. late in the after
noon each time. closely scrutinizing the
ground And on the eighth day he caught
her peeping out window and on the ninth
dsy she showed both eyes through the
" indow and ne believed that on the tenth
dsy she would succumb.
So he dressed himself fittingly as con-
qUeror. and set out upon his daily ruse.
He had gone early and surprised her stand !
ing among the vines on the front porch