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

Ine house OF Everett had gone GOWN and
every member with it-luto disintegrated
wreck. which in It's dissolution spared no
minor object Of utility.
The great home had been drawn Into the
maelstrOm Of total assets. 10 be distributed
again, TO fall TO him best accoutred with
legal aid. TO rescue Il from the food
TIE head Of the house, crushed. spiritless
| and at the end of l:fe moved into humber
| quarters, sought employment where there
was none. surrendered the remnant OF his
! pride, and dropping TO a level where he
found himself incompetent. moved to still
humber quarters SIX months and star
walton stared him and his family from the
few remaining pieces Of once costly table
service. And these crept out and stone
| ware crept IN. The amount OF the little
rent, sum equal 20 the salary OF his most
poorly paid employe formerly. now became
a dreadful thing. an insattate monster.
waiting al each Of the twelve corners OF the
year. Death stalited IN. with a cracklin g
laugh among the ruins OF broken pride and
wrecked gentility, touched the wife and
bore her away 10 the common earth with
an ironical absence Of display. with an iron
ical isolation from all her former friends,
who had forgotten her and hers.
The funeral was over, and Nell Everett
was back in the little house alone, st;n
young and tender. with a philosophical
placidity unbroken by even sigh, busy IN
mind with curious reflections at the foot
worn discolorei carpet and the dfngy walls.
the meagre. ram-shackle furniture, always
without a regret, but with a coura geous
sense OF humor over il all. placid, cool
defiance to a personified Adversely.
She knew she was hungry and smiled
She went over the items of expense from
the funeral. payment demanded In advance
required mentally TO the empty larder and
empty purse felt again her want of nour-
ishment, looked upon her beautiful figure,
wondered how long 1t would stand without
the luxury of food denied II was a neces-
sity) exposed her leg and felt the sinews OF
the calf with smiling reinsurance, flied
her chest and placed her hands upon her
swelling bust with pride in her strength
and ability to overcome everything, looked
into a mirror and dreamed in vivid. vain
gior:fed consciousness of the witchery OF
her beautiful face.
TT must have been Imagination" she
said aloud. Surely am not hungry"
The dress she was wearing was one from
the old days. the days Of half year ago
for the minute that parts prosperity from
poverty Is a century. She had preserved
this dress. II was part of the armor for
the inevitable battle, which she foresaw.
Dressed as she was she went out and
took her path on the street where she had
lived and on down by the residence of the
Reuters. At this house she gazed, for a
moment, with a little food Of bitterness
pickering her brow. Mrs. Reuter- had
shortly after her commercial fall, by the
most delicate and Unmistakable avoidances
slighted her. joey she had not seen since
the wreck Her pride had warned her
off. Where she could have made advances
TO him while rich, poor she resented the
very anticipation of possible refusal. She
could have beseeched becomingly then.
Now he alone must entreat. She felt, too
during all this period a restful confidence
In Fate. which surely could not possess
means to rob her of this man whom she
loved For he must be hers in time and
TO agency of adverse circumstance or i'll
starred event could hinder the destined con-
summation.
She passed a number OF former friends
driving. They drew up and talked to her
and asked her to Join them. But she. with
a light expression of appreciation, went on.
And one Of her former friends remarked
her sprightly appearance and jovial face
and tossing away cigar, the price of
which would have satisfied her hunger. re-
marked that Everett was getting on his
feet again. no doubt
The party watched her pass on down the
street, her graceful figure in It's stately
carriage fascinating them.
They could not see her heart. The world,
a skeleton. clanks its naked bones beneath
appearance, smiles outwardly, groans IN
wardly and stumbles on. wrapping the dra-
peries OF deceit about its creaking shins,
smiling, grooming, Imbling on.
She passed into the busy portion OF nd
city and into the House Of Reuter- & Son
She went to the counting room. Mr.. Reu-
ter was not IN. He was somewhere in the
departments.
She passed from floor TO floor searching
for him, d:sdaining the curious glances ot
recognition from the clerks, asking moth
,rg, but merely glancing from face 10 face
from corner to corner.
When she came ul h;p. she found him
seated IN broad wfIG with a young
woman ar MS side. He~was holding her
hand. She had never seen Madge Barrett
pelOle- SHe ull not utikU 10 look al HeI
row. but stepped br.skly to the place where
they sat and addressed him
He kept his sea, in misery. His at;en-
lions 10 the girl IN the cloak department
had become the talk Of the store and OF
endless gossip. HIS mind had recovered
somewhat under Neirs long absence. and
re was woofng happy Madge CALAMITY,
Why had Nell come now?
you know. Mr.. Reuter-" she said "I am
very poor. You may not believe II. bu;
an hungry now. No. don't star. 70 your
feet IN that way. Hunger 1. very COM
mon thing. and dramatic surprise neither
heishtens nor appeases It. I ask a loan O.
fifty dollars
He knew irst1nctiveiy that she did not
ask this for herself: tina, she would no,
to give II to Mr.. Everett immeoi-
ately. as she did.
"Why certainly Miss Everett" he saii
taking the surname and slancins a. Mscee,
who rose with dropping lashes before ~.
woman whom she had seen once before.
the woman the memory OF whom had al
ways stood. now stood as a barrier be-
tween h-r love ard Joey. He noticed he
,imid glance and feeling the suspicion Turk
ing N Madse's mind resolved TO pronounce
the verdict aui settle Z; forever.
Miss Everett" ne said IT vii CIV.
you The check az once. But before that
che word This IS Miss Barrett We vii /
honor you by making you the first recip.en. |
o. the announcement % our betrothai"
There NAV have been chang. II Nell !
Fve-ett's face There may have Sssz I
fash OF molten red deep In her smiling 1
eves a waxeu stiffness II her ruby iips ss I