The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-02
NV Opal Stud.

stone, with a sudden, Hiusive fame in
| it-sJIch as I have seen giorifying the
| mountain SHOWS before the sun appeared
| above the horizon.
= don't exactly ike the fastening of
| this stud !" I had remarked 10 Roland
| Holdworth when ne gave ii to me- 1T
| seems insecure. The trinket is much too
| ocautifui.a thing 70 lose
| %, you Wort lose it." ne rejoined with
| an enignaticaI smile. / did not stop 20
thinkywhat he meant ! thanked him and
| went my way. He was man toward
| whom l had never felt drawn. Indeed,
| 1 would have almost declared that We
| were bad friends. This sudden exhibition
| Of kindness was, therefore, welcome to
| me. I am a friendly man, and the dis
. Ike of another man for myself annoys
I, me- l am the more annoyed when IN
dislike arises from triviality-if a prin-
| cipal is involved, that is another thing.
| can see there may actually be some
| utility IN a hatred born OF fundamental
/ Giffercuces of opinion. / could nerve
myself for a constitutional and enduring
| animosity. But puerile disagreement
that bothers me like a mosquito.
1t had Glanced that. both of us being
| young men, with a readiness TO be en-
tertained, or even adored. by the lowell
| est woman TO be found, that Roland
I
| our addresses 10 the same lady. / was
not profoundly interested, but I enjoyed
| myself sufficiently Well in the company
| of the lady in question TO take her TO the
! theater now and then and to call once
| a fortnight. Perhaps 1 might have con-
| templated greater intimacy than this-I
| can hardly say. But / discovered that
| Holdsworth was calling often and that
| he was exceedingly serious about the
! matter. So 1 ceased my visits. / did not
| care to interfere with another mans nap
| piness when I was in a state OF more or
| less Indifference about the outcome of
my temperate courtship. I therefore
| ceased to pay any marked attention to
! the girl. only calling now and then by
way of courtesy and to prevent any feel
| ing on her part that was displeased or
piqued.
And then, like bolt out of the blue.
came her declaration to me that she loved
me, that she would never love or marry
any one else. and that her life had no
meaning for her apart from me. 7 was
dismayed-horror stricken, I asked her
if / had been needless in my association
with her. or II she had found me too free
with my compliments. In brief, I in
quired with earnestness If I had led her
to suppose that l loved her She con-
fessed that 1 had not. She said that to
her unspeakable pain she had realized
that she was no more to me than dozen
other young ladies of my . acquaintance
And that fact. she said. had persuaded
her, after much thought. to tell me the
truth. She felt that loved no one.
Might it not be. therefore. that I would
nearn to love her, and il I realized that
her happiness depended upon It. might
it not have an effect upon me? ] told
her with regretful candor that found
myself disinclined for the subject and
that the discussion of It caused me much
suffering. I could not endure the thought
of my position The rejection of her
love was the most painful thing that had
ever come to me. I found myself terri
bly, depressed by the situation, and felt
an aversion come over me for all women,
so far as women stood for sentiment
For three months past 1 had devoted
myself entirely to the society of men.
and it had been at the Athletic club that
Holdsworth had presented me with the
opal. He was off for Europe for jaunt,
he said. He had not been we'll for some
time He thought a vacation might do
him good. [ had suspicion that the
refusal of the lady of whom ! have been
speaking to consider his often repeated
offers Of marriage, had had something
to do with this indisposition. But it was
a matter 1 could not help. / offered no
condolences; i mentally resolved to keep
as far away from the lady as possible.
1t seemed most likely that when she ap-
preciated the futility of her foolish fancy
for me she would accept with gratitude
the devotion of a true lover So consol
ing myself, I went about my affairs
The first day that 1 wore my beautiful
opal l had the misfortune To meet Miss
Whiting, the lady of whom l have been
speaking. 1. would have passed with a
casual salutation. but she stopped me.
DO you feel no change toward meo"
she asked. rs it possible that a love
like mine can awaken no response? It
must follow you wherever you go. How
can you help but be conscious o. it?'
1 confessed that l was terribly dscon-
certed. This love seemed baIeful to me.
and her unbushing way Of referring to
it on the crowded street made me fear.
knowing as I did, that she was a modest
and naturally reticent woman. that her
reason was upset. I felt actually i'll for
a moment.
! shall wait only little while longer"
she continued. Then. if 7 discover that
there is no hope, I shall end an existence
(which has no meaning for me without |
YOU"
20. no. no" cried. DO not say such
a fearful thing! It is impious Do you
think life was given us to do with it as
We please?"
She did not take the trouble to answer
me. She looked ct me with great. golden /
eyes-the strangest eyes I had ever seen /
and sait:
IF, within a month, you have not learn /
ed to love me I shall die" cannot /
describe the horror these words inspired I
in me- or the almost unaccountable dislike |
that they made me feel for Miss Whiting /
That was-the morning that I was told /
Dy my superior am practical chemist /
by professionalism my services ST the IA j
boratory would no longer Foe required 4
This was embarrassing. l was foolish /
free with my money and had little laid 1
aside ard I could think OF 10 opening for /.
a specialist Ike myself. nor could I In I
the least make out why should be dis 4
missed without an explanation. il was
mysterious, 10 say the least. For two I
weeks I did little but write letters and +
read \ fata! depression sat upon me +
and kept me from exerting myself 7 was
out one day at a desolate prairie station
indulsing myself ii a glimpse of the i
country. when I discovered that 7 had .
again lost my opal.
Its gone This time fo- sure" 7 said .
70 myself. But the next day it was sent
ne Dy mali. The te,eErapher al the sta
tion had found IT Immediately after /
had passed and he had known me well
because We iisd once bearded az the same
pace And that was the DAY that sara
whiting Killed herself
read OF ii in The evening papers. No
one could make & cu:. TheTe seemed - /
be- Tn Gauss - tire deed. The morning
papers. however. brought out particulars.
ard extracts from The poor girls diary
Ter- urlUlc5- They i-culpated ne. Ny
miserable. t1cugh involuHtary. azsocia-
zion with he- act was made known.
can1ot 1e shy & was. but sitting
alone l1 nv roo1l- almost crashed by re
sought e th3s racr weraar's insane fol-