The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-11-25
The Club Woman Delegate.


sleepy passengers Tell OF the high steps
ana disappear ed In the darkness
A dozen very Wldeawake passengers
BUSTED into the stuny sleeper, and part
ing asses resounded through the car.
The sleepy porter glanced reproyingly
al them as he busted himself with The
berths. The sleepy conductor smiled a
sad smile and glanced commiseratingly
at the row of drawn curtains. HA
quick ear had detected q smothered
groan from No. =
With the Gathering Of the moving train
the voices rose higher, as dozen wo-
men sorted their belongings and prepared
10 settle down for the night.
Great Seott!' growled the weary pas
Isenger in No. Z, what have I struck! A
female seminary or a mothers meeting
And as il in answer came a clear, sweet
voice from across the way:
I'm so glad I'm delegate, aren
you, May? 1t is going TO be such fun
all except my speech.
Let's hear il, Kate. Try 1t on US
first" and the chorus OF laughing voices
smothered something that sounded like
'D-!' from No. Z.
A bell rang violently at the other end
of the car, and the apologize porter has
tened forward. Silence for a moment;
| then q mans irate voice IS heard saying,
| Well, III try 10 stand IL
The silence lasted fully five minutes,
and the man in No. closed his weary
/ eyes, hoping for rest, when a sudden
I lurch of the train caused smothered
! sQueal from the aisle, and something soft
[ fell violently into his berth and sat full
and square upon him. Only for q mo-
| ment-then with a muffled shrek the 90
ject regained its feet and disappeared in
No. 8, where for ten minutes it giggled
hystercally
Poor No Z! He had always considered
himself a gentleman, but overtaxed pa
tence could stand no more.
"Confound itr' he cried. This is the
worst I ever struck"
It takes a man some time to recover
from such a disagreable experience, and
! Crosby, though ordinarily the most ami
able of men, was still a little ruffled
when he went to Mrs. Pearson's recep-
ton the next evening, and, meeting
Katherine Grey, forgot everything in the
world but her
If anyone had asked him a week before
| if he believed in love at first sight, he
would have laughed scornfully. 1t was
his pet theory that the only love worthy
/ Of the name was founded on the rock Of
friendship and congeniahty. But tonight
as he looked into the girls soft eyes he
/ knew ne had met the woman ia the
world for him, and he surrendered his
| heart into her keeping without thought
| of resistance. Foolish? OF course it
was When was love ever otherwise?
You are a brave man, Mr.. Crosby, ?"
! she smiled up at him. Aren't you, Ike
other men, just a little bit afraid of club
women?"
Afraid hardly expresses it. Miss
! Grey" he replied with an exaggerated
| shudder Il think may truly say that
[ If there Is one thing I detest more cor
/ daily than another 1t is a new-fashioned
| club woman"
The girl drew herself up a little
stinly.
Then, why are you here tonight, in
a very nest of them, may I ask?'
st beg pardon he stammered, so hon
estly mystiied that Miss Grey laughed
nerrily
Stupid mani Don't you know that
| this reception is given to the Federated
| Club Women Of the state, who are hold
/ ing a convention in your city,"
Heaven forbidr' he calculated 50
| earnestly that she laughed again. you
see, I only reached here this morning
I have been down on the coast, and. oh.
/ Miss Grey, if you knew the experience
I had on the train last night! BY Jovel
I wonder If she is here?"
"She? Who?"
''why. the old girl who fell all over
me in the sleeper-the talking machine,
| you know
The girl glanced up at him quickly.
and an expression he could not read
leaped to her eyes. He accepted 1t as
a reproof
81 beg pardon" ne pleaded. but she
really was a dreadful creature the worst
of a bad lot. BY the way. she Is to
make speech somewhere. Suppose we
go to hear her"
"Oh. no! neverl you mustn't" hast
ily exclaimed the girl IN great confu-
sion; and just then q stout matron
hustled up.
Come, dear; we must be going
$50 soon?" demonstrated Crosby.
$50 soon, Auntie" pleaded Miss Grey.
Yes, dear; sorry, but We really must.
You know we must be at the convention
early tomorrow Your paper IS the first
thing on the programme Grossly started
and you know we did not get much rest
last night. Just think, Mr.. Crosby.
twelve Of us-all delegates-came up from
Mobile last night, and you know when
dozen women get together on a spree
there isn't much rest for the wicked
There was a man at our end Of the car.
ruffian, who swore horribly. Yes
Kate, viii telIi-and Katherine fell into
his berth and sat on him. as he de-
served Why, Kate you did, and.
Why, Katel where on earth"
But Miss Grey had fed, and Mr.. Cros-
by with a very red face, was taking his
departure.
The next morning early Crosby. in saw
age mood, stalked into the convention
hall and took a seat near the front. Tbs
was to be his revenge on the pretty IT.
tie fraud who had duped him so com
-letely
Katherine saw him, and hurried for
ward to meet him, with cheeks as red as
peonies
DO 90 away" she begged. Please 90
quickly They are about 70 begfn.
Please go" The pleading brown eyes
the Rosetta stone. but he hardened his
heart against her, and Just then the
presidents gavel fell
Wont You go2" she begged o7oa
more, but he shook his head stubhorn1v.
and she turned instantly into a hurnsn
rsmrod and left hin.
He took his seat and waited. A man
sitting near him looked up from the pro-
gramme and chuckIed. THAT little gf~1
I'D there is going to lecture Us on noEt-
zeal economy. Well I'll swear. she'd
better be learning 70 darn her fathers
socks
Crosby turned a wrathful sus1lcio1-
eve upon Sim and then smiled vrinIy a.
his own sbsurdity What a fool he had
become e be sure.
Did YOU ever hear g woman or poHHc7'
eaon NV T~Hen. you should have hea~I
Katherine Grey that morning and shou5
have seen her as Crosby saw her wha7
she captured his heart Tor The second
tire i1 twelve hours Sweet w.rnf-r
perfect picture Of womanlr grace and
Trodesty. she charmed the sre. and when
she Began 70 tell an she az not know
aeaut political economy frankir fauzr-
ing st her profound ignorance of no
slsHiect allotts5 % her. s.e cral5 49,