The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-26
Stories of an Inland State.

that his young ward, Miss Everett. wa
troubled with her eyes and was wear,
He merely asked the privilege of restin
an hour or so.
Il The undertaken showed them to the rea
apartment, where. upon a sofa, Nell wa
soon asleep. But John Wright, who Ia
on the floor, did not sleep, but went o.
digging into regret, wide-eyed and siienti
| furious.
His blunt replies drove Douglass Martil
away and into the the front room, wher
he took seat and began TO speculate
This pleasure. however, was cut short b,
the arrival of an enemy-Peter Wattles
1t had been many day since Peter Wat
Ties had called upon the undertaken VIII
had discovered Wattles' duplic:ty and be
heved him rival for the affection OF tn
charming widow Banks, who had GU
Douglass Martin straight.
Good evening, Mr.. Martin" said Mr.
Wattles, gaily.
Sir cried Douglass Martin, arising Il
his feet and squaring his toes.
Still warm under the gilIs, -" sait
| Wattles, smiling
SIR said Martin raising one hand be
! fore him and aiming a deadly fore-fingel
| at this false friend. STORED urn or ami
| mated bust cannot pull back to It's man.
SION the animating breath. nor the sun OF
friendship. the moon Of mutual feeling, OF
the stars of acquaintanceship. or the some
thing Of something else, can never shine
again for US. You have been false to a bar.
gain. Mr.. Wattles. a traitor to-to--to-well
most anything. The tie that binds us Is
severed, cut, parted, broken and chewed
in two"
oil, Aa ,,-lx-
to my friendship for Mrs. Banks. being a.
you were in love with her, and she got mad
at you and I told you how to win her back
and then I go and see her and watch you
making a fool of yourself?"
Exactly"
We'll, there's where you're cross-eyed
mentally, If you think 1 am not your friend
/ went TO Mrs. Banks TO plead for you. She
was already onto that trick OF yours about
looking for something and was awfully Of
Tended at you for trying TO win her back
through her curiosity. You offended her
by saying you were glad her husband was
dead. I've been working with her ever
since to get her to forgive you. 1 didn't
come round here because IL might look like
collus.ve conspiracy"
Mr.. WattIes paused after pronouncing
these words and smacked his lips. The
combination was his own and to his taste.
"Collus.ve conspiracy" he reiterated.
''Well?" asked Martin.
We'll, I've won her over and she'll re-
ce:ve you again, but, for heavens sake,
Martin, leave her husband alone after
this. She's mighty touchy femalen'
Don't call her that, Mr.. Wattles.'
Woman, then. You can go any time"
Douglass Martin was overjoyed. He wept
PnYl;01Slv nd Sinroralv NJ
Wattles hand.
''Wattles,'' he said, in a sudden burst Of
confidence, Il am not a bad man. I do
not wallow in the gulf of devi1try, the sea
Of sin, the maelstrom of malice. the
something of something else. no sir. Down
in the pure, red depths of this beating
heart Of mine, there is pardon for all man
kind and charity for all and fairness to the
wide world, the world Orwell most any
thing Mr.. Wattles, ! thank you
That's all right" said Wattles, gravely.
Now, there is just one thing for you to
Ienember-don't do all you can do
Don't do all 1 can do? What do you
mean"
This. There is sort of hidden hell In
the things We could do and don't do, the
things We could say and don't say, and the
thoughts We could think and don't think
Keep enough slack in the tether of your
conduct, so that you can dodge, If neces-
sary. Don't think all about the widow
you can think, or you'll get it into your
noggin she is an angel and she amt got
feather. Don't say all you could say to
her or you'll get into another row aboNt
her husband
You mean restraint?'
That's what 1 mean. Restraint is a sort
AZ ax1a which Individuals
EN- on their axles and all the cogs fit; let
'em go bobbing around independently and
the whole shebang stops"
II see''
We'll, I am glad you do. The biggest
jack-ass IN the Bible is Samson"
What about Samson?"
well, of course you've heard about him.
Samson talked too much with his mouth.
and he did too much. In the first place
he took that honey out of the Hons carcass
and then propounded the riddle to the
PhilEstines and then let his wife onto the
game and the Phillistines socked It to him.
Why didn't he keep his big mouth shut?
Then when he married Delilah. and the
city council of the Phlllstines called on her
and made her an offer of a bonus II she
would find out the secret or his strength.
so they could nab him, he couldn't hold
ms tongue, but blabbed out that his power
was in his hair. She didn't do thing but
call in barber. who slashed off his seven
wads Of tow without even asking him about
the latest prize-fght or TO have a shampoo.
Then they got him and put out his eyes
You bet the Phillistines was about in
the fifth story of Joy when they chained
the old bald-headed duck down and put
him to work on the city rock-pile They
vas tickled 10 death. But his hair was
growing like sunfiowers in a slough all
the time. and he was encoura gng it with
Z patent hair-restorer night and day."
Does the Bible say that?'
Yes sir"
in those words?'
mo. not exactly in those words. Well. |
his hair was out good and bushy and he |
vas ready for business He could have
knocked down the turnkey and grabbed I'D |
The chief Of police and threatened 10 kill |
him II he didn't lead him back 10 Samson's |
people. But no. he didn't do that. That was /
100 easy. II was too easy to be sensible /
He wanted 10 make a prismatic fool OF |
himself. The people decided TO have some /
sport with him. They all got into the |
emple 10 see him. Old Samson didn't have |
sense enough 10 know that he ought no,
% do all he could do. He gets in between
wo big pillars and he says to the kid who
s guiding him, Sonny, just put my hands
IN either pillar there. please. II you don't
a brick house viii soon fall on
'ou- Skip now. as there is going 10 be 4
little excitement You see. ne wanted 20
10 al he could do. He didn't know there
vas such a thing as decent restraint so he
ust squares himself and cries: Lock cut
or pick-pockets.' and shoves the supports 4!
'ut Of the temple and down she comes,
,illirg him and most everybody else. or
curse. re could do il. But that wasn't
he point. What good id IL 10 hims He
as Just ore OF those fools who does al