The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-02
Two Flats aud an Accidental.

Suggestions Of any sort usually came
| from me rather than Margery, for have
in my veins the adventurous blood Of
stanch New England ancestry.
While Margery is of Dutch descent ana
| inclined to be cautious. If not bit pig
headed. as I often told her.
| But no one could help loving her, in
| spite OF her little touch Of Dutch oostt-
macy. least Of all myself, for all the pro-
voking little women that were ever Gre
ated for the express purpose OF Charm
/ ing and tormenting their fellow men Mar
| gerry was the most deliciously dear, AMI
loved her so well could forgive her
/ anything. That Is, anything but the way
she treated Jack Beasley.
| The dance she led that poor fellow was
something to move even a bearded Turk
| to pity. For a whole year she had Kept
him dangling after her as abjectly as a
| dancing doll at the end of string, ana
yet, as far as we could see, he had made
| no progress whatever IN her hayward az
| fections
We had been talking things over, Jack,
| Ned and /, IN Margery's absence Il
never dared mention Jack TO Margery for
| fear Of still further exciting that famous
| obstinacy OF hers), and even Ned, the
most hopeful OF mortals. had had to adj
NIT Jacks chances looked blue. Ned.
| be 1t known, was the daring youth who
had undertaken to guide my New England
| enterprise and other virtues (too numer-
| Gus to mention) through life's pilgrimage.
He and Jack were partners In law Of
| flee and occupied the fiat on the top
| floor. where they INDUCED in certain mys-
/ FERROUS rites they called light housekeep-
ing. while Margery and 1 taught music
and Delsarte and practiced the modest
virtues of hospitality In the fiat below.
Nothing. therefore, could have been
more fit. suitable and otherwise 10 be
desired than to have Margery and Jack
| fall in love with each other, even as Ned
and I had done. Jack was willing
| enough. poor boy. but Margery baked.
1t was too provoking.
AS I said before. we three had been
talking II over the day before while Mar
gerry was absent teaching the luckless
children of rich soap manufacturer to
play Wagner on the piano. and had all
agreed that the situation looked hopeless.
Jack had been in the depths of despair
| because the tenor Of the choir for which
Margery played the organ had called
| three times that week, and, though
didn't believe she cared pin for the ten
or, had never known naughty Margery
to appear more willfully regardless OF
Jacks feelings.
We had parted, therefore. gloonnily
enough, after a fruitless conference, and
| I had relieved my mind by being espe-
cially cross to Margery all day. though
| I must own she didn't seem to mind
much.
1t was an awful day. raining cats and
| dogs. and in the afternoon I got tired Of
| being cross all by myself. and proposed
| that we should shampoo our hair and dry
| ii on the parlor radiator, the only one in
the fat large enough for the purpose OF
| course, Margery objected. Visitors might
come, she said. and then who would let
L FhnvNa III
| on such day. unless I observed with
sarcasm, she was expecting the tenor
again.
She didn't notice this stab. so proceed
ed to say that as the radiator was in the
| corner we could pull our big Japanese
! screen uD in front of Il.
Accordingly it wasn't long before we
were snugly ensconced on a pile of sofa
pillows on the parlor floor, wrapped In
our bath robes and with our wet locks
streaming out behind us across the radia-
tor, over which we had stretched a
steamer rug. We were armed with a
| novel apiece, but soon got to talking girl
| fashion. and were deep in discussion OF
Amos Judd, when there came a loud
| knock at the door.
Great Scott" I exclaimed In a stage
whisper, the rosy advantages Of my plan
suddenly fading in the cold light Of real
| ity.
There! told you" cried Margery
! ungenerously. sitting I'D abruptly so that
her hair fell all about her in a great,
shining. coppery shower.
| 'Shu-shut up!" I whispered, reaching
| out with an agitated stockinged toe for
the bedroom slipper I hade carelessly
| kio ked of a moment before.
| Again the knock came this time more
inn erative.
what in heavens name shall we do?''
gasped Margery.
Keep still. you chump," said. soto
voice, too nervous to pick my words.
| Then the door handle turned and we
heard Ned's voice saying: There's no.
| body home. Let's come In and wait for
| them"
"All right" was the reply, in Jacks
bass tones Maybe it's not the propey.
| thing. but we might as well risk IT," and
| we heard the door close as our visitors en-
tered and took possession Of our apart
ment.
1t was the expression on Margery's face
| that recalled me to myself at last. Chsnc-
J ing TO glance up from behind corner Of
| the cushion I was trying to swallow, I
| caught her listening with strained atten-
ton to something that was being said on
the other side of screen, with every bit
! Of color gone out Of her face. and look
| in her eyes I'd never seen there before.
Yes" Jack was saying. eff they don't
| hurry I'll have to go without saying good
by. Ny train leaves at Z. and I've got
lots to do"
Ned lighted his pipe before he replied.
Dear Ned. I believe he would smoke In
heaven II Peter didn't take the precau-
! ton to search him before he let him in.
AZ guess it'll surprise them some" ne
remarked at last Especially when they
hear you're never coming back
I nudged Margery violently at this. but
she didn't look at me-the minx-aud then
Jack went on dolefuly:
''Oh. they won't care very much. I'm
afraid"
OF course they will" protested Ned.
putting away. And I will, anyway
| Must you go, old boy?"
We'll, it's this way. Ned. As long as
| I hoped that Margsry might care for me
I wouldn't give in to my uncle's PROPOSE
ton that ] should marry his ward. ,Aiss
Wilson, and become his heir bu: now that
I'm satisfied I have no chance with I've
girl ] love. I might as well marry he
other one and please the old man, l sup
pose. I'll be miserable. anyway AMI
Jack hesved such a sigh that the big
paper screen waved about TIL Il threat
ened 20 come down about our heads.
1 gave a horifed look at Margery, but
her hair had fallen over her face. all
could only see one little hand clinched
fiercely as II she had a pain somewhere,
reached dumbly over and tried 70 AXE
the little hand. but she shook me OF. and
so I fell 20 listening again.
We'll. it's not so bad as II might be.
Ned was saying. encoura gingly. Il hear
Miss Wilson is a beauty"
she is" said Jack with enthusiasm.
And then think OF the money, my Soy.
Most any fellow would envy you
Il suppose So" said Jack. drearily. "Bu,
7 must 60 Times up. VIII YOU say good
by 10 the girls for me, Ned? Tell Mar