The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-19
Magoiss Romance.

fight the battle of life. with a veritable
| cataclysm OF maternal blessings on her
shaPely little head. She was the only
child Of widowed mother. who brought
| her up as tenderly as was consistent with
her surroundings.
CaSey's Obelisk took its place in clas-
steal nomenclature through the efforts Of
local wit. 1t was the tallest tenement
IN the neighborhood and sheltered dozens
pr poor but respectable families. No
| belle OF that ornate, affected clique called
| society ever boosted Of q more lovely face
or perfect form than this poor, inlet
tered girl Of the toiling poor possessed
l believe it to be philosophical truism that
| no planet ever moves more steadily IN its
orbit than men do toward pretty wo-
| man, no matter what may be her position
in the social scale.
II IS needless to say that Maggie had
her coterie of admirers. and IL would be
DRAMATICALLY opposite TO veracity to say
that she was not proud of the fact. Per-
maps OF all her sycophantic adorers she
looked upon none with as much favor
as she did not Patsy Flanagan, young
man who drove dray along the piers for
D livelihood. II was known throughout
the classical region of the Obelisk that
this young scion Of the house Of O'Flan-
1asaR kept company with Maggie. and
Patsy 'lavished his spare cash on his
youthful inamorata, and had the salts
faction of being thoroughly envied by
his less fortunate rivals. And IL must be
said here that Maggie was somewhat Of a
coquette, as she invariably bestowed d.
Ters smiles on some Of her admirers when
she considered Patsey derelict IN his at
tention toward her
SheEwas the acknowledged belle Of the
Diver and all the other picnics and
soirees that she attended, but her appear
ance at the bail of the Perpetual Devotees
of the Keg was so fascinating that. it
has passed into proverb, and will be
handed down to succeeding generations
This youthful attachment was running
along without encountering the proven
bal rutS sand snares when an event oc-
CURED which upset Patsey's dream of love
andt postponed the matrimonial leap in
definitely. Maggie was employed in a
paperboxz factory In Church street, and
had to pass Park row while going to
and coming from work. She invariably
returned from! her place of employment in
the evening IN company with a bevy Of
othes girls, and it must be said, to their
discredit, that they were not averse to
becoming acquainted without the formal
ity of an introduction with entire strang-
ers.
For several successive evenings Maggie
noticed two young men, attired in the
latest fashion, standing in a door of a
Park row house, and as she came along
they lifted their hats simultaneously and
made a Seventh ward Chesterfieldfan bow
with admirable precision. They invariably
singled her out Of the group for their po-
lite attentions, and the other girls felt
nettled and Maggie proud at the distinc-
ticn.
Finally one of the young men succeeded
in making her acquaintance and in induc-
ing her to accompany him to several
places of amusement. These two men
were representatives Of a species de-
scribed by Dean Swift as Yahoos, or
beasts in mems clothing. They were gen.
tlenen Of elegant leisure, who frequented
the cafes.
'T say lJot,'' said one of the worthless
as he sat in the lounging-room Of his IA
vorite club, you were lucky, old chappy,
inN adding that pretty girl to your string;
deucedly pretty, amt she?'
why, yes, Jack" answered the indi-
vidual addressed as Joe with a simpering
smile. "And you're just as lucky, old fel,
as she promised to bring nice gorl for
you. and were to go driving and pic
nicking in a few days; now, what do you
think of that?'
Just the thing" answered the other,
slapping his thigh and laughing.
A group Of their fellows overheard their
conversation and were laughing at the
suggestions of the twain.
In the meantime poor, disconsolate Pat
sey had become painfully sensitive to the
frigid demeanor of the object of his affec-
tions, and his patience at length being
worn out he boldly demanded an explana-
ton.
Il hear Maggie" he began. as he en-
countered his spirituelle affianced one
evening in the hallway Of the Obelisk,
81 hear that you have a tony Teller after
yer; is that so?''
The artful Maggie toyed with her reti-
cute for a moment, as if celebrating what
to say, but she had been expecting such
a query from this source and had her
answer framed accordingly.
why, yes. Patsey, l have a gentleman
friend who thinks something of me-" she
said with sang-froid.
This language, foreign TO the region OF
the Obelisk. took Patsey by surprise, as
he was in the habit of being addressed in
q vocabulary indigenous to the neighbour
hood
well, yer can't run the two of u.s."
continued Patsey in a voice which be-
spoke the sincerity of his utterance.
Of her sexz in such matters, placed her
captious lover hors de combat in a moral
sense by one bold Machiavelian move.
"Patsey," she said, in a voice consider
ably sOftened you're the only feller I
ever loved, and no dude can separate
US"
The Gordian knot was several at one
blow and the next moment Maggie was
in Patsey's arms.
A'fsw days subsequent to this Maggie
In company with another girl of her &C
Quaintance. met Joe and Jack by appoint
nent. They entered a carriage and were
driven to fashionable resort uptown
where a merry group Of people Of both
sexes were congregated. They had not
been seated long before couple Of young
women with flushed faces and unsteady
gait approached and addressed Jack quite
Familiarity and in language plenufully in
terspersed with profanity. Maggie and her
friend suddenly OWNED the true character
OF their escorts and were uneasy. As
Sc sat there Maggie began TO think Of
ter conduct toward the unsophisticated
Patsey, and as the fashy conversation
OF her escort and his female friends
waxed louder she motioned 70 her COM
panion and they both arose and started
for the door.
Jack and Joe, together with their con-
vivial lady friends, rapidly followed and
endeayored to induce them to return. But
Maggie and her friend had seen enough
and were struggling with their. bscchana-
Ian companions on the sidewalk when
Maggie exclaimed in joyful tones: Pat
sey, o, Patsey, save me- Save u.s."
vehicle suddenly drove up 10 the
walk, and the muscular Mr. Flanagan.
with one leap. in which all the ctivalry
Of his race was concentrated. reached the
pavement and dealt the tipsT Joe, who
was particularly assidu0us IN his efforts
TO induce Maggie 10 return. right-hsud-
er in true Fourth ward style He was
similarly attentive 10 Jack, and the two