The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-02
The Man for Miss Trelawney.

| The Man for Miss Trelawney.
There they co. said Miss Trelawney.
| They were young man and girl,
who had just emerged from the door Of
| a boarding house and were making their
| way toward the sea.
They walk miles along the beach to a
| cave they've found, and are always late
for meals she continued. She says he
| reads 10 he--but they've taken the same
book for three weeks now. Fancy-with
a man Ike THAR
( 1 pulled refiectively at my after-break-
fast cigar, gazing, not without pleasure.
at Miss Treiawney, as she watched the
lovers out of sight. with q fine scorn in
her eyes.
| He is not a bad little chap" said I.
| Very likely, but he's not man. He
has had some money left to him, l be-
heve. and he does nothing all day."
"A most popular amusement" I re-
marked
| II hate a man who does nothing. 1
could only marry one who-who-"
Yes" said, for Miss Trelawney had
paused, obviously embarrassed. But l
| was far too curious about the matter
not to insist further.
The man who?" / began, with insidi-
| Gus carelessness.
"Who-who-did something"
! I had gained my point certainly, but,
like Euclid's, it had no parts and no
magnitude. I wished for further informa-
ton.
What would you have him dos
Something great-something noble"
That disposes Of the majority, who
don't meet such things during office
| hours 1 remarked cheerfully. Il do
not work in an office. Besides, there is
no smoke more gratifying than that after
breakfast"
81 hate business men," said Miss Ire
lawney. decisively.
She seemed to be a young lady Of
strong dislikes. I found myself wonder
ing II her affections were equally strong.
And professional men-clergymen and
doctors?"
One breaches, the other practices. Ny
ideal man must do both.
An illustration of the impossibility of
realizing an IDEAL" I said, thinking that
Miss Trelawney wanted a lot for her
money. (This metaphorically, for l knew
she had no money. But she had other
attractions.)
There are poets, now I said, hoping
I had at last hit the right nail on the
head. I do little that way myself.
Useless creaturesr' she CALCULATED
L
my thumb.
How the women must have loved In
the days of chivalry," said Miss Trelaw-
ney, after we had sat in silence for some
moments. ITO a Launcelot or a Galahad
a woman might give herself, and glory
in the surrender-but nowadays-to city
clerk"
Are there no righteous men in the
city," I inquired, feeling as angry as
could be with Miss Trelawney. The emo
ton was not very strong. II could tell
a story Of such man which might alter
your opinion"
"a tale like that of the bird-which
must be taken with a pinch of salt?" she
inquired, raising her eyes to mine. tried
to keep them there, but failed.
I'm all the wide world there is not one
so true 1 exclaimed. with fervor.
Then 1 began my story.
Some years ago a friend and I were
voyaging for pleasure among the West
India islands. Among our fellow passen-
gers was a girl to whom my friend
promptly lost his heart. Some men are
so careless with it. The moon-lit nights
of the tropics aggravated his complaint,
but the girl showed few signs OF catch
ing it. She seemed to like his society,
but that was all.
THAT is 80 little" murmured Miss Ire
laney. l do not think she meant me
10 hear the remark.
lone day we were lying in harbor,
when the girls hat blew into the sea.
My friend Immediately jumped overheard
to rescue it from a watery grave, in spite
of the fact that we had previously been
watching a large shark cruising about
close to the ship. 1t was piece of mad
quoxotism."
He was a brave man."
I'm his heart he was horribly afraid.
He told me afterward that he had a wild
longing to scream--to draw in his legs
to leap out of ne water. fearing that
each second he would feel the sharks
teeth. But we on the ship only saw him
swim quietly to the floating hat and re-
turn with II, reaching the ladder just
as the fin of the sharp appeared, not
twenty yards away"
"She married him, of course said Miss
Trelawney.
mo. she did not"
"Then, l think she was foolish. To
such a man awoman might trust her
life, because he was both brave and chiv-
alrous."
Then, that is the kind of man you
meant when''-I paused. not wishing to
put the question too blandly. But she
understood and answered softly:
Yes"
I did not tell her I was the hero of
my story.
But, then, I did not want to marry Miss
Trelawney.-HaroId Gibson.