The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-03-10
MARY DuDLEYs ANSWER.

MN near 10 deaths door. Worst of al
was the news from NelleFton.
Mary Dudiey-h5s Alary-had inherited
$4,000 from her Uncle Harold and-and
II that letter Of the rattle-tongue gossip
MISS Brayshaw, to his mother was Il
oe believed, Mary was on the high road
TO title. Sir Tarver Brown was very
little other than q baronet but the at
neip tempting even such girl as sweet
Mary Dudley.
1he young member Of the firm received
DICK with sympathy but no enthusiasm.
You don't look TT for an Office desk.
Mr. JerraTn-oh, beg your pardon, Lieu
tenant Jerram, isn't il, now?"
was offered a commission, but / did
not feel that could accept II, SIR said
DICK i want to take up my work
again-for various reasons.
Ernest Carrington's eyebrows rose and
| subsidized
Ny dear fellow. you really are not
nj for Office work just vet. Take a hol-
lday after your trying labors-your noble
and--er-patriotic self-sacri6ce. dare
/ say, in a few months, at the most we
! can squeeze yOu in somewhere. though
/ fear even then we cannot offer you
the same salary you received in 1898
with an effort, Dick pulled himself to-
! gether and stood up
Your words are final, sfr?" he asked
! PROVISIONAL Jerram-Only provisional
/ But we can't afford to cheer YOU with
/ hopes that may not come to fruitfon
| Anything we can do in the way OF rec
! concentrations, it VIII give US the utmost
! pleasure to do"
| Dick bowed his head. The smile on his
| lips was just a little bitter
Quite So he said
lie shrugged his shoulders and tottered
down Ludgate Hill On his way he no
uced jewelers. window, with watches
and chains and pins and rings. And the
| rings reminded him Of what it hurt him
most TO remember.
lie looked at his left hand, with the
plain but solid gold circlet set with a
tiny diamond, and the words. invisible
70 his eye, but pressing his finger, For
ever and foreverP'
That was Marys voucher to him for
her lifelong love
His fnger-naiIs closed on his palms
tightly, his jaws locked as ii they meant
never again to part, and he drew two or
three terrible breaths of the kind that
mark crises in the life Of a man.
At length he moved again. Yes that's
what III do he murmured. Poor girl
one can't blame her. She shall marry
him with free conscience at all events
At the Kings Arm Inn of NelIertOu,
that evening, Dick took pen and paper.
and wrote the letter to Mary which was
TO accompany the returned ring 1t was
short and to the point:
Dear Mary Somehow though I would
Ike TO keep this, 1 can't do it, and so
bring ii back to you; and YOU mustn't
think l mean to be nasty BY making it
come to you on your birthday [ quite
understand that things are changed be-
tween us. Wishing you all the happiness
life can give you, believe me, sincerely
yours always,
RICHARD JERRA8f"
mo drivel in that, / think" he said
with pang Of pride when he had read
it and folded it up. The ring was in a
little box, and the letter was now wrap
ped round the box. The whole was ad-
dressed TO Miss Mary Dudley. Devon
shire road.
In the darkness he tottered out De-
road way. He gazed at the house /
ana the lighted window of Mary's bed I
T0om-Sazed and gaZed till he felt silly. I
He lay restlessly, now wishing wildly. |
now dumbly resigned in all things. Once |
it occurred to him to wonder what the /
maid of the inn meant by smiling like |
that when she gave him his candle, and I
said a gay Goodnight"
His most strenuous moments followed /
the realization that he had been casual /
enough to leave Mary's packet down /
stairs on the mantelpiece in the little
Darlor.
Shows what 1 ami he said ferceIy.
as he made an attempt to get up, light
q candle and go down for it.
But he found the effort quite appa1l-
ngly severe, and gave it up.
He dozed deliriously. played with Mary
n boy-and-girl fashion, danced with her,
had her all to himself in the Bradshaw |
Woods, woed and won her all over again.
off and on he woke. to gasp and groan |
and utter EXPLANATIONS. The Pretoria
nurses would have interpreted those ex-
Carnations Alright.
For the second time the girl knocked
1t his door.
your hot water, sir" she cried, and
set her ear to listen.
She did not listen long but hurried
downstairs, with word for the master
hat the gentleman in No. 8 was shouting
n the queerest way.
II think he's i'll, sir" she said.
The landlord made no bones about en-
ering Dicks room when he, too. had
appel to no purpose. He gazed at Dick
or a few moments and felt his blood
hin little at Dicks furious cry: Il
eli YOU you are dead, Mary, so don't |
eny it,
Hes in fever-that's what's the
natter with him. he said. you Just go
or MI Barker, Jane, right away
Poor young fellow" said Jane, ca I
orlv.
Moreover. being in love herself. she de- !
ermined to kill two birds with one I
tone
ITS maybe present for Miss Dudley.
he said 10 herself. And, putting on her
at. carried of Dicks little packet for :
20 2 Devonshire road.
Nurse"
The darkness had passed from Dicks
rain, and, having openeu his eyes ard
n Imperfect grasp Of the facts, he whis-
erred The Fuorr-Fffahla