The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-06
Happiness Restored.

It Is evening. The hot and pitiiess Au-
gust sun which all day has poured its
suitry raysswith utmost violence upon the
srnothered city OF New York has hidden
its face IN the curtains Of night.
| TwinklIhg stars glimmer silently forth
IN the pale blue sky and the tan trees
in the park cast long shadows across the
grass into the avenue as the mellow light
| of the street lamps fan upon them.
Nurses in caps and aprons OF snowy
whiteness have long sinceie the refresh
| ing shade OF the park. and have hurried
home with their dainty charges.
The evening wears on and one by one
the idlers turn their faces homeward, TN
| til at length. the park is deserted.
Deserted dbl sayf No, not deserted,
for a'young girl with a pale yet beautiful
face and large. sofrowful eyes. has en-
tered the park unseen, and Is crouched
in a secluded corner, her face buried IN
her hands.
''os Ralph" she means, show can live
and know you love an0ther?" Then sobs
again shake her slight frame, and she
| bursts into a low wall in the agony Of
| her grief, for Constance Goodwin Is a
| girl with a deep and loving nature.
A bell in a neighboring church tower
arouses her, and as &c tolls the hour of
| II she slowly rises and wends her way
| out into the street.
'tShall go home, or shall ! go away to
| another place and seek employment, and
try to down my sorrow?" she asks her
| self hurriedly.
| Her mind is all confusion, and she can
not control herself sufficiently to weigh
the matter carefully; whether she had
better return to her loving parents and
| her beautiful home or trust herself to
the cold mercies OF the busy world.
Once more the awful truth comes before
her with crushing force. Once more she
sees her betrothed lover Ralph Chapman,
IN company with a beautiful young wo-
man, of whom, gossips say, he is proud.
''Can she also be his betrothed, and does
she not know he IL already engaged to
meg" Constance thinks wildly. to her
self. 1i I'D
They say she is an heiress and hand
some, and but her reverie Is inter
rupted. for she hears the sound of horses
hoofs upon the pavement and the merry
| laugh OF young voices near at hand. AS
she turns to look, two splendid carriages
dash by, each drown by a noble span Sof
! horses. .---
At a glance she recognizes the occu-
pants Of one of the carriages. Il is her
Ralph, and with that other lovely womani
She gives faint cry and staggers to
the fence for support. A few moments and
she RECEIVERS herself sufficiently to realize
that the hour Is late and that she Is in
! the public thoroughfare without protec-
tor.
She must return home. There is moth
ing else for her to do. in her weak and
nervous condition. Upon reaching her
boudoir she throws herself upon a couch,
sut sleep does not come to refresh her
troubled mind, and she passes the night
in feverish restlessness.
The following afternoon she Is seated
in the library gazing leisurely out Of the
window and now and then carelessly turn
ing the leaves Of a book OF travels which
lies in her lap. So ..--
She is dressed in pale blue muslin with
white ribbon at her throat and waist. and
despite the troubled look in her dark blue
eyes she presents a pleasing and striking
picture.
A servant enters bearing a beautiful
bouquet, with a card attached In familiar
handwriting A note accompanies the
bouquet, in which the writer asks IL he
may call that evening and Introduce his
cousin, Gladys Bertrand, VINO IS visiting
his parents. The note Is signed Ralph
Chapman" t-
Constance trembles visibly as she hands
a perfumed note to servant few mo-
ments later, addressed to Mr.. Ralph Chap
man, and containing an invitation of well
come for that evening.
That evening, arrsyed In q gown Of
purest white muslin, with red roses IN her
belt and in her hair, Constance looked
charming as she rose TO receive her lover
and his cousin.
A formal Introduction followed, and as
Constance raised her eyes to meet those
of Miss Bertrand's, her cheeks grew pale
and then flushed alternately, as she recog-
nized the beautiful woman whom she had
seen Ralph with several times.
Recovering her natural grace and COM
pcsure, Constance welcomed her guests,
and the time passed 50 quickly and pleas
antly that they did not notice the arrival
Of carriage until servant entered to
inform Miss Bertrand that her 0arouche
was at the door.
Miss Bertrand explained that she was to
attend the opera that evening with one
OF Ralph's friends, and soon took her
leave, promising to call again soon.
Once more alone with her lover Con-
stancsspalired out her recent troubles to
Ralph, who comforted his darling by tell
ing her she was the only one he could
ever love.
WASN'T It foolish OF me TO grieve over
so small a thing?" she asked, looking up
lovingly into his face.
mo, darling he answered. 'It only
hsows how much you really love me-
Boston Post.
ProVed.