The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-22
A Fling at Fate.


Lucy Rogers sat holding large en-
ve.ope which the postman had just
brought. Slowly she opened it. Yes, It
was as she thought, her returned manu-
script, with a printed notice declining
the story. Lucy gave a bitter smile as
she thought how many ike communica-
tons she had received.
she was the daughter of a weli-to-do
FARMER IN a country village, and she had
surprised her father one evening by an
| nounelng 10 him that she had decided 10
go to Boston to board for three months
10 devote herself TO writing and begin
| literary career for herself. Though Mr.
rogers demurred little at first. he final
| y consented, insisting. however. on her
taxing money enough along to last her for
three months.
Inc only other opposition she had to
oFeFcome was that of her Cousin Jack,
VINO being third cousin, had no legal
claim on her. He seemed TO think he had.
ho"eVer' Judging from his efforts 10 per-
sudde her not to go. Finally he said I:
| wen, III wager SO you won't make a
cent IN Bostontou of your imagination .
mat decided Lucy. She went
! no" the three months We're almost
passed and so far Jack had been right
| she reflected that If she were a poor girl
|
| hdu plenty of money, even a dramatic
END was denied her. She must be COM
nlohplace 10 the last. She became an
! lagonistic to fate. Why must she fall?
a week later, as Mr. Chaplin, an afflu-
emf business man, was in his office in
fremont street, the door opened and a
graceful young woman dressed in black
| entered
When Mr.. Chaplin asked her II she
| would be seated, she todd her story; that
she mad come from England, her birth
PIaee' only the day before; that, as she
was OF gentle birth. though now unex-
pectedly thrown into straitened circum-
stances, she had come to America, hav-
ing heard that here she could earn her
odliy bread without losing case something
which would be impossible for her in En-
gland.
Ihough Mr.. Chaplin was very favorably
impressed by her frank sincere manner.
ne mad no office work for her, but took
her name, Miss Irene Madison and her
adaresse, in case he should hear of any
tnlng in the future
AL dlnner that night, as he was telling
ms Wi1e Of the attractive young English
girl, she said: why didn't YOU engage
her as companion for me? You know.
I've often spoken of having one. The
evenings are so long when both you and
Robert are away"
Wen, the outcome of il was that within
week Miss Madison was established at
the Chapin house on Beacon street and
she had not been there two days before
she had transformed the somewhat grave
household into a place of life and gayety.
BY means of her bright manner, her ma
ny interesting stories about her life in
England and her constant good nature,
whether 1t was question of picking out
a new embroidery stitch or making I'D a
table at whist, she made home so at
tracttVe that Mrs. Chaplin forgot her neu-
ralgia, Mr.. Chaplin neglected his evening
paper, and even Robert, the son, occa-
sionally stayed at home in the evenings
instead of going to the club.
Meanwhile Mrs. Chaplin was much inter-
ested in the letters Miss Madison told her
about, which she received from a pros
pectiye lord in England to whom she was
betrothed. Although he would one day
be rich, now a decrepit old uncle stood
between him and the property, and they
could not be married till the uncle should
die-a prospect full of dreariness to them
both.
But one day Miss Madison had strange
news. Soon after the postman came she
ran into Mrs. Chapin's room and breath
letter from her betrothed, in which he an
nounced the sudden death of his uncle
and begged her to sail for England as
soon as possible, saying that he would
met her, and they would be married i'm
mediately. He asked her TO buy what
ever she needed for her trousseau in Bos-
ton, and said that he would send check
to cover her passage and all other ex-
penses.
AS the check kidd not arrive before the
day she had set sail, Mr.. Chaplin gladly
advanced $500. being pleased TO do as much |
as that for one of whom they were all so |
fond.
Though young Mr.. Chaplin begged to be |
allowed to accompany her to New York, |
from where she was to sail, she stoutly |
refused to allow him to take so much |
trouble, and babe them all good-by at the |
Union station in Boston, promising to ca |
bic to them on her arrival in England.
One morning, a week after this. as Mr.. |
Chaplin was sitting in his office the door !
opened and Miss Madison walked in.
As he gazed at her in speechless aston |
ishment she FASTENED to say: The fact |
IS I have deceived you. My real name is /
Lucy Rogers, and when I found out that |
couldn't write story that anyone would |
read l made up my mind that l would see |
If 1 couldn't live one that would interest |
some one. But now my story has come /
to an end. Though 1 have been a liar,
am not a thief. and I only borrowed the
money from you partly to test whether
YOU really had confidence in me and partly
10 prove to Cousin Jack that 1 could make
money out of my imagination. For:u-
lately, l didn't need the money. so 1 re
urn it, with thanks for that and all your
'ther kindnesses," and laying an envelope
IN Mr. Chapin's desk, she was gone be-
ore that worthy gentleman could recover |
rom his establishment enough to utter
syllable.
month later Mrs. Chaplin received an
to Miss Rogers marriage TO
Cousin Jack.-AIiriam L. Snow in Boston
Post.