The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-16
Bachelor GlrI's Reply.

I otooO of1 taS top OF ttt A-111o- o-1S vas
the plaster cast OF the East Wind
which hung on the wal iepposite. And
they had somehow managed 70 fall in
love with each other. Perhaps they had
imbibed something .pf the general at
nesphere Of the apartment. II was in
habited by three pretty bachelor maid
ems. each and every one Of them sworn
never 10 fall in love or maryland each
and every one passing through that
stage OF their evolution when one learns
that il IS really nebler TO own ones
self mistaken and ones views rather
| than TO wreck the happiness of a fe2-
| low creature. even If he is only a man.
So much lovemaking, open and covert,
went on under the eyes Of the amorous
plaster casts that they were certainly
| exeusahie in learning TO conjugate the
moods and lenses of the tender passion
also
Phyllis Forester was the prettiest and
sweetest of the bachelor maidens, or.
| az least Angus Macnei, believed so. And
| Phyllis invariably sat in the big Morris
chair just In front Of the head Of Apol-
The big Morris chair formed a beautiful
frame for the adorable little Phyllis
! Perhaps that was why she so often sat
| IN 1t although Angus Macniel didn't
| think So He believed hiatt she was fond
| Of occupying the big chair because she
faneied her insignificant height and ex-
| treme slenderness were less noticeable
l than when she sat up straight.
| Angus himself almost always sat upon
| the Turkish stool just opposite the big
| chair. Sitting on this stool gave him
an opportunity of leaning forward, ad
/ thus bringing his eyes a few inches
| nearer Phyllis He often found himself
| dreaming as he sat there Of the longed-
/ for time when he should dare 70 lean
[ov
! the little hand rested so Idly in Phyllis
! lap. Phyllis never embroidered or did
| fancy work as other girls do, at least
| not in the evening. Her companions in
the apartment declared that this was so
because Phyllis was too idle. Phyllis
herself declared that her hands were
not pretty enough to bring them into
prominence by contrasting them with
bits OF dainty needlework, whereat the
other girls laughed seornfully. Angus
Maeneii thought her hands adora bic
anyway, and rather preferred that they
should be idle. The chances of by and
by takin gthem prisoner seemed some
how increased so long es she did not
work
Seated thus Phyllis naturally took fire.
quent note of the East Wind Some
times when she found 1t advisable to be-
come unconscious of the adoring gaze
Of her lover. she studied the cast with
much earnestness AT such times she
was almost ready to declare that the
plaster face was smiling at something
or somebody Angus, for his part, had
strong suspicious that the plaster Apol-
10 winked now and again. One evening
ne mentioned these suspicious to Phyllis,
and after that-well, the plaster casts
Jared beautifully.
I.,k
that of the open fire and the East
Wind and the Apollo were flirting open
ly and undisguisedly. Angus looked up
suddenly and caught them at 1t.
''That fellow is very fond of wink
ing" he remarked, smiling at Phyl Is.
Phyllis smiled almost as sympatheti-
cally as the East Wind she was look
ing at.
And do you know. have been think
ing that the East Wind is smiling" che
returned. Angus swung around and
looked at the pretty feminine head, with
its long hair flying forward, and with
deep, unfathomable eyes. Then he look
ed back again at the pretty feminine
head with wavy hair caught up neatly,
and with eyes which were also I'm
fashionable. He smiled as though a
pleasant thought had struck him.
Perhaps she's smiling at Apollo. Per-
haps they love each other" he sug-
gested, while the East Wind blushed in
the freight to have the secrets Of her
plaster heart thus disclosed. Phyllis
blushed also from mere sympathy, of
course. Then the East Wind, torn be-
tween maidenly shyness and desire to
prove 10 Apollo that the words of these
mortal lovers were true. swayed on the
wire which suspended her so eagerly
that the wire gave way aid she fell
violently forward. Had not Phyllis
sprung UP quickly and caught her she
would have been dashed to pieces on the
floor AS it was she lay motionless in
the kind arms which had saved her, no
longer blushing, but quite white and
still. Apollo, on top of the piano, flush
took his beloved away from Phyllis.
And he fairly beamed down on the hu-
man lover as his idol was placed by
his side, leaning right against him.
"Old fellow looks pretty happy" ven
tured Angus. calling the attention of
Phyllis to the satisfied air which dwelt
in the attitude and expression of both |
casts. Phyllis nodded sweetiy. but said /
nothing. Macniel drew a little nearer
and looked down at her silenty-for so
long that Phyllis became nervous.
Il wonder what you are thinking off, |
she blurted out suddenly. Macneil swept !
the Turkish stool over the carpet with |
a movement full OF haste and determine |
ton.
Phyllis" said the human lover soft
ly, Phyllis dear, I was thinking how I
very much I love you. It-doesn't dis /
please you-that 1 should be thinking /
such things, my darling?'
No" signalled Apollo and the East /
Win dtogether from their station on top
Of the piano Phyllis was silent and her
lover drew both the little hands into his
own.
What are you thinking Of, my dear
est?" he asked. as the girl remained
saeechless.
u am thinking that-that-I love you,
too. was the answer which he OWNED I
rather than heard. and the East Wind /
and Apollo craned their heads so far
forward to see what was happening that /
they nearly came TO an untimely end hy
iashing themselves down 10 destruction !
upon the keys OF the piano And after /
-hat-well. when next morning came ami
the other pretty bachelor maidens would /
have separated the plaster lovers and
put the distance of the rOonS between
hem again Phyllis wouldn't hear Of f.
They look rs il they We're mzkin-
owe to each other" she explained.
olushingly. ''and-wen I like to see them
% itr'
Absent Vi nded 57r. Rogers,
C7r0m the Cleveland Plain DeaIerD
There Is 4 farmer named Rogers in the