The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-01
"AII's Well That Ends Well "

81 am so sorry this has happened. she
said with forced calmness. Il like You
much, and thought we were always to
be friends, but you see that it is impossi-
BILE for me to marry. II is my duty to
take care of papa and my brothers and
try to take the place Of my poor moth
err
IT felt from the first" said Harry, scr
rowfully, that it was hopeless TO tnlnk
of YOU You are too good for me.
Don't say that, for l like you mucn
more than any one I know. II I ever
did lo-marry, it would be just such
man as you-good, clever, and generous
But you see that IL is impossible, don
you?"
He looked into her appealing eyes, but
could not answer. Nothing Is so SUD
timely tragic as a beautiful girl sacrific-
ing herself 10 a mistaken sense OF duty,
and she appeared so sublime TO him that
he couldn't help thinking her in the right.
In affairs of the heart a man, especially
a young man, needs disinterested wo-
man to guide, to encourage, or 10 cneck
him, as the case may require. Now, Har-
~ Watson was so fortunate as TO have
a charming widow as his confidant and
friend. She was several years his senior
and ne was once much in love with her
or thought he was. She had poohpoohed
his proposal and told him that, although
she thought him a fine, clever young EEL
low, she had no desire to take boy 10
raise, and that he muslin talk nonsense.
OF course he was tragic and went out
West 10 hunt for grizzlies, hoping TO De
masticated by one, but ne presently came
to his senses and returned to hte city. He
was naturally rather shame-faced when
he men the widow, but she was so jolly
that he soon forgot his previous absurd
ity, and they became fast friends.
You poor boy!" said the widow in hu-
morous sympathy. What would become
of you if it were not for me? But II
you obey my orders 1 will guarantee that
you viii win her."
After talking the whole matter over,
Harry felt comforted, and he felt sure
that the clever widow was going to do
all in her power to help him. But he did
not imagine that while they were discus
sing the subject the peerless, self-sacri-
fcing Esther was weeping bitterly and
almost rebelling against her fate. 1t was
only by magnifying her duty to an ap-
palling grimness that she finally recovered
her composure and soothed the pain at
her heart to an aching numbness.
AS soon as the widow felt that Harry
had recovered from the first bitterness of
his disappointment, she ordered him to
go and caal on Esther He obeyed, and a
few such calls restored to some extent
their old relationship. and the yoclud talk
more like brother and sister. And one
evening she talked to him in a most sis
terly fashion, warning him wistfully to
beware of the wiles Of the widow.
you know 1 look on you as a brother
and should not like to see one Of my
brothers as much in her company as you
are. OF course. she is nice, but people say
she is so designing"
THE little MINK said the widow when
she heard of it. II know am designing,
but she will find that it is for her happi-
ness 1 am doing 1t now-and incidentally
for my own-or just the reverse"
She, of course, diagnosed the case az
one Of jealousy, and was pleased. Harry
didn't understand the last part of her re-
mark, but he did not question.
Are you going to the Madison musi-
cale?' the widow asked.
Yes. Esther and her father will be
there" Harry replied.
wei, l shall be there too, and may
want you to do me a favor. VIII you
do it?"
Certainly"