The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-07
Not a Hero,

| Frances had been arguing and had ST.
fenced her opponent He stood leaning
against the stone Of the tower waiting her
pleasure to remove from the scene Of con-
test. But her line of thought held her
fast, or perhaps the beauty of Belgian
| landscape would not release her. At all
events, she did not move and he waited.
Finally, he ventured to suggest: Won {
your Aunt Laura be tired OF waiting?'
She turned her eyes from the brown
Scheldt flowing below as she answered
carelessly: Aunt Laura? O. she doesn't
mind. She preferred TO let US come up
without her. She adores the cathedral,
and 1t isn't time TO be hungry"
Ben Ripley had been in Antwerp four
hours, three OF which he had spent with
Frances Deere, and for at least an hour
the two had been on the cathedral tower
engaged in the argument already men
| toned.
Ben had asked where Frances meant to
spend the winter. 1t was a natural
] question, for they had been neighbors and
friends always at home in America Even
| when he was at college there were vaca-
| tons, and she continued TO be a warm
friend So did he. except IN the intervals
when, having become too warm, he was
obliged to undergo a cooling process.
! Her winter, she said, would be one Of
masters for her, and she would work at
art, music, language-anything to keep
; busy. Then he began to argue that she
| was all wrong. She ought to go home
| to her mother and not waste her youth
| (she laughed scornfully) and her beauty
| (she smiled proudly. Then she asked him
| why he lived on Banbury road and studied
mathematics at Oxford instead of going
/ into business with his father in New
J IL -
| considering, that she was the only per-
son in the world worth talking about
and the climax Of his whole argument
was that she should go back to America
! engaged to him and wait for the glorious
life they would begin together next year
when he had taken his Doctors degree
! But she was relentless and wouldn't
| even attempt to answer his questions
whether she cared for him al all. She
! grew a little impatient az said he ought
| to see that she couldn't think about such
things; she was interested in carrying on
her studies and nothing else. Finally he
said he supposed she expected him to
i start back for Oxford that highland
wanted to be contradicted. But she agreed
| that it would be the most sensible thing
to do
So it had all ended, and she had become
abSoT bed in the landscape and forgetful
of him until he mentioned Aunt Laura and
| htey started down the tower Ben was
three or four steps ahead, two thirds of
| the way down, when he heard a stumble.
Frances had caught her foot in her dress
and fallen. He had just time to brace
himself with an arm against either wall
when she slid down upon him.
Get your footing quick, and don't
faint" he said
I'm not going to faint" she answered,
land 1 am quite myself except that my
hat is crooked-not that it matters in the
dark"
Slowly he dropped his arms, and she
passed on before him. AS they came out
into the light he motioned to a carriage
crossing the narrow court.
There isn't moment to lose" he ex-
planned, 'if l am going to get my boat.
You are sure you are not hurt?"
Perfectly sound Did I brighten you?"
well, yes; it didn't seem exactly safe
for either of US to have you come tunl-
bling down that way. But l must CO.
1 shall see you again some day, Frances"
Somehow he got the cathedral door open
for her, handed her an umbrella, took
off his hat, pressed her hand, and en-
tered the carriage. She couldn't follow
his movements; she only felt his eyes
resting on her as If they could not turn
away till the narrow side door closed be-
hind her.
After a few minutes Frances found her
aunt. and they left the cathedral
Where is Benz" Aunt Laura asked.
"Gone TO England to do his work as
boy should, and we are going to Brussels
tonight"
Aunt Laura gave little sigh. 1t is hard
to be patient with youths perversity in
bringing trouble upon itself.
TI,o, 4 ~
BILE in a small patisserie near the top Of
the Montagn de Ia Tour waiting for choc-
olate. Frances was struggling with the
Rotterdam daily paper. 1t was hard work
to make any sense OF the queer language,
but suddenly she stopped appalled,. az
sentence she fancied she understood-an
accident to the Antwerp-Harwich boat
and something too Dutch for comprehen-
sion had happened to the passengers.
Aunt Laura, order the cake, dear, and
I'll be back soon. I'm going to get
Christian paper" And Frances stepped
into the street with visions of bursting
boilers, enveloping waves. and fires at
sea, and in the midst of a strong. smiling
white face with pleading brown eys.
low carriage was just creeping up the
almost impossible HILL and in it sat the
owner of the strong face and the smile,
but somehow the brown eyes had ceased
TO be supplicants and turned conquerorS
in the brightness of the Brussels mors-
ing.
He was before her. her rejected lover,
who had saved her yesterday from bro
ken crown and today from a broken heart,
for had he not refused to play the hero In
that channel calamity of which she no
longer sought to read the particulars?
90 Ben, I thought you were drowned"'
she said IN a voice he had never heard