The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-18
Seventeen Years Old.

Tney were walking home from evening
meeting.
How long have we been engageda
asked Ezra, after silence.
Janet answered promptly: "Trn Be NJ
teen years the 10Th OF next month"
And the Gay after tomorrow I mast
start for Florida"
YES she said. Il suppose II Is best
1t would be hard for you to stay here
through the cold weather when you were
so sick last winter. But you can come
back In the spring." she added. trying to
be cheerful.
81 have been thinking" said Ezra, hes
itatingly, that fifteen years Is 8 good
while for an engagement to last. Don't
you think It would be q good plan to
end it before go7''
She looked up at him quickly. do you
mean that you wish to"
BE married. Yes"
90" she said, Il did not know but you
might wish to be released"
NO" he returned. emphatlcally, ''you
would be the one to wish that"
81 never have" she answered.
'tDvery one knows that ] have the best
OF the arrangement-that you are smart
er and better than I am. I have meant
all these years to get something ahead.
so that we could be married some time,
and so that you would not have to do
dressmaking. But I haven't managed
right, or something. and now my health
giving out has spoiled IL all
81 would have been ready any time.
Ezra" she said gently. I'VE would have
got along"
81 had got so used to being engaged to
you that I had almost become satisfied
with there being nothing different. But
now that am going away and will not
see you all winter long-d wish we could
be married before 60"
But there Is so little time" she said,
thinking of the pretty things she had
hoped to make IL this time ever came.
i know" he answered, not understand
ing her. at know you could not leave
to go with me, but we could go to house.
keeping when 1 get back. I wish you
would do it," he ended, wistfully.
II will" she consented, ''if it will make
You happier
On the appointed day Ezra set forth
on his way to Florida, leaving his bride
behind to face the Ned England winter
alone. At first she was lonesome, but when
long letters began to come from Ezra she
felt happier. He was a good letter wrI-
ter. and before winter was past 1t SEEM
ed to her that she had had more compan-
ionship with him than usual.
Ezra liked Florida and the climate
agreed with him. He found work there,
and when spring came he decided to stay
on. He proposed that Janet should join
him in the fall.
She agreed at the time, but when fall
came she began to be dreadfully homesick.
tn Gs1n1 fhnf Tvra -NRr1I
probably come home by another spring she
would wait for him.
But the next summer he spent in Flor
ida also. and when fall came again and
they had been married two years nothing
was said about his returning or her join
ing him.
Janet, however, began to have q desire
to see her husband. She determined to go
to him and surprise him. So she packed
her trunk and departed.
At the same time Ezra had longing to
see Janet. and he decided to so North and
surprise her. They started at about the
same time, and passed each other some
where in Virginia
When they reached their destinations
It is hardly necessary to say that they
were both surprised-unpleasant so.
Each felt impelled to return over the way
they had just come, but each reflected
that the other might do the same thing,
so they waited and wrote letters instead.
Janet liked Florida so well that she de-
cided to spend the winter there.
AS for Ezra, he declared that he never
would leave the North again, IL he could
possibly help 1t. 1t seemed like home to
him. He stood the winter well. and he
looked forward to- seeing Janet In the
spring. But Janet thought she would try
in the South.
Ezra sighed. 20, dear" he said. Have
we got to see-saw back and forth this
way all our lives? BY the time she gets
sick of Florida / shall have to go there
again. probably"
In April, however, a postal card came
which made glad his heart.
"If you will stay North till can get
there / will start the minute hear from
you. It is so fearfully hot here that
can't satnd It any longer"
Ezra met her In New York, and they
staid there few weeks, seeing the sights.
''This is our honeymoon" he said. They
came home and went to housekeeping
and were happy.
One evening they were coming home
from church. They had not said much,
but finally Ezra asked: 'Do you suppose
we ever would have been married II 1t
hadn't been for my going to Florida?"
II don't know"
''Well, don't believe we would. Just
think Of the time we have wasted.
have been an old fool for seventeen
years.
Janet laughed. 'T think belong to that
class, too" she said.-Philadelphia Item.