The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-02
Aunt Phebe's Story,

/ Is not the kind OF IeeHnE the story
| books call love, but / fancy it is just as
| good
| Gus was good looking, with strongly
marked features. rather tall, and wen
built, and when he chose to be well
| dressed made q good appearance, and
never looked i'll, however old his clothes
might BE. when about his ordinary work.
| He did not depend upon his clothes 10
| command respect.
He had a calm, confident air, and could
express himself concisely when he needed
| to assert authority. That is what No-
man likesto have a man able TO deal with
men and not be turned aside from his
purpose or make a mistake. He was a
good taIker, with a fine, coy humor, not
! putting himself forward 10 be amusing.
but easily holding his own. Like most
sil ong men, Gus was hard 20 provoke 10
a quarrel, though in his school days he
| had his allowance of fisticuf encounters.
Yes. 1 will admit | would have married
Gus had he asked me, though did not
think he was in love with me nor l with
| him. I did not believe he would fall
deeply in love with anyone.
Perhaps 1 was too reserved, or feared
to show a decided preference unless 1t
was shown first, though other girls said
1 threw myself at his head, and was
great ehagrined when ne devoced him
self to Hattie Tinde. / had other ad-
mirers, and If 1 was not as handsome
as Hattie, mere beauty is not everything.
There is no denying that Hattie was the
prettiest girl of our set, and she was
pretty without having to care for her
complexion or wear becoming clothes.
We girls all knew she was intOlerably
selfish, and wondered that the young men
did not find her out. But beauty hides a
great many defects of character, and If
a girl only pretends to be kind an1 SYM
pathetic she is supposed to possess al
the angelic qualities.
One day Robert Carpenter asked me 70
marry him. He proposed IN blum 1er-
irg, roundabout way, so clumsily that /
did not know at first what he meant He
made me almost as confused as himself,
and whether l said yes or no I do nol
now recollect but he went away sr.l-
ing, so 1 conclude he thought himself 5n
accepted lover. and / had ring which I
pat away In box, undecided whether to
wear it or give it back.
I don't think expected that Gus would
hear of this and come forward as Rob
ert's rival. He did not at any rate.
When 1 met him he simply said:
well, little girl, so you are engaged
to Carpenter. He IS a good fellow, but
y
a little longer
AN engagement dies not mean mar
rage replied, somewhat sharply.
mo, but ! think it ought. 1t keeps
many young men straight to be engaged,
but they ought to feel confident that the
girls heart is fixed on them"
Perhaps the girls heart has little to
do with the matter nowadays. She has to
consider other things"
Yes, l suppose 90. But the heart is
not to be ignored"
This was about all that was said
nothing to suggest that Gus was jeal-
Gus or likely to enter the list for my
hand. Nor did L expect it, though goS-
sips reported the contrary.
Robert was impatient to be married
but l was not. He accused me of being
cold, and of not reciprocating his pas
sion. Possibly all men in love are apt
to act childishly. 1 found Roberts at
tentions Wearisome. 1t might be said
that he would be cured Of them by mar
riage, but this is a painful experience to
look forward to.
One evening we had a. quarrel. He ac-
cused me of a secret admiration for Mr..
Haynes-that l held him off, hoping Gus
would come forward as a muitor, and ad-
ded, az a fine rebuke, that he and Hattie
Trude had been married the day before.
He showed me a paper with the mar
riage notice printed in it.
1 was so angry at the accusation that
at first 1 told him the engagement be-
tween us was broken. Then he began to
plead for himself, expressing such sor-
row at his hasty words that gradually
relented. After ALL had 1 treated him
rightly? At last l agreed to marry him
at once. Tt was becoming the fashion to
plan a half elopement and save the ex
pesne and publicity of regular wedding
at home. 1 consented to marry him the
next day.
After Robert had departed I looked for
the newspaper containing the notice, but
could not find it. He had several in his
hand, but the special copy he had taken
with him. I do not know what prompted
me to write a note of congratulation to
Gus and dispatch it by my brother Ned,
a lad of y. l mentioned having seen the
notice in the paper, and said l was sorry
he had not confded in me.
1t was after 10 O'Clock, and 1 retired to
my room Half an hour later I heard
Ned coming upstairs. He stopped at
my door.
Did you see Gus?" I asked from
within.
Yes. He's downstairs. He came
back with me-.
What does he want?''
He wants to see you, guess"
What for?"
He didn't say. Probably wants to Dor
row your overshoes. Better go down
and ask him"
1 went down. He didn't want to borrow
anything. on the contrary, he wanted
me 10 give something to keep-my hand,
my heart. He said the notice Of his be-
ing married was a COMPOUNDED fraud -
that Robert must have had it inserted in
a few copies of the paper by specaI
agreement-it could DC done If one was
willing to pay for it. de was in quite an
excited frame of mind, and I hardly knew
my usual placid Gus.
'Of course. when you We're engaged 70
Robert. it was not for me TO make any
attempt 70 win you. ! thought you
knew your own mind, and had decided
that I was not the sort OF fellow YOU
cared to marry. But this trick gives ms
q right TO speak Am l too later
Naturally I told him ne was That Il
he had cared for me IN that way re
ought 70 have come forward long before
Now that ny word was piigrte3 10 Rob
ert and I could not think Of breaking
ii. though he had acted in q most cespie-
abe manner. in uaner - make ne
ashamed TO think Re was ny Dlghle3
i0yeT-aHd so on
To which Gus replied:
"AIl right. little girl Il you think 81.
had better 20 end give him the vsors.
licking he ever had IN his life. even
though tAey DO send me 10 jail co- =.
Bat you Won't care
I SHAH care
Then. wed better get married Al once.
early tomorrow morning How early can
you be READY %
I ought % have resisted longer. but
sf3n-t. consented 90 Be ready a. ary
hour that he snoui6 name-and ! was
ord We u-s~a married