The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-13
Baroness and Professor.

Snooung-boX IN NenSley Ddle
The baroness had never been in Englan
before In her letter of invitation Lad.
Watcliffe had said:
81 hardly like 10 ask you TO come L
Wnlansbe. 1t is only small house, AM
we have no house party; our only othe
guest will be Professor Ray. 1 think yoI
said you had met him some years ago.
So the baroness went TO Willansbe, ant
dull she found it. However. as she wa,
generally bored. she did not resent tbs
ennui as do more happily constituted NOR.
tails.
1T Is sad about Professor Ray" said
Lady Watcliffe. HE looks dreadfully i'll
but he is so plucky he won't give in
Il thought he had no children?" said the
| baroness.
"Oh, yesi he has two little boys Some
how though. l always think of him as
the last Of the old race; knew them all
as children. and he alone is left-not for
long. fear.''
What is the matter with him?" she
asked
NO one knows exactly. but it's some
| thing incurable fatal. He looks so i'll,
but he never talks about himself, and is
| the best of company in the world; we are
| devoted to him
do you know his wife? asked the
baroness.
Not well. I've met her; she's little
and young, and gay, and the children are
beautiful Lady Watcliffe sighed the sigh
of the childAess woman.
Three days later RUPERT Ray land the
baroness were sitting on big round stone
in the middle of heather-covered moor.
Rupert Ray turned himself, regarding
her with unfeigned pleasure. at is good
to see you again, Rosie; you are prettier
than everv'
''Ah, you have not forgotten the little,
funny name! Did you think that the Hun
garian schoolgirl you knew at Capri would
grow into-me?" and she turned her white
hands inward to emphasize the me"
You were hardly a schoolgirl at Capri
You impressed me as a clever young lady
indeed By Jove! though, how time does
fy-ten years ago."
at may fly to youI" pouted the baro-
ness; cit creeps and crawls for some peo-
Pile. Dou you know" she continued slow
ly, that 1 was rather in love with you
at Capri
in love with YOU
world of meaning in that "ah!''
Rupert Ray laughed. "But there was
no use in signing for the moon.''
You certainly did not sigh dong. An
other eighteen months and you had mar
ried the little English girl who wrote you
serious letters. l remember-is she still
serious?"
Rupert gazed into space over the heath
cry moor, with look in his eyes that
the baroness hardly understood, as he an
swered: D." Serious hardly describes her.
She was only 10 when you used to hear
Of her.
Have you her photograph" she asked
He took a worn old pocketbook from his |
breast pocket In it was the photograph |
Of a large-eyed little girl. at is the only |
one have, but it IS like her still"
She looked at it in silence for some mo-
nents; then she said: There are more
photographs in the case; are they your
children? May I see?'
He gave her the case and she looked at
he portraits one after another. As she
closed it she said gently:
You are happy?"
Il have been happy
The baroness looked up quickly, his tone
vas so sad.
do you love your boys much?" she
lsked, with little catch in her voice.
Again Rupert looked into space over the
leathery moor, again there came into his
ind, gray eyes that expression which the
'aroness could not understand
MY life is full of shadows" she said
Yearly; nothing is real"
Life itself is real" said Rupert; land
eath.'
For minute or two there was no sound {
ut the hum of the bees over the heather. {
hen he turned to her, saying:
Listen to me, Rosie We are old friends,
nd you are brave woman; you shall
ace a reality. In six months I shall be
cad 1 know exactly how it will be 1 E
hall do my work as long as I can; then
here will be an operation and I shall die, ! !
shall suffer great deal Of pain.
don't want to die. The world is a pleas I
1T place to me; but it has got to be- I '
ave come to Sc this dear dale country 6
or the last time; to see all the kindly I
ountry folk I love for the last time; and ]
on, Rosie. Unexpectedly. once more. t
his that is coming is a reality" J
He held out his hand to her, the strong. c
ind right hand that was now so thin. S
ne placed her own little white one in it
nd they sat silent.
She thought of the little house where a
fe was so amusing-the little house soon h
} be so sorrowful. She thought Of the I:
boys and of the wife she had 7
ever seen. Then she thought of herself. b
I'd how through all these years she had f
1t glad that Rupert Ray was in the p
ord. so strong. and CHEEKY, and de- g
then suddenly her eyes grew {
ard, and she said: c
AT beast you have lived your life; YOU il
I'VE a thousand tender memories TO lose.
nee my parents died I have nothing. e
on the the best off; though you leave so IL
uch. you have got it 10 leave" II
She rose as she spoke; then, suddenly Il
ling on her knees beside him, laid her Il
ce down on his hands. PITY me too. q
little" she whispered, II am so loneIyr' y
We have been dreadfully dismal!" said r
lpert as he raised her. 1T Is my fault h
am ever 50 sorry!'
The baroness wiped away her tears and W
It on her hat; then she made 2 be- :,
itching face az him. saying: You are p,
Englishman-a fish" d.
They walked over the moor together ana
.ked OF old times II
When they Ct ne 10 the rocky path down I
lich they ~- III only walk in single file.
ipert we, rst n
lie dld not hear her behind him. and.
-ning his head. saw that she was sit
3 on the steep side Of the bank. with so
'rs running down her face as she oil
ought OF the little hands that so soon ID
uld have no coat n hold
sc stood Just below her in the steep be
h =.