The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-15
As L Happened.


On the third day Of the honeymoon he
! observed; Some said it was. certainly
j Cartes. and some said it was Sir her
bert; but NOBODY said II was me. Yet
/ was chosen and they were rejected.
/ Why?7
You don't want to know. and don't
/ want TO tell you"
But 1 90 want TO know. You didn't
! care for me in the least 7 have no
! illusions about myself am not nearly
I so good looking as sartes. who certain
/ ~ proposed to you at the Garstin-Venn's
I dance. Neither am I nearly so wealthy
( as that amiable and elderly knight, Sir
! Herbert, who unGuestionably spoke 10
! your father on the subject"
( That was just the reason why mar
RED you"
! WHAT Because I was palmer than
/ Sarties, and poorer than Sir Herbert2'
The same thing but rather different
! ly. You were much better looking than
/ Sir Herbert, and much richer than Sar-
/ ties. You're quite right about the
( Garstin-Venn's dance. AR. Sarues did
/ propose then, and I did not refuse HIM
/ not at the moment"
DO 7 not know it2 Was not his face
! transfgured2"
He was terri1cally handsome" She
I shrugged her shoulders. What idiots
/ girls arei I'm utterly tired of that
/ Greek-god business now. I think a man
! who is as handsome as all that always
/ looks a little vulgar, or even effeminate
which is worse. Mr.. Sarties looks both;
/ but being a girl 7 was also an idiot,
/ and I did not refuse him. But I did not
accept him, either. I postponed-I spoke
/ to papa"
And your father said that sarties was
a pauDer-"
"A pauper and bufoon. and grinning
ape and a liar. You know. dear papa
never did ike men who played the vio-
lin. He had an interview with papa
and papa was very rude; and Mr.. Sar-
/ ties wrote me a perfectly horrible let
ter, which was meant to be sarcastic.
So that finished it."
"And then?"
"Then Sir Herbert cams along, and
papa said that here was an honorable,
! upright gentleman, who could well afford
to maintain me in a. proper position in
life. Papa said he did not dream OF CO.
ercing me in any way and that 7 was
to make an absolutely free choice, and
he would not let me refuse him finally.
On the other hand. I would not accept
him. How could I? Why, he was old
10, if he was a dayi %. Edward, dear
est, do let US never not be youngD And
then he was hideous"
"And then I came in. was the COM
promise. Not too ugly for you, and not
too poor for your father. And you did
not care for me in the least"
1T was only that I did not know you
well enough then. And papa always
liked vou.'
True. but was not marrying your
father"
aGirls are idiots! O. to think that
might have insisted on marrying that
insuffsrable Mr. Sarties, Why did you
make me tell you? It makes me feel -
horrid I can't think how even girl
could have been the idiot that 7 was.
The only sensible thing that I did was
that did accept you, You don't mind,
Go you? Not now?'
TT has always been my opinion" said
her husband, chat the man who wins
a race need not grumble much that he
did not get a good start"
and you have Won-most completely"
She paused, and then said, pensively:
DO you know, did not think you were
really very fond of me either-just at
first. You asked me just now why I
accepted you. Now, tell me why did
you ever ask me to marry your
He smiled. Dlaaed the room once or
twice and replied in her own words:
want to tell you"
''Then you didn t-not just at first. L
was right. Then, why on earth did you
ask me to marry you? No; stop. Don't
tell me. You made me tell you, but I
don't want you to tell me- wOman's
wiser than a man there. And yet some
men say that women are curious. Az a
rule, they don't want to know half the
things that men insist on telling them.
So YOU didn't love me at first. I IN
derstand, of course; I can't help under
standing. Why she was pretty as I am
that other girl who refused you just
before you proposed to me? What an d
lot she must have beeni But, of course.
girls always are idiots--Tve said that be-
fore. 1t doesn't matter a bit when you
come to think over it. We got engaged
without being a bit in love with each
other, but it turned out all right as it
happened"
''Yes," ne said, at turned out very
particularly all right as It happened
One doesn't deserve ones luck" he ad-
ded, solemnly.
She gave a sigh Of relief. I'm rather
glad 1t was the same for both Of u.s."
she said. because that means it wasn't
different for either, doesn't it?"
He assented. And the more I medi-
tate on her remark the more feel
sure that he was right. There was moth
ing else that he could have done.
She leaned back in the easy chair cad
dlebag type common TO riverside inns
that play at being hotels. and clasped
her hands at the back Of hsr head. I'm
ically.