The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-12
Dorothy's Trick.

Dorothy vane. pretty young girl OF
Is, was sitting beside the CHEEKY open
| fireplace in her cosy home, deeply abb
sorbed in a highly sentimental novel.
| which she was very fond of reading.
Her mother died when Dorothy was
very young. and her father, being busy
| man, had not much time TO spend with
| his dearly beloved daughter. So. wnen
not occupied with her studies, Dorothy
| spent most OF her time reading romantic
and impossible love stories.
When she graduated from school at the
age OF IS she became engaged TO Arthur
Raymond, promising young man, and
the son Of an old friend of Mr.. Vane's.
| That they loved each other was not to
be doubted, and would have been very
happy had not Dorothy's pretty curly
head been filled with silly notions and
fancies gained from her beloved novels.
She laid down the book she was read
ing with a sigh Of regret.
Why can't Arthur talk like that &c
me, wonder? He never tells me that
ne worships the ground walk on. or any
or those nice things, as they do in novels
| On, do wish Sc would talk so 70 me
Just oncei 1 wonder if I can't cause him
| TO-" and Dorothy sat thinking deeply
Tor few moments.
1
clasping her hands in delight, "and ii
will be such a good joke. too
| Although her conscience told her she
| was doing wrong, she would not heed il,
| but sat down to her desk, writing the
| following note, which formed the main
| part of her plan:
Dear Arthur: I write to bid you fare
well. eYs, I am going to die. I am
quite sure you do not love me, as you
never tell me about it much. So tonight,
when the world sleeps, am going 10 turn
on the gas, and in the morning I will
| be found lying cold and still on my couch.
So I bid you a last good-by. Yours n
| despair, DOROTHY"
Reading this over with satisfaction, she
hastily sealed and sent the faid out 10
post 1t, little thinking how much suffer
ing that note was to cause on the NOR
row.
The bright sun awoke her early next
morning, and she sprang out of bed with
happy laugh. as she remembered wha:
she had planned to do. She soon arrayed
| herself in pretty white dressing gown.
her lovely golden curls hanging Ear below
her waist
Il have not long to wait now, for Ar
thur must have received my note By
now, and will soon be here. Won. it be
a joke TO be on my couch so stil1, and
when he reaches my side to jump up and
surprise him? He surely will say lots
of nice things TO me then and be quite
romantic. 1t will be just like a novel"
We will leave Dorothy to arrange her
self on her couch, making a veritable
sleeping beauty"
Arthur Raymond was delighted to rec
ognize DorothyS writing amongst his
morning mail as he sat leisurely eating
his breakfast. He pressed the letter to
his lips and then, breaking the seal,
commenced to read. AS he grasped the
meaning of those cruel words his face
turned white as marble, and the room
seemed whirling around him as he caught
at the table for support. Then, springing
up, he ran into the hall, and catching his
hat from the stand he went out on the
street. Hailing a cab he was soon speed
ing on his way to Dorothy's home. It
seemed to him as though the horse but
crawled and the awful suspense of mind
seemed more than ne could endure.
He reached Dorothy's house at last ana
rang the bell violently, feeling as though
he must batter the door down before il
was opened by the astonished maid. who
gazed at his in amaZement as he dashed
by her and soon reached Dorothy's room.
Dorothy" and what a world of an
guish and despair was contained in that
one word that he uttered as he sa " Do
rothy lying so still on the couch before
him, and before she could arise ne fell
senseless on the floor by her side.
AS she stood as one stunned by his side
Mr.. Vane, hearing the commotion, hurried
into the room, Dorothy gasped out a few
words Of explanation, then with a low
moan fell back on her couch in a swoon
Arthur was carried to another chamber
md
she hurried to his closed door, waiting
in terrible suspense to hear the verdict
of the physician who had been summoned.
''Oh, God" she prayed, forgive my great
SIM and do not take my darling from me.
If he dies 1 will be his murderer
It seemed an eternity before the doctor
came out and kindly told her that Arthur
had recovered consciousness, but a Sc
we're attack of brain fever had set in.
Who can describe the long weeks CT
suspense and the awful remorse that
Dorothy suffered while Arthur's life hung
on a thread? They left indelib!e lines on
her fair young face. At last, after long
days of agony, came the happy news that
Arthur had regained his senses and would
recover. Mr.. Vane, at Dorothy's request,
told the invalid OF his daughters plan,
and what had caused her to do such
cruel act. Dorothy waited outside her
heart beating painfully. Would Arthur
still love her, or had she by her own
act lost what was now dearer to her than
life.
MY child, Arthur wants you" said
Mr.. Vane, coming 10 the door. and Do
rothy went to him, her great happiness
lighting up her face. Arthur booked az
her careworn face with tears o. pity in
his eyes.
MY poor darling, how you must have
suffered" he whispered, as he drew her
head down beside him on the pillow, and
Dorothy's heart was filed with happiness,
and, pressing her cheek close to her fu-
ture husbands face, she gave thanks TO
God for anSHNering her nraNer -Rnstor