The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-09-05
ZnE,s REVENGE.

ZoE's REVENGE.
One bright morning last May a man
stopped before an ordinary-looking brick
house IN a certain busting western city
and Indicated BY his attitude and express
sion thai ne was listening. His persist
ence attracted the attention OF the drug
! clerk down the street, who. in the alb
ssnce of CUSTOMERS. was enjoying smoke
on the sidewalk under the awning, so he
Joined him and also began to listen. The
| iaundryman, who came to deliver pack
age next door, sat in his wagon and eyed
! them silently and rumina tingIy for awhile
and then came over and inquired what
was dom" This small group was grad
ually increased by the addition OF a
/ Weary Willie from down on the corner.
! the cook from across the street. several
I chance pedestrians and numerous small
/ boys. who were all ears and mouth.
There's some trouble in here ex-
| planned the first individual, to whom
| everybody looked for enlightenment.
/ Il distinctly heard cries for help, but
| hesitate to interfere unless it is really
something serious. Therel Hear that?
It seems to come from upstairs" And
all eyes were Immediately directed to the
second story.
Then borne distinctly on the clear air
could be heard the agonized cry: 20
| Gods! Stay Zoe, stay. What hast thou
done?''
This was followed by sharp tones Of re-
mOnstrance, then the low mutterings Of
two voices. and finally silence. The cook
looked at the laundryman and nodded her
head solemnly.
The aud spalpeen do be gettin' his
desserts Many's the time I've heard
him a-jawin' OF shat poor, little woman,
but Zoe seems TO be havin' the upper hand
now"
Meanwhile. in the front room upstairs.
entirely unconscious of the interested
group below. so absorbed was he in the
delightful mysteries of the histrionic art.
there stood perspiring young man with
wild eyes and rumpled hair. Opposite
him, reclining in the easy chair. his
faded velvet coat plentifully besprinkied
with cigarette ashes, sat the professional
who listened to the wild paroxysms of
passion uttered by the youth with perfect
indifference, and apparently not the
slightest interest. Occasionally he would
turn his languid eyes on the agitated
countenance and despairing gestures and
remark: "A little more feeling there,
my boy EXcentrO eccentric attitude Of
feet and more agony in your face and
voice" Thereupon the words and action
would be repeated again and again unt'l
the critic. reused by its tameness, would
jump to his feet. and throwing back his
long hair, give the passage with all the
the fire and extravaganza of a true son
Of Thespis
But while this process Of inspiring dull
clay with PrOmethean fire was going on
matters were growing serious down in
the street. As over and over again the
cry was heard. even the cook began to
that perhaps Zoe was little TOGO severe
on her liege lord, and that her determined
attempts TO avenge past wrongs might
end disastrOusly for the belabored party.
But the small boy was in his element.
There was trouble in the air and he saw
visions of a quick rush of the patrol
wagon loaded with blue-coats, for an
animated discussion was in progress be
tween the original discoverer and the
laundryman as to whether an officer
should be called or no. The Weary vii
lie listened suspiciously and furtively to
the development of this plan. The cook
turned around completely and was loud
in her denunciaticns Of 'the hussy' up
stairs who was "murthuring her auld
man." and the clerk smiled complacently
to himself in anticipation of rush order
for drugs and restoratives Suddenly
came in laundering tones:
20 Gods! Stay, Zoe, stay! What hast
thou done?
Help help! she dies! o, gaoier, she is
gone"
They looked at each other for one IN
slant. Their worst fears were realized.
1t was murder and suicide together. The
Original Discoverer sprang forward tow
ard the front steps, the laundcyman made
a bound for a policeman, whsreat the
Weary Willie shambled unsteadily ana
hastily around the corner, and the small
boy, unmindful and regardless of the
tragedy before him, shrieked: Hi there,
Zoe You're all right. Give him another.
Zoe"
But before any of them had gone three
steps a fat youth bearing the letters a.
j.. T. on his cap, in his leisurely progress,
down the street, had stopped just in time
to hear the last cry called out. Here.
Don't any of you know anything about
the dramatic art? That amt no muir
der, nor nuthin'. It's one of them fell
lows what's learnin' to chase up and
down the stage and rescue a girl from
a burnin' buildin' and play the whole
thing all the time. You don't know
much"
The Weary Willie went on down TO the
corner, the drug clerk ambed back to !
his cigar in the shade, whistling non
the laundryman went off with /
out a word the cook went home and /
the door, TIE Original Discoverer /
boarded a passing car, and when the blue
coat hove in sight there was nothing /
more unusual TO be seen or heard than /
a telegraph boy sitting on the stump /
Of a tree whiting a piece of wood.
c. z. CORBETT.