The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-16
Tho Daffodils.

| He had Just moved into his new lodg-
! ing and had endeavored to make the bare,
| cherries rooms a little more homelike,
| but, though the photographs were scat
| tered about, his piperack nailed over the
| mantel shelf, surmounted by neat and
effective border of unpaid bills. sundry
| writs, and county court notices, he was
! yet unsatisied with the general effect
Of course, there was a vast difference
| between the luxurious quarters in Muir
ray Hill which he had just vacated and
| these small, sitting rooms. with their
| cheap horsehair furniture, but he was
somewhat OF a philosopher, and his motto
was 10 go with the tide.
| This time, however, the current had
! been too strong, and he found himself at
last stranded with beggarly allowance
/ of thousand a year. the last remnant
| of the handsome fortune that had once
| been his.
| The fault was entirely his own. He
| frankly admitted it, though most men
would have laid the blame on the woman
| who was the primary cause of ii all; but
| he did not condemn her.
| He had also been 10 blame. She was
! poor, and he made love TO her under
false colors-had led her TO believe he was
a poor government clerk at salary of
500 a year His object at first had been
4
was not the kind OF woman to be
mans plaything, and the game had ended
in deadly earnest.
| Therefore, it was with some temptation
that he had written confessing that which
he had concealed from her, and asking
| her to marry him. He was scarcely pre-
pared, however, for the curt reply that
| came: 81 am going away today. Good
| by
Mechanically he opened the drawer Of
the writing table by which he stood. 1t
was full of papers and little womanly
| trifles evidently the property OF the FORM
! er occupant of the room. Unconsciously
| he commenced to read the paper in his
hapd-the writing was blurred and irregu-
lar as though by some one in nl-health:
what do I think Of you today? It
seems as though you must be near, or is
it because it is springtime, and my room
is full of yellow daffodils? J. am writing
letter to you, one that you will never
receive-for all know you may be dead
or-even married. 1t does not seem so
long since we met. though I know it was
years ago. 1 wonder if you would be
glad to know that today 1 am thinking
Of you-that out of the desolate gray
comes a vague, sweet dream that brings
you near to me. Tomorrow it will be win
ter again-winter in my heart-and shall
tear up this letter; but today the dreari
ness has faded. There is no touch of
scorn 10 freeze my heart, no kisses cold
as death to chill my lips-no silence that
aches round me with its worthless pain.
I hear the whisper of spring that
breathes of hope, 1 feel the touch Of
clinging hands-your hair against my
cheek-whom I might know were I to
meet you now-do you doubt my love,
that you let me go out if your life with
out word or a sign that you cared"
Here the writing terminated abruptly.
The reader stood as in a dream, staring
straight before him into the dingy street.
Her handwriting! 1t was as though
ghost had risen to confront him.
A knock at the door aroused him from
his stupor, and the landlady hustled in
with the tea tray; her quick eyes caught
sight of the open drawer. Good laws,
I meant to clear that out, sir" she ex-
claimed. "but the poor young lady being
taken away so sudden like, clean drove
it out fmy head
isis she dead?" he faltered. A deadly
fear had taken possession OF him, his
face paied to an ashen hue.
'Lor' no, leastaways not yet" said the
good woman, cheerfuly. 81 went to see
her last week at the 'orpital. but the
doctors don't give any hope Of her get
tin better"
AS she spoke she swept the contents Of
the drawer into her apron. and he WINGED
at the sight-to him ii seemed like desc
Grafton, and his hand slosed convulsively
on the letter he held.
(Which hospital was she taken to?" he
asked, steadying his voice with an effort.
THE one just around the square, sir,
answered the woman. Then, in hurried
apology: You'll be wantin' your tea,
sir; you look tired
AS the door closed on her portly form
he dropped his head in his hands. Good
Godr he groaned, "a whole week has
passed; she may be dead!'
1t was visiting day at the hospital, the
ward was bright with spring flowers, and
brighter faces lit up by that pathetic.
wistfuI expectancy characteristic of the
sick. There was an eager hum Of voices
too, hushed occasionally by an admonish-
ing word from the nurse N charge. In
the same ward rallied off by a curtained
screen from the other patients, a girl lay
asleep No visitor everca me for her
save the doctor and sometimes this wom-
an where she had once lodged, but the
nurse, in kindly sympathy, had placed a
bowl of fresh daffodiis where her tired
eyes could see them on awakening. The
doctor gave no hope Of the patients re-
'covery and So with womanly pity, she
tried to make the girls last days as happy
as possible Before the afternoon was
half over a gentleman called and asked
TO see No. Do ''She is not expected TO
live said the nurse, studying the white.
anxious face before her. Are you
friend? She has no relatives. l think"
'Yes-a friend. That is. 1 knew her
years ago." he said hesits tingly. Per
maps you had better break it to her first;
it might startle her.
AS the nurse went back the girl opened
her great brown eyes, her ears caught the
sound of merry laughter. and her gaze
wondered to the daffodis; longing look
crept into her eyes. who brought me the
flowers, nurse?" she asked IN kind OF
GREATNESS wonder, anda sudden idea took
possession OF the nurse. "A gentleman,
a friend who knew YOU uears ago" she
replied. A deep flush dyed the girls
white cheeks. rs he here?'. she said
eagerly. and the white. wasted hands
opened and closed convulsively.
Yes. and If you'll promise not 10 ex-
cite yourself. you shall see him FOR few
minutes said the nurse, s0Othingly, and
forthwith ushered in the visitor
With stifhed cry he fell on his knee.
by the bed. "Damaris!' he said. and the
girl touched his rough curls- You have
come back" she whispered with half IN
credulous joy: the nurse dropped the cur
tain and left them together.
I knew you had come when / saw the
daffodEs." she went on with tremor OF
eagArness. Dent you remember how
we met in the time OF dafodils. and how
happy We were?"
he took the little trembling hand ani