The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-27
Gordon's lnfatuation,


arms were as white as the moonlight
and shapeiy enough TO delight the soul
| of an artist, but her face had less of re-
| finement in it than Of beauty, less of
! spirituality than of passion. She had
large, blue eyes, as innocent as doves
! when bashfully cast down beneath their
dropping lashes, but as wicked as a
serpent's when cast slantingly half
fveiled, at the young men in the front
rows.
| II was young Gordon McKendrick that
first came and told me afSout her. For
my part I took very little interest in
| such people, having long ago SURRENDERED
! such diversions to the enjoyment of
! younger and worldlier men. But the boy
] was so much in earnest-I had always
| liked him; his frank, honest features
/ and curling hair reminded me so strong
| " Of that dead boy brother of mine,
pierced with a Zulu spear and buried
somewhere far away in the African
wastes-that 1 was compelled to listen
! to him
Jack" he said-and I shall never for
| get the boys solemnity as he blinked
at me like an owl and chewed at the
horn handle of his cane with his hand
some teeth-"that girl is the only one on
| this earth that can make my life blessed
or wretched, as she chooses. / love
/
| chapi You've always been good to me
mot guyed me to my face, as the others
| have. Won't you come with me to-
night and see for yourself how lovely
| she is?''
When the woman came upon the stage
| for her turn" as the saying goes. 1 al
most forgave Gordon for his infatuation
Her eyes shone like stars. The great,
splendid notes swelled through the the
alter Ike those of some mighty organ,
and the beer-soaked, eigar-smoking mob
was hushed TO silence.
| Perhaps such voice was never heard
in such place. 1t was uncultvated
! but the great, heaven-sent gift was there
and the exquisite spell Of those last mel
/ low notes sank gratefully into my own
| fired brain, and I almost forgave Gordon
his infatsation.
1t was very gay party at 'Minnie's"
! that night. There were three or four
! harmless young imbeciles from the club,
a couple of very pretty and under-dressel
| living picture models, to whom she had
| taken a fancy, and Herr Emil Hauptner.
! the plump orchestra leader. The latter
! was obviously intoxicated and tried to
/ take the chair at the head of the well
| stocked table. Minnie pushed him av ay
! rather rudely, ! thought, and Whispered
| something in his ear that appeared to
| impress him. for he walked out of the
room and stayed out.
| Gordon promptly took the vacant place
The supper was a merry one. Minnie
| scarcely honored me with word, but
devoted herself to Gordon. Minnie was
in the act of kissing Gordon when the
door was banged open and Herr Haupt-
ner was observed standing on the
threshold, or. rather, swaying backward
and forward on 1t at the imminent risk
of his equilibrium. He was glazing fe-
rociously at the couple.
"Come OFF, he spluttered, cor I'll gif
der game away"
Minnie jumped TO her feet with a nerv-
Gus little laugh.
Boys she screamed, Historically,
Tets have some fun with the professor.
If you'll heave him downstairs into
cab and bride the cabby to drive him to
Knightsbridge and back I'll open an
other bottle all round"
With a concerted howl of delight the
four 'chappies" fell upon the astonishel
musician and, despite HIS cultural Tut
eloquent curses, bundled him downstairs,
while all-even Laughed uproariously
at the spectacle. They returned present
ly, and Minnie kept her word about the
bottles.
Soon afterward looked about for Cor
don and Minnie. They were invisible.
Then I pocketed my conscience and
played eavesdropper. The end justified
the means, I thought. stole from the
room on an exploring tour. After trav-
ersing long, dim hallway I came to
a drawn portiere. From the room be-
yond I could hear voices.
I pee2ed through. Gordon was implor-
ing her to marry him. When he had
finished the girl disengaged herself and
said. airily:
Gordon, If marry you how big a
check will you give me for wedding
present. thousand pounds?"
Two thousand" replied Gordon,
promptly.
I could see the girls eyes sparkle as
she snapped out:
Write me the check now and I'll mar
ry you tomorrow"
Get me pen and ink" gasped Gordon,
frantic with delight; lucky I've my
check-book with me-
He was in the act Of filing out the
paper, the beautiful little cormorant
standing over him with eyes aglow. end
I on the point of bursting in to prevent
the deed. when there arose from the
front room a din loud enough 10 wake
L
hallway followed by Minnie and Gordon
gained the room first Gordon looked
vexed and Minnie terror-strcken.
1t was Herr Hauptner who had caused
the commotion. His antiquated dress
coat was ripped UP the back his collar
was unbuttoned and his face the color Of
a peony. He had ripped off the table
cloth and made a wreck Of crockery end
glassware. he had thrown a chair
through a costly mirror. He had knock
ed one man into a corner and was en-
gagged in n battle royal with another Of
his tormentors as we entered.
The sight of MinniSs white face seem
ed 10 redouble the old fellows fury He
wrenched himself free from his antaEo-
mist, and would have struck her II
had not pulled him back
''Hang YOU ne screamed. shrfllv.
'T'fe stood lods, but not this, nein.
would not haf IT. rfe peen.sfoolish long
enough. ouvits the game You hat
these fools drow me oud. and maig me
fight der capr1an. Wy, Pecause I vas
drunk You haf me drown out. Ell. 50
you could hat your lofer all to your
selluf eh2''
He leered bfbulously but wioksdlv a.
Gordon. who, with a white face walked
uP TO him and struck him across the
face with his open hand.
silence. you drunken beastr' he com
manded this lady has promised 20 b
my wife"
Your Wife, beloved the poor drunk
en- wretch
Minnie. shrlskinE ''Shut N. FrniIf"
few a. him and tried TO close his mouth
with her delicate fingers. but n fu-E
her OF roughly. and yelled at Gordon:
Your vife7 You lilly son Of a gun
she's Einsp'
Lets r.. old man" said Gordon. In