The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-29

| mo doubt I said, tri1e dryly: but
he FASTENED out: I'm going to take her
to a picture exhibit this morning, and
| thought I'd like to ask her then, II you
assured me the field was clear. I hope
1 have your good wishes, Austin
Certainly" l said. GO ahead and try
| for her, and good luck go with you, old
man"
The painful memory of the grip he gave
my hand on leaving still fingered with
me when billiard dropped in an hour
later. I gave billiard the other hand.
"Hulo," he cried Busy, Austin?'
Rather" I returned. shortly. billiards.
only occupation in life is spending an In
come of forty thousand year, and its
hard to be glad to see a man like that
when you've got your own nose down on
| the grindstone.
Just a word in your ear and I'm
through" he announced. IT'S about
Marguerite. you know
"Marguerite"' I exclaimed, then you
| have, heard"
Heard what" he cried. Are you en-
gagged to herr"
Certainly not" I answered, with en-
phasis; what made you think that"
"Oh, I thought you rather fancied her
and I'm tremendously glad to hear you
don't care about her. q wasn't aware
that I'd said that. but let it pass "She
and her aunt are going to take lunch
with Forsythe and me today. and
thought I might get a chance to try my
| luck with her then. But as long as you
! introduced us I thought 1 ought to give
| you the first chance
This sounded familiar-too familiar. in
fact.
ooh. don't mind me-" protested. impa-
| tiently. MY intentions toward Margue-
rite are wholly innocuous. Wish you sue
cess, billiard"
I managed to evade HIS parting hand
shake. thus saving my fingers a second
crushing. and he departed happy.
When I went TO lunch and had time to
analyze my feelings I found that re-
scented being forced into posing as a sort
of trousered fairy godmother to Margue-
rite.
OF course. as long as I had no lnter-
tions whatever of asking her to marry
me I could hardly be so absurd as to re-
sent someone else doing so. And certain
| ly Forsythe and billiard had behaved
handsomely-no one could have done
more.
But to be asked for my consent to Mar
guerite's nuptials as though I were her
elderly uncle or benevolent maiden aunt
was a trife trying.
At O'Clock I was on my way to see
her. I felt that however unpleasant my
new attitude toward her might be- It at
least gave me a right to know which one
of my friends she had accepted. By the
time I reached the car I was sure It
twas Forsythe: when I alighted at the
til
billiard as her future husband. and when
I entered the door I had come to the
conclusion that whichever she took she
was undoubtedly doing well for herself
What Is 1t to you?" cried Marguerite.
when I found her In the library.
Did you expect some one else?" ask
ed. scanning her closely. She undoubtedly
looked happy.
You were here yesterday" she replied.
zone god turn deserves another"
said. Resides, I've come TO congratu-
late you"
''Well?" she asked. and settled down
comfortably to listen. Marguerite IS very
provoking sometimes. She knew I was
all at sea
billiard Is a man to be proud Of"
hazarded. watching her face.
Are you proud Of him. she inquired.
ewes. After all the role Of fairy god
mother TO Marguerite wasn't 50 bad.
reflected that IS, II one couldn't be any
thing else.
And his fortune" went on, ignoring
her question.
"Ah, his fortune-are you proud OF that.
too?' she asked.
Perhaps # wasn't Dflard. after all.
But Forsythe" said shifting my
ground. he Is man in 2 million"
Yes he Is" said Marguerite. refec-
tivelw.
See here" I cried. desperately. which
are YOU going 70 marry"
The man IN a million or the man WITH
Million" she cried with saucily lift
ed chin.
Yes which Is it to be-. I repeated
Suppose" she said. SLOWLY. suppose
asked your candid. unprejudieed. honest
advice
"Oh. then. 7 suppose I should have 70
advise you 70 take them both"
Yes sGppase you would" she assent
ed. thoughtfuuy
or else 20 refuse them 6oth.' ad-
6ed
An. suppose had already done that -
she said softly.
felt my breath fail ne suddenly.
Marguerite.'' I cried, and a moment Ia
te- found myself an engaged man.
By TIE way remarked as ~e sat
waiting f1r the plate a. Martins thst
evening, how were the pIcfsrexr-s
Really I've forgotten" said Nz-zue-
rite with happy little sigh. THIS has
been such a busy dzy
Come "a think az IT. I renlIed i've
bad ralaer q busy d. mvsslf ..-E.sea-