The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-06
Graham or Grantam.

Sand year, a mansion and estate of his
Own, is keenly DESTROYS of seeing Flora
| wearing the family jewels. and has gone
down on his knees four times.
Then there is Harry Manners, VINO
comes down from London every summer.
and comic songs for music halls. He is
a jolly fellow, and has excellent pros
poets OF one day becoming an editor:
so that Flora could not DO better, in
| default of the squire. But she will not
! appreciate them. She declares the
squire Is too selfsh-just fancy, vita
| 1900 year,-and that Harry shows
scarcely sufficient good taste in the Sc
lection of his songs. AS for that cura Q
never mention him, which is the only
comfort I can derive from the affairs
of my ungrateful cousin
] The tennis tournament came round, and
everything bade fair to pass off beau
| TRULY. The squire had a houseful of
! jolly people, and Harry Manners brought
down a friend-a well-known novelist and
q particularly handsome man-with
| whom, 1 noted, Flora appeared TO be
much taken. I therefore made few
/ inquiries, and discovered much that was
of interest He sold his last book for
| 91,c0 and averages three volumes a
| year.
| / did not lay these facts before Flora
| because, like a foolish girl, she persists
in thinking l am mercenary. l kept my
| eyes wide open, and actually entertain
ed the squire and Harry all the evening
while she strolled about the grounds with
| Graham.
One of the most Interesting functions
in connection with the tennis tournament
| is the draw for the mixed doubles COM
nPfifiRn q are no OIL
our partners, but each lady draws the
name of a gentleman on a slip of paper
which of course causes all sorts of fun
and little jealousies. l knew whom Flora.
wanted, and 1 meant to contrive it if
could. q smuggled myself into the room
where the slips of paper were, and
though it was dark, and 1 had no match
es, 1 managed to decipher the name
Graham" and folded up the payer
again, with small pearl button inside
so that Flora could easily feel it
Fortunately. when the time came, she
happened to be chosen first to draw ter
slip. I had, of course, told hsr what
1 had done and she seemed pleased
Graham had undoubtedly made the best
of his time. She fumbled about in the
box for some moments, drew forth a
slip and read out the name of Grantam
the curate!
1 was Mortified. I glanced at that hor-
rid curate. and saw his face cloud as
he noticed Flora's pout of dispIeasure I
called Flora to one side. She was on
the point of crying.
"Oh, why did you play me fuch a
trick?"
"Trick?" retsrted. my dear girl, 7.
too, am victim, and the perpetrators
the miserable half-light in uncle's study
and the abominable similarity in names"
We'll, I don't play with him!' she
cried.
mo, dear; you shan't." assured her.
TN see to that
How"
'I'n send him to pay call on an all
ing person three or four miles off"
Yes, dear: but what do you prcpose?"
ITO send a note to Mr. Grantam pur-
porting to come from q sick person in
the next village. 1t will be a capital test
of HIS earnestness, too; and if he goes,
and forsakes his charming. partner, I'll
really believe him TO be almost as good
as uncle makes him out But he must
go, for I've quite made up my mind he
shall not play; and, as Mr. Graham was
drawn for bye, we can surely arrange
to pair you off,
wrote a note in feigned hand, signed
it with the name of a bedridden old lady
had heard of in a village some miles
away, and gave a little boy twopence
to run about until he was hot and then
present 1t to the eurate
Everyone was waiting for the first set
to commence, when the lad ran upon
the ground, and. in the most fatiguel
manner-thanks to my coaching-delv-
cred the note to the curate. l saw him
open it, watched him read and searched
his face for the disgust and disappoint-
ant hD1 T,,S
quite as matter of course, clapped his
hat on his head and strobe across the
lawn to look for Flora.
/ had sent her TO the background, and
went forward to meet him.
Are you looking for Miss Eldrtdge?
She has gone in the house"
Yes" he replied Would you mind
telling her that L am called away hur-
riedy to see an ailing parishioner at
Upper Littleton? 1 am bitterly disap-
pointed at having to forsake her, but 1
know she win excuse me, for l cannot
ignore this appeal"
1T is very noble of you to go. Mr..
Grantam," I said; land I'm sure Miss
Eldridge will be very sorry"
As had succeeded so far, so did my
efforts bear fruit throughout the after
noon Flora was paired off with Graham
as a mutual arrangement. and they
actually succeeded in winning their COM
petition.
That night she told me a little. Flora
is a very careful girl, but 1 could see
that he had not actually proposed Wen.
perhaps it was rather too soon 20 expect
it. and another couple of days might
be early enough for good taste. I5ut
he meant it; and she-wel if he had
spoken that night she would have be-
come Mrs Gilbert Graham.
Just fancy! Mr.. Grantam has never
called for a whole week-not since the
tournament" said Flora
She said nothing further, but 1 could
see that she was uneasy. Al dinner that
evening she was pale and nervous. The
vicar, too, was so quiet and solemn thai
1 feared ne must have discovered The
trick we had plsyed upon his favorite
curate. There was an air Of meI8nc holy
over all, and I determined that I would
know the truth
Uncle. what has become OF Mr.
Grartam?" I asked.
The vicar looked over his glasses at
rs both. and I had never seen hin 50
severe
i have very bad news for You. ny
dears," he said, in . broken, kindly
Voice. that c1atraste5 strangely Win
what ! had expected - hear. 4 would
have kept X from you Il Il were poss1tIe.
bUr some day you must know. and il Is
better % unbHrden ny heart. A teri
bls outbreak OF typhoid has occvrre5 a.
Upper Ltt-Ieton. ard ore OF me s~erv-
cases was that q poor old Mrs. Web
stsr, the oeG-id6eu old woman awe Sc
cftsa spoken u On the day - our
tennis tournament . ncte was ha1ieI 70
poor Grsatam. imploriag h5u = 20 aa5
see the Old lady. Poor dear ia5i A.
hqaEh he knew ne rsskei r & jfe. BE-
went Ike a man. bur fo5ashlT wthou.
precautions. Ncw he : Gown With the
fever ard an hourly expecting 70 hear