The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-01-25
Rose Among Thorns.


Say, boys. cid you know we had some
new neighbors?" asked Fred Marshall,
! one night. Yes he resumed, in an
4 swer 10 the question depicted on all OF
| our faces, land what's more, they are
| four young ladies, and they just moved
I into the fat below US today. And Fred
| looked around at US. conscious that ne
| had made an impression.
'Hoorayp' yelled Jack, rather loudly.
! considering the fact that he had Mat
/ very day called himself confirmed bach
! elor.
Just one apiece said Harry Morton.
with inimitable drawl; SAY. boys, I'm
| going to have the first pick.
| Don't count your chickens before
| they're Matched. was the eldest. and
| 1 considered it my duty to throw in a
| piece of advince once in q while Are
| you quite sure they are young. Fred?''
Well, don't know" ne replied, rather
| obviously; lone of the fellows down al
the office told me, but of course (this
with an injured air. he wouldn't be
supposed TO know just how old they all
were"
But Jack cleared up the doubt very
summarily. who ever heard of four old
maids living in a hat?" he said, his lip
curling contemptuously.
toned Fred; you know Bostonians don't
talk exactly like we Ohioans do
'Bosh," said Jack. cay, boys. we must
call on them this very night" Then.
glancing at me apprehensively, Now,
don't you put in any objection. Jim"
L hope you aren't going to be quite
such an idiot as TO go calling on strange
ladies at 10 o'clock at night especially
when they have only had one day to get
settled in 1 said. our call was post
poned for a week
one week later four very expectant-
looking young gentlemen might have
been seen going Indian file down narrow
staircase.
/ rang the bell and in a very short time
a prim little maid opened the door, Yes
the Misses Jenkins were at home: at
yeast three Of them, she said in reply 10
Jacks eager inquiry. Would we please
walk into the parlor?'
SO we followed the maid into the coy
parlor and sat down and waited while
she went 70 announce our call to the
Misses jenkins. Soon we heard a rustic
of skirts in the hall and we all made
desperate effort to look calm.
And then-how can I describe the look
Of mute amazement and despair on Jacks
face when three neatly dressed old ladies,
all wearing side curls, bowed themselves
smilingly into the room. The boys seem
ed to be struck dumb and I was left to
do all the talking. The three Misses Jen-
kins were excellent listeners, but they
could not do much at talking.
/ racked my brain for something to
talk about, and managed to keep up the
conversation for about ten minutes, aid
ed by little "ahs' and obs and ''you
don't says" from the ladies. Then came
little pause, and I was not at all sur
prised when Jack took his watch out of
his pocket and looked at Harry with a
startled air. "Well, I declare" he ex-
claimed, boys, did you know we had that
engagement at the club tonght?" Harry
and Fred recalled it very suddenly, too.
but when Miss Ruth Jenkins glanced at
me, appealingly, and said must I go.
too" L could not quite get the nerve to
leave
And in this case virtue was its own re-
ward. For just as 1 reached the climax
of very thrilling adventure, which, by
the way, was entirely impromptu, a very
pretty girl walked into the room. When
she saw me she blushed delightfully."- and
stood still. Miss Ruth rose. May" she
said, let me introduce you TO Mr.. Har-
rison. He lives in the apartment above
and very kindly called tonight to, enliven
our solitude
Miss May was as nice as she was pretty
and [ enjoyed the evening very much. but
when 1 went upstairs 1 didn't mention
her to the other boys.
For some reason or other they never
met her; perhaps because they went out
earlier and came home later from work
than she did. She was a music teacher.
But they continually laughed at me for
inc h.
a week.
One night, about month later, we were
eating dinner at our boarding-hous |
Say, JIM" said Jack. don't you think |
it's about tim eyou told US which of the |
Misses Jenkins you are going to mar
ry?"
Perhaps It Is" I answered. taking |
Mays picture out Of my vest pocket and |
showing it to the three. who looked at |
it open-eyed and very much amazed"
May and 1 are married now, but Jack !
has never ceased to regret that engage |
ment at the club.-Edna G. Bailey in |
Boston Post.