The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-26

/ ffC GiliCfEIiCG y I oil liz
/
Mabel Townsend said that I quarre'ed
! with her and I said that she auarre.ed
/ with me. Disinterested persons were re-
| ported to have said that we were a pa r
1 Of young fools who quarreled with one
another. Anyhow, we quarreled.
! L comforted her with the reflection that
/ I didn't care. was sure thar I didn [,
] because ! tod myself so a hundred times
/ z day Il was merely an affection of the
liver which made ne feel so dismal FL
I can 90 where ike and 40 what I Use
L rejected. How I shall enjoy my fIee-
dom
Inc only drawback to enjoyment was
| that L had grown so used Il 6 ing
around to A1abeT's. Man is the slave &
/ custon-especiaiIy when the custom 5
connected with a pretty Cir. Mabel is
distinctly pretty.
About a week after our dlssension I
passed her in the High street She bow
ed formally, and took of ny hat By
/ the time it was on my head agein Z
might have admitted TO myself that
however unreasonable she might be she
was nevertheless very nice It dawne !
/ upon me also that there were one or two
little points in which I might have been
slightly to blame N the disagreement.
The next evening I net her C. Us n,
Mllly, and we had a confidential CONVEX
sauon-
why don't you make it up?" she sug-
gested.
"well-er-the fact is don't know
whether she would" replied. I didn't
want to give myself away.
I'm sure she would" declared Cousin
Milly
IN think about it." I said-as if it
were d new ideal
You better think about It soon she
advised. Il noticed that young Adams
paying her a lot Of attention yes lerday
evening"
I'm see her tomorrow" I said. firmly.
[ felt a sort of obligation to save her
from young Adams. He's not such
bad fellow: but he really isn't COCA
enough for Mabel
The next morning dispatched a note
by special messenger from the box at
our corner.
Dear Mabel:-There is one thing con
nected with our quarrel for which I am
sorry. I should like TO speak to you
about it. VIII you meet me anywhere?
Yours, very sincerely.
EDWARD MERCHANT"
I told the boy to wait for an answer.
and watched out of the window for his
return. About an hour afterward SOW
him playing with another boy in the
road. So walked out ana demonstrated
with him
where is my answer?' I demanded.
Wasn't none" he said, carelessly.
''The gal wasn't up"
I boxed his ears as a lesson IN man
ners. and retired indoors. I was about
70 depart for the city-five trains late
when a telegram arrived. I tore It open
with rapturous expectation. When I had
read It three times I sank helDlessly in
a chair This xr-us tho rrpccoeya.
Marry Adams. Twelve this morning.
Very ased.-Mabel"
She might have spared me the last
statement
I went down to the hall and brushed
my nat in a dazed sort of way. She
must have broken with me on his &C
count-that fellow. Well weIll
tt seemed Incredible that her people
should allow her to marry him Just ten
days after our engagement was broken
of. It really wasn't decent. They We're
such stricklers for propriety. too. Then
had a sudden idea. Suppose they knew
nothing about It? It was evident that
cousin Milly didn't I called a hanson
and drove to their house. It was ex-
actly 1870 when arrived.
Pa Townsend was just coming down
the front steps. He always goes to town
late, being the senior partner. You
might think ne was the whole firm. 10
look at him. ExceDt, however, that he
IS somewhat pompOus and very peppery
he is a very pleasant old fellow
''Hullo. Merchant" he said. with evil
dent surprise, "I-er-hardly-er-w Is
itY''
'"Thisl" shouted, fourfshing the tele-
gram in his face.
He put on his folders and read it with
his usual elaboration. Then he dropped
his umbrella and jumped a couple of feet
in the air. Considering his age and
weight I should imagine It was
record.
What the-er-dickens-i the meaninr
Of this?" he demanded, hercely. shook
my head.
That's what I should like to know"
He stamped indoors and I followed in
his wake.
,Motherm he shouted. Mothers
Where IS Mabe1?"
Here I am. dad" said Mabers snvery
voice 'What IS the matter?" She
gloves on. She seemed surprised to see
me
'Matterr' roared her father. MAT
terri I thought he would have a fit.
How dare you, miss?"
''Father!'' she said
George" demonstrated her mother.
appearing in dressing gown. "Any one
would think that the child had done
something Dreadful
Dreadful" he groaned. ct isn't a
strong enough word for such behavior.
What 90 you mean. GeorgeT
ASK her" He shook his finger at
Mabel, who gazed from one TO the other
in apparent bewilderment
Its no use asking me-" said she, In
dignantly. Tn sure I don't know
Don't add pTevarication to deceit
ne Numbered. He executed another war
dance
what IS it. George9" demanded her
mother
He pushed the telegram into her
hands. When she had read Il she gave
a loud scream
'aFabeli" she cried. ION, Mabel, A.
ter the mother and father we've been to
you. How could you?'
You are a disgrace TO Us miss" the
old man reared "A disgrace"
MabeTs pretty mouth beg 70 culver.
she looked so charming that I almost
groaned. She noticed my agitation. and
turned TO me aDDealingIy.
"T suppose they mean Won't ven
sneak 10 them"
"I am the last person 70 whom Won
should appeal" 7 said firmly
The last person in the world" SAD
her father
"The very last person" added her
mother.
1fahel brushed her eyes with her hand
ke~chief Then she drew herse'f I'D
hauEhtiIy and walked down she pass &c.
Kindly allow ne to pass" she ssf
Never said her father. "af ct havs
seen thatt' Hhe shook his fist AZ the
TELEGRAM
Mabel suatche5 The fimsy paoer from
her mother and glanced ~ IL Then
she burst into a q q hvsterlcs5 laueh-