The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-10
MuriePs Media ton.

/ Munefs Mediation.
While her little soft arms close tighter
Round my neck in their cinging hold
| Well, 1 must not cry on your hair, dear.
For my tears might tarnish the gold.
- Adelaide Proctor.
If 1t were not that I'm so desperately
| in love with Clarice. pet, I'd wait for
you. Then when you grew up we'd be
married and live happy ever after in a
cottage all
'Bowered In roses and covered with
thatch.
| After the fun of runaway MATCH
Wouldn't we-eh?'
| Whereat Clarice would smile adoringy
at her lover. and the little 6-year-cld
on his knee would cuddIe her yellow
head closer and stroke the shapely hand
/ r1at held her. But that was before
Clarice, chagrined at some faneied in
| d1nerence, had given three consecutive
| dances to another man. Will Eardsley
had reproached her. Clarice had hared
| UP holly, saying that she was tired of
| his tyranny. And Muriel-the little SIS
| ter-nad looked on in half-frightened
establishment when Clarice drew the
beautiful, glittering ring from her nm
ger and handed 1t back.
half an hour later Clarice, on her
knees before a big, low chair in her
room, was suddenly conscious Of pair
Of soft, little arms twined around her
| neck-of wistful, small face close to
| hers
| broke down sobbing. Hes gone-for-
| ever!'
The little girls big. blue eyes roved
over her sisters lovely tear-stained face
do you care much, Clarice?"
DO I care?' She was looking down
on the pictured face in the locket she
| held-a good face. with grave, gentle
eyes and kind mouth. IT shall care
all my life!''
Better do what I havea.o when I'm
bad" the child advised, gravely. Bet
ter go an 'pologize.'
20, I couldn't do thatr' The locket
shut with a decisive little click. She
sprang to her feet and began to dress
for dinner. mot ever. Muriel'
Muriel sat and watched her with
little air of perplexity.
Hes dearl" she remarked do you
remember the night 1 hurt my foot, an
he tarried me all the way home? Do YOU
remember the time nursie got sick when
he went for the, doctor? Do you re
member when Brother Tom came home
from college, an papa was as angry as
could beam mamma cried. until Willie
u
really? Do you remember"
Don't I, thought" said Clarice. She
was fastening her gown with nervous
fingers.
You were 1orrid to him, weren't your
"Abominable"' admitted the big sister
of Muriel
The latter went downstairs. She
sought out her brother in the library.
She asked:
tom. does you love me hard?"
Harder than anything in the world,
said Tom.
Then. will you take me now to p"
She named famous Chicago hotel
why, my bird?"
THAT" Muriel gravely assured him,
is secret
I'll take you, lover he cried, gayly
And ne did.
The clerk came smilingly from behind
the high desk to listen to the inquiry
Of the little maid.
You stay here, Tom" she said to
her tall brother. and swept away with
much dignity in the wake Of the bell
boy.
VIII Eardsley looked up in unmitigated
establishment at the vision on the thresh-
old of his room-a little girl all in tan
broadcloth with a, big picture hat of
sapphire velvet framing her wide-eyed
face.
''MurielT' he cried, looking up from his
task of putting a lot of jacqueminots in
a vase before photograph on the table
the picture of lovely, laughing face.
ITS metz assented Muriel why
were you putting flowers before Clarice's
picture? Is it because-for the same rea-
son-she was crying over your picture
in her locket?"
Crying" He caught her in his arms
WAS she crying, Mauriel?"
Dreadful! She said She was going to
be sorry for ever an ever. 1 thought
I'd have Tom bring me to tell you,
cause you tarried me home when I hurt
ed my footr'
You darlingP' cried Eardsley, ecstat-
icaly, but irreleyantly.
That night, after her lover had left,
Clarice came softly in and knelt by the
bed, of her small sister. She was smil-
ing. She looked happy.
What" she asked, did you say to
Will this afternoon?"
Muriei meditated. at dess that's Sc
cret," she decided with much composure.
He is dear-isn't he? Dood-night!'