The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-06

CherIe,

| She had always been "Cherie" to him.
! Since the time when her parents had
| moved from their city home to the plan
| tation adjoining that upon which the Car
rolls had lived for generations, they had
| been playmates Hand in hand they had
wandered on the banks of the beautiful
| Teche, gathering violets, searching for
I! nests, happy together through the long
summer days. How pleased he was to
! bring her the first stalk of cane he
/ thought sweet enough for her; to help
| her gather pecans, and 70 stand by her
! the sugar house watching with wide
| awake eyes the various processes OF ST.
gar making. At the age Of nine he had
announced very gravely that he intended
| to be an engineer. and his resolution had
| been somwhat shaken when she replied:
Il won't ike you then; you'll be too
| greasy"
| That was fifteen years ago, and he still
| remembered her very wor1s. Ecw
| things had changed since theni She was
now an orphan, bravely struggiig for the
| ~upport Of her younger brothers and sis
| ters in the city to which they had moved
| after the loss of their plantation home.
| His afther, too had lost everything
| through through q succession of misfOr-
| tunes, beginning with the overflow of 1881.
| Out if his salary as bokkeeper he raised
| his family of bright boys. of which Frank
was the eldest. He made rapid strides
! in electrical engineering, his chosen life
work
| Having secured the position of superin-
| tendent of a large concern in distant
city, he had hoped that the dream of his
| life would soon become a reality.-that
Eherie would soon become his companion
again, as in their happy childhood-tf1is
time never to leave him. But it was not
to be. She had told him that she could
not burden him at the very outstart of
his career with the care of her brothers
and sisters, and would not even promise
to marry him later, when he felt sure OF
being able to meet any responsibility with
his increased success. Yet, at the conclu-
sion of her brave refusal, did she not
have to turn from him to hide the tell
tale tears?
He had made one last appeal in vain.
and now, having sent a farewell missive
just before leaving home, had felt in the
most respondent of moods. The promis-
ing position which he was to fill at the
end Of his journey no longer appeared in
the rosy hues OF his first hope-but sue
ceed he must, in spite of all!
In a modest little home in a retired seq
ton of New Orleans a young girl stood
reading a letter by the fast-fading twi-
light
"Cherie: What can I say?-for know
you think you are but doing your duty,
and yet it is so hard 1 can scarcely
force myself to realize it. Think of what
you have been to me all my life. Life
ia nothing to me without you. God keep
you in His care. leave on the a. m.
train. Yours till death, FRANK
Outside the newsboys were shouting:
"All about the terrible railroad acct
dent" But the young girl standing by the
open window heard nothing. With sob
she threw herself on her knees by her
bed.
'Oh, sister, have you herd the news?'
The speaker was a boy of Y who had
burst in the room az Alice sprang to her
feet. 1.-The trestle back of the lake gave
way this morning just as the train was
passing, and everybody is killed. See.
here is the paper. 1 wa passing the
Charity Hospital when they were bring
ing some Of them in"
Alice stood for q moment, dazed.
Charley, Frank was on that train. I
must go to the hospital Come with me-"
"Oh, sister! I did not know! 1 am so
sorry I told you that way" and the boy
threw his arms around his sisters neck.
Come, dear, there is no time to lose"
In the hospital lay the mangled forms
of the victims of the wreck. Some had
died after reaching the hospital. With
quavering HpS~Alice first asked for her
Frank among the dead. Thank God, ne
was not thereI Perahps he still lived.
God grant he should, at least till she
reached his side. At the door of the
ward which had been indicated to them
she hesitated. afraid that she would not
find him there; that he lay mangled be-
yond recognition in the wreck. AS she
Looked with feverish haste from cot to cot
she saw a head swathed in bandages,
turn uneasiIy toward her.
Frank dear Frankr'
She was kneeling beside his bed, caress-
ing his hand which he extended toward
her, He could not speak, but his eyes
gave the loving message for which her
heart yearned.
ter in charge.
Sister. Beatrice motioned her aside.
at is a question of a few hours at
most" she whispered.
Frank, darling, do you know me?''
He pressed her hand.
81 shall stay with you to help nurse
you You will get well, darling. I have
sent for the priest. He will marry US
first. Then he will pray for you, darl-
ing. You must get we'll"
She did not notice the look of mild re-
proof in the sisters eyes. The hospital
chaplain entered. He glanced with kindly
interest at the poor, battered form whose
head roasted on the young girls breast.
us he conscious, sister,
The sister nodded in assent.
Turning to the grief-stricken girl:
What do you wish, my child? Is he
prepared?'
Father, I should have been his wife.
Please marry US first, and afterward-"
The sentence ended with a sob.
Briefly the aged priest went through the
marriage ceremony telling the sick man
TO signify his assent by motion of the
right hand. The poor lips tried to frome
the answer Yes to the question of the
priest Gently the dying man drew the
head Of Cherie toward him, while a look
of supreme happiness shone from his
eyes-only for a moment. Then the poor
head fell back, and all was over.-C. y.
H, in Times-Democrat.
VewSnaper Waits