The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-14
The Point of View.
(From the Englishwoman.l


ing among the gnarled old branches had
been swept away before bitter breath
from the east. A change, indeed. from
that first morning seven years ago. when
the rapture Of spring was IN the air and
in the blood and in the mating warole
of the birds.
The change was in the mans face. too.
which was lowering and rather sullen.
and his companion was TO longer the
! nymph OF the grove. in whom all the
young life. all the feeting evanescent
| loneliness of the spring seemed EN- bodied
| The eyes into which he looked were gray.
not Empid azure. the face had no daz-
zling bloom nor curves almost infantine
in their dimpling softness. To one who
could look deeper than the surface bloom.
Ella Durand's face would have spoken
| of life bravely faced, of long waiting pa
| tiently endured, of determined loyalty, OF
proud faithfulness, and OF a heart and
nature deepened and enriched and spirit
ualized by the discipline of the years.
But if blue eyes have caught a mans
| fancy. what does it matter how deep and
! wistful the gray ones may be? Just now
| Ella Durand's face was calm. The prom
| Use of her spring-time had come TO
| nsught. Through those past weeks her
! long-cherished hopes had dropped and
| fallen with the white bravery of the
trees. Love and loyalty and undaunted
| trust weighed as nothing against a smile
a laugh. the ignorant childish alteration
OF a pair OF sunny blue eyes. Only last
night she had seen But no. the child
was not to blame. let her have her hap
piness; she wished TO blame no one-it
was natural. no doubt-better to say good
| by now and be done with it. But Major
! Sandbrook would not be done with it.
''Of course, 1 can't hold you TO your
promise since you wish to cry on" said
Basil, digging his stick viciously into the
| turf. He knew it was only what he had
been longing for, and yet somehow he
felt distinctly aggrieved. II don't want
| 10 make any accusations, either. but
| at least have been desperately mistaken,
| it would seem. never thought you would
! have been tickle. 1 am not TO blame for
this
Major Sandbrook-you promised-ast
| night-we-we can't-O. poor Aunt Ella!'
The blue eyes filled, the soft young mouth
Quivered.
Aunt Ella bel mean we don't need 10
worry about her any more" said Basil.
| Tightening his clasp and covering the fair
| face with kisses till the tears were dried
in superb carnation glow. Don't vex
yourself about her any more There was
no dishonor in loving you. A man can't
help such things, but he can keep his
word, and you know 1 would have kept
mine, though We nearly broke our hearts
over it last night, and today she calmly
tells me 1t has been a mistake. and
throws me aside. after all these years,
like a WORKOUT glove"
Maudie. listening as if to an oracle OF
the gods. let her head sink on his shoul-
der with a long. satisfied sigh. And this
bliss might have been Aunt Elias, and.
marvel of marvels. she had been willing
to let K go. Even tender-hearted Maui
die felt that though she might pity poor
Aunt Ella for being unable to appreciate
the highest gift of life. she herself need
postpone her happiness no longer.
1t had to be postponed, however for
little Although he was off with his old
love, Major Sapdbrook felt that ii would
be hardly decent to court his young love
openly manner the same roof with his for
mer fame. II would have been no more
than Ella deserved after her inexplicable
but most opportune display of heartless-
ness; but he was not that sort of man.
he said to himself, as he settled himself
comfortably in the London express. He
had TO report himself to his new chief.
General Warning was known to Major
Sandbrook, as he is to the greater part
Of the English-speaking world, by name.
but the two men had not met before.
Basil was conscious of being subjected
TO an almost uncomfortably keen scru-
tiny at first. as II his chief were trying
10 reconcile the man before him with
what he might. have heard of him; but
the business part OF the interview
soon over and the two men talked for
time pleasantly enough, as they had
abundant subjects in common. At last,
when Basil rose to go, General Waring
said stiffly, and in a tone that suggested
a certain strain of effort:
"By-the-bye. Major Sandbrook l ought
to congratulate you. I happened to be a
good deal in Brookshire last summer. and
as my friends place was near Sheldon,
l heard all about your good fortune. and
had the pleasure of making Miss Du-
rand's acquaintance. You're a lucky
man"
We'll, think So Of course" said Basil.
feeling little foolish. and conscious that
he was-yes, actually flushing. II am en-
gagged to a Miss Durand certainly-to the
-er-younger Miss Durand-Miss Maud
What" CALCULATED General Waring
leaping involuntarily to his feet For a
moment the two men stood staring at
each other. but that one monosyllable
conveyed a world of meaning TO Basil
Sandbrook's reGden'ng ears.
Il beg your pardon" said General War
ing. recovering himself after a moment.
II was a little surprised; the report was
so positive, but ! daresay ] was misin-
formed. Gossip often gets hold of the
wrong end of the stick / think J saw
Miss Maud Durand. too-a sweet young
creature-congratulate you all the SANE.
I'm sure" And he wrung Basil's hand
or parting as If his new acquaintance had
laid him under some eternal obligation.
Se 10
brook walked TO his club with his eyes
on tn. pavement. So Waring had been
at Sheldon, Waring admired Ella. that
was plain enough; and woman whom
Warning would admire must be-but he
hastily turned from that. Did this ac-
count FOR his dismissal? Like enough, So
much for the loyalty Of women. But she
might have at least been honest enough
to tell him so An absent Major could
not hope TO compete with Generation
the spot too. forcing a laugh And he
had wasted seven years Of his life FOR
her!
All. well. the best OF the laugh was on
his side. after all. He had Maud's sdor-
ing love and Msud's young beauty: and
in the smoking-rooul. behind screen OF
newspapers he hastily drew out the pho
tograph But for a second 1t was not the
pictured face that he saw. but one full
OF the dignity OF thought and experience.
cultured. spiritual. refined; then il van
ished. and the fair young face smiled lis
innocent smile al him again
"A sweet young creature
That was what WaTing had said. q,
YES. sweet enough. and fresh and simple
as pure water or the morning sunlight
but-but--
Newspaper Waifs-
Cuban Tr0phy-~Msdge has an empty