The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-06
Stories of an finland State.

\ Under eelf-restrdint Nell Everett KEEP
herself away from Joseph Reuter- for tw,
weeks after her discovery OF an unknown
rival She knew how often indifference II
showered In love with bount.es, how Otter
Importantly refused.
The next time she met him was By
chance She was Creased in pink Of sum
ner texture, with parasol and gloves an6
taunty hat TO match Late one afternoon
she found him IN q park, on bench, his
head between his hands gazing miserablJ
at the ground.
She greeted him and he looked at her WITH
a solemnity which she could not help think.
ing comical.
But her voice was low and sweet. almos,
| to a rurmur when she sat down beside
him and said:
! you are very miserable am sure"
He did not reply, but with a sense OF
guilt turned to her and lost himself In wide
eyed dreaming. blssful wonder OF her
| beauty.
And for love-" she pursued In sweet
solemnity. And for love"
A. he had felt It before, now he felt
again. more intensely than at any time
! previous his utter helplessness before the
that helplessness effacement Of indi-
vidual control and complete. slavish
unconditional surrender. He looked upon
her again and pit.fully smiled the confess
sion that ne was In her power and she had
but TO command. He would comply as
a well-trained child, whose parent has made
the child believe obedience demanded a
favor granted.
He was a child before her. and felt that
no subtlety Of concesluent or mental parry
from him could save him from the rld.cule
of her quick, accusing discovery and chal-
longing exposure. He thought she was 70
continue. analyzing his guilty heart, and
he waited for her to speak again with
breast filling with sinful delight.
She turned to face him quickly, her figure
Strengthening and falling into delirious and
voluptuous curves. Placing her hand on
his arm, she said:
1T Is my ambition to be your IDEAL The
real Is gross. so ask you to love me and
conceal Il. stifie It and cry It's clamor down.
Love then. do not know what circum-
stances conhne you or your thought or
words and neither do care, but you love
me, and SO long as 1t is dream l am con-
tent. The world Is very old in all save
love In love II is very young and silly
always. II I delight you, enjoy me. The
traffic in property. the payment OF our
owing words. exchange Of our ntckels and
dimes OF reciprocal obligation. our deposits
TO our credit of daily duties performed. We
in business integrity must obey. From
our hearts till we must extract the dirty
pennies OF obligation and pass them over
the counter for love, and call Il love. We
are commercial when we trade-in hearts
as well as merchandise The exchange is
made and the advantages gained by one or
the other, not both. One grumbles that he
has lost the other that he has not gained
enough, and go both lose This is the
real
He felt she knew everything and It was
needless for him to even confess what she
could read so plainly. but he leaned toward
her and fixing his eyes into hers. cried:
But there is a love. Nell, that Is not
commercial, a love that selfishly takes and
unseifishly gives. that grasps with hungry
madness and yields a feast, an Interchange
where neither purchases nor sells and both
are gamers"
True" she said without taking her eyes
from his. ''The ideal love"
He said nothing but still looked deeply |
into her eyes.
She raised her hand and putting II on his |
cheek turned his head and said lightly:
How very, very ridiculous we are. What |
awful tangles Of language we have dropped |
into. And how dreadfully queer you have |
been looking out of your eyes at me. Now. |
you are taking offense. Do not do that, |
please. Do you like this dress? Are you |
very busy?"
He did not reply nor did he cease his |
deep study Of her eyes.
you will forget what said" she con-
t:nued gaily. II told you to love me- How
ridiculous that was-and immodest in a
too. But do you know I Ike ego
tism? II Is SO bold, so refreshing. when |
all the world seems bent on hiding II and
does not. DID you ever coax an cyclists
gorgeous colors out by little fattery? l
have. 1t Is delightful. A very small part
Of hattery and the whole splendid display
will follow quickly. And of this love Meth
er of US knows much. Do you think It can
be habit? 1t might be. you know-a
habit of emotional exaggeration. A de-
fusion perhaps. which we must have as we
have the measles and whooping cough.
Why do you look at me SOP
He never changed his position nor took
his eyes away as she went on lightly.
You must stop it." she said again with |
, smile. "Or will ridicule you out Of It
Now no Doubt you think you are suffering
ireadfully from some emotional conflict.
But you are not You only imagine it. I
am something OF Christian scientist. You
must positively stop looking at me in that
Joseph Reuter-! I could think
your eyes were trying 10 tell me something
they are so black and deep and-and-
shall / say it?-rnurderous."
He did not take his eyes away, but began
c speak chokinsly:
TO ME, Miss Everett, there IS nothing
rivolous in this scene. In you or In my
elf ! do not pretend 20 tell YOU any
hing-you know everythinR-and Il have
,een driven behind the feeble. guilty tech
zeal excuse OF avoiding speaking what my
very glance reveals. l may only say thar
: nv single refuge. I am not guilty still
so, no. l am not guilty still. 1 have not
ought you out. l have not searched for !
opportunity 10 show my weakness. but Il ,
as come and argument. restraint and res
luton have not combatted t. You
now -
Yes" she said again in a whisper. 81
now you love me"
But The word" ne said with a food OF
sss.on drowning the protest until 1t was
carcely audible
She wound her arms about his neck ana
Used him ana ne took her II his arms and
eld her 20 his breast. ,
The voice OF protes; came still family 70 ,
i'm, but he was lost in passion for this
-omaa and could Tot heed It's warning
~ And yet again in the very madness
I his fever came the verdict o. his IA
w. .ba ya-si-. 81 s7,fl- and .-A sir.s-