The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-21
A Dollar Of Destiny.

easpang voice 1T cant be truet'
Her brother-in-law was one of the men
who pride themselves on being frank,
and who succeeded in being brusque to
the point of brutality.
! 1T is true enough he assured ner.
! Some one had said something deroga-
| tory concerning a woman of his acqualn-
tance-an actress. believe. The alb
ssuridty Of the thing is that Nigel had
not for years seen the person referred 70,
| but at the Hight mention Of her name
he demanded retraction. That not being
forthcoming, he jerked out his revolver.
The other man was too quick for him
| He shot him.
But not fatally,' the soft voice wav-
cred. you said not fatally
mo: thanks TO a funny old dollar he
! carried From it the shot DETECTED. It
was not of any account 1t had evident
ly been kept as a souvenir or memento."
He pulled a cigar from its case-eut OF
the end.
WAS there any inscription on that
| the dollar?''
why, Lois, You are white as death.
The heat, Ell? Better go over TO the
| sideboard and take a nip. You lock as
though you need idol"
TELL me-" she entreated, "about that
coin"
well, of all girls! Now. then, it was
merely a defaced coin, mutilated and In
scribed before the law forbidding such
proceedings had gone into effect"
The girl went nearer TO him. She was
a slender little tAing, her hazel eyes
cleaning under level black brows.
1.-The inscription" She urged.
what a child you are, Lois! I never
dreamed you cared for this. ne'er do
weeli"
you have no right to draw such a de-
| L., eO<r
hurried voice. what about the inscrip-
ton on the coin that saved NigeFs life
tell me about that!'
''I'll tell you when" (i1is laggard
ness was provoking when once I get
this darned thing lighted" The darn
ed thing" which happened 10 be a. big,
black cigar, was glowing Ike tke head
light of a locomotive when he mention
ed that the words cut into the silver
coin were hoplessly devoid of sense.
They read:
I'm memory of a decapitated doll"
THANK you" Lois said gravely, and
moved away
Her brother-in-law called after her:
'Lois-I say. Loisl That isn't fair. You
come back and tell me about Nigels
romance-if there is any. Do-like a
good girli''
She did not answer. She was looking
lawn, all illuminated and vivifed by the
late sunlight, where the children were
playing ng-around-a-rcsy" Not that
she was thinking of the children-nor Of
their game either. Her thoughts had
gone back to a little storm-swept prairie
town. She saw the expressman strug-
Cling through the drifts with the box
that held her annual gifts from the east.
She recollected the ecstacy she expert
1 lOn - 1a-
the regret she felt that the sender had
not been sufficiently thoughtful to fur
nish the traveller a wardrobe. She re-
membered her mother absorbed in con-
versation with friends, her brothers deep
in games which had been sent them, her
own swift decision to wake" the doll
How eager the little boy friend had been
to help her to lay logs from the old
wood box in symmetrical square-to COW
err these with large table napkins, pur-
Joined from the linen chest. And when
with these. the couch of death had be
duly spread, how delightful it had been
to sOlemnly cross waxen arms upon an
undeniably waxen breasti
The shrouding of the stiff white body
to the chin was a distinct pleasure.
Said the little girl to her companion:
81 wish I could keen. Nora says they
always keen at a wake in Ireland"
TELL yot whatr' sudden brilliant
thought had struck her small compan-
ion. Lets make her a sure-enough
corpse"
The little girl had looked at him com
temptuously she is a sure-enough
corDse" ttc
mo, she amt Not till she's killed.
KILLED! Kill doll! She can't ever
be any l1llder than she Is right now."
1 hot I'LL orsr- I-3T1 l.
dead? Your silver dollar?"
yes"
She brought It to him from her bank
She laid It near him. He picked up the
ak which always lay in the woodbox
| There was an upward fiash-a downward
blow. Then the pretty be-rinsleted
head of the peony-checked doll rolled off,
bloodless, discovered.
THE foolish fellowi" whispered Lois
| Demaris, when she had gained her own
room. and there huddled down to take
| counsel of her own heart. "To keep
that absurd old dollar all these years!
| And to defend me when another man
| spoke slightingly Of me, Not even
| Brother Ben knows am the actress to
| whom ne referred. He and Esther never
enter a theatre, and If were TO tell
them I play nightly why
Suddenly she rose moved the mirror
| looked herself straight in the eyes
IF you are as bad woman as that
man inferred" she said, don't look
straight back at met
One night she met Nigel Gordon again
She was the guest of honor at a recep-
tion given in honor OF the gifted young
| actress. whose distinction was not real
| lied by her acquaintance nor known
by her stupidity conservative family.
She caught sight of him. He did not
approach her She made c0nyen fiona
| excuses, went UP to him arrested his
attention.
II have seen the papers," she SAID.
| THANK YOU for your fhsndship-for
your defense"
He must take the hand she offered.
but ha feigned Indifference as few men
do.
20. you have heard about that foolish
quarrel, then? And you remember our
( childish disagreement about the CORPSE
/ which I decided was not Killed dead en-
| tirely,' according 10 the definition Of
| 'mortaliy wounded by a younger Null
vaney than THAI Of KiDH1g7"
I've always had a good memory" she
reminded him softly
so have L And-when & year ago
wrote 20 you and asked you the hardest.
and terderest. and SWEETS question 4
man may ask. why would you NOT accord
me even thu courtesy Of reply?"
The rose color went away from her
cheeks-from her ii1s.
IT have had no letter from Won s.nce
you though, 7 gave too mary dzrceF -
Roy AaCrea that usEht-you reueua er2-f
God I should think 7 did, I tod
Roy how you we're all but pledged 20 ne
/ and he said he'd take you that note.
and
she was whiter thar tn. roses sire car