The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-05

DAY Tor Margaret Desmond, as customers
seemed to prefer her to any other sales
tgirl In the, store. She was always pleas
ant ana obiigihg. She was pretty, too. il
ever truth and purity shoae In face, Il
surely did IN. hers. Her figure was fine
and her eyes were large and brown. As
years went by, the large, soft. brown eyes
took on deeper meaning. Suitors came
to her, but they came In vain. And now,
at q, Margaret Is still unmarried. "She
will never marry" said one admirer. '-She
Is cold as an icicles" said anothef. ''Sne
doesn't seem to care whether fellow
loves her or not can't Understand her
at ALL
But perhaps there Is reason fo= Marga-
ret Desmond's GOODNESS, and the world
does not read rightly the calm, Indifferent
manner.
Margaret has spent the last day before
her vacation at the store. She has prom
ised to spend her vacation taking care OF
q sick neighbor, Afrs. Denly. AMI now, as
she nears her home, resolves to go to her
that night Mrs. Denly has lived near
her for years. and Margaret Desmond had
| become dear to this lonely woman Mrs.
Denly had at one time been happy. She
had two sons, Jack and Robert. But one
day great blow fell on them all. Sud-
denly Jack Denly disappeared. For
awhile there were stirring times at Mrs.
Denly's home; lawyers were seen coming
often, then ceased altogether, until finally
Jack Denly's name ceased to be spoken
and he seemed to pass away from every
body's memory. Then Mrs. Denly had a
long Illness, and when she recovered at
last it was to go about the house the
shadow of herself. During her illness Mar
garet Desmond was her nurse, and her
| tenderness to the heartbroken mother was
inexpressible.
1t Is night at Mrs Denly's home. The
door opens and Margaret Desmond enters.
Bright as the room Is. her presence seems
to infuse new light into 1t. Robert Denly
greets her pleasantly. Then she goes to
his mother. Robert Denly gazes after her
with longing eyes. His soul in his face.
he follows her every movement. He loved
Margaret Desmond, and, coming back. as
he had that day, after an absence Of sew
eral weeks in the city, he lad hoped 10
see some sign Of emotion in her, but her
welcome, kind as 1t had been, had not
been kinder or warmer for him than for
any friend. He was sorely disappointed,
and said: 'If any one. comes and wins
her think jealousy would drive me mad"
That same day he said to her: Margaret,
love you, worship you; will you be my
wife?' He drew her close to hint so
close that she almost touched his lips;
then suddenly she resisted. Slowly, and
with look of agony, he let her go. IT
understand you, Margaret; you don't even
like me-" he said. Robert" Margaret
answers, 81 do like you You are dear
to me as you are. would have loved
you as a sister; In any other way I could
not"
That evening Robert said to Mrs Denly,
Mother, don't you think Margaret Is
strange? She does not seem to care for
marriage at ALL"
Mrs. Denly looked closely at her son for
q moment, then said, Eyes, my boy,
do. There Is something about her that
cannot understand. She Is worth loving;
she has had the best of offers; young and
old have been in love with her; but her
mind doesn't seem to run that way. My
boy. wish you could win her." Il wish
so, too" thinks Robert to himself, laugh
ing at HIS nabther's concluding remark.
''Why, mother, have q letter to give her,
and I came near forgetting It."
Robert finds Margaret ana gives her the |
letter. He watches the lovely face light |
up, the little hand tremble. and turning |
away, exclaims, by Jove! She doesn't |
that letter." Margaret went to her room. |
kneels for moment, perhaps in silent |
paryer. then reads her letter with flushed |
cheeks and sparkling eyes. Could her ad-
mirers see her now would they say she |
was incapable Of loving? I think not.
The radiant face at this moment tells /
a different story. A few weeks after this |
letter came, Robert and Margaret were |
pleasantly before her intended /
return home, as Mrs. Denly had recovered |
from her illness, when the door opened |
and a bearded man, with brown eyes. |
stepped in. 3
Margaret stood for one moment as II
paralyzed. 9THen, at one bound, she was
In the arms of the stranger. clasped close,
and sobbing for Joy on his shoulder. A
after, before anybody had spoken.
she cried: 20, Jack, dear Jack" when
warning sound and motion were both
given. But Mrs. Denly had heard.
'Jackr' she said. coming forward, with
4 strange, uncertain step. The stranger
put Margaret gently aside. Mother" he
said, with arms outheld. and in a moment
hat good. motherly face lay upon his
bosom.
They thought she had tainted with the
10y, but she had only lost her strength.
She soon recovered 1t again, and was rest
ng against the warm, beating heart of
he son she had thought forever lost to
Ter. Yes, mother have come to you
after years of separation. the same Jack
Denly. l never took that money. mother.
,ut everything seemed TO point toward
ny guilt. and 1 could not bear II. l was
desperate when 1 went away. Twice
ried 10 kill myself. but this dear face"
md he turned to Margaret, ''stood be- |
ween me and despair. Her loyalty saved
ne.
She said: Jack, know you are inno- ,
ent. and nothing can ever change M ,
onfideuce in one I have known since |
hi.jhocd.' She was my pure, little love
go then; and she never forgot me or | .
ookde down upon me. And In this great !
roubie she was my truest friend. Her ,
etters. her affection have made me what ,
am. We have met more than once, bu:
would not come home. until l read |
published account OF the false charges,
nd my own proven innocence. have ,,
rought the paper with me for all TO ,
cad" Robert Denly listens attentively 10
ack's interesting conversation. and
huckling to himself says: Il think ] 3
now now VINO sent that letter" Then
lasplng his orother's hand he said:
Jack, you have come to claim Margaret.
suppose. ! love her. too. but she has
efused my love She has been loyal 10 }
GU all these years. She Is worthy o. sour a
9ye. / cannot be Jealous Of you. brother. c
I'd / give you a glad welcome home" {
Roberts words we're great surprise 10 c
ack Denly. Returning his brothers warm
.asp he said: Robert, sometimes a man {
annot express n words HIS most power 3
ii feelings. II is 80 with me at this {
me. You love Margaret Yet you do not c