The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-09-03
WAS THE GIRL RIGHT OR WRONG?

! travelling man 10 a group OF nan
dozen or more sitting around the stove
in country hotel office, the only place
! Of amusement open in the town that
evening, and If any Of you can give an
answer I will pay for the drinks or the
cigars, as you may nominate
When I was a young man of 20 or q
was in business in a good-sized town
| in York state and was doing so well
| that I had made up my mind TO marry.
! Probably the mere fact of doing well
| would not have decided me. but I had
I fallen in love with the belle OF our
town, a very pretty and soclety-IoVinS
| girl Of % She had the reputation OF
being a great firt. and deserved It, and
! she was also suspected Of being rather
nercenary in her affections but / never
! thought of those things when found
| that she had accepted me as the favored
/ one. You know a man is considerable OF
| a fool when he is in love. The fact that
I was a good-looking young man with
city manners, I had come to the country
| from New York, and that I was believed
| TO be the coming business man of the
| town, did not impress me as having any
undue effect upon my fair charmer, and
| L thought she loved me for myself alone,
as 1 did her 7 knew her faults. but
/ 1 loved her just the same, and did what
/ I could TO change her character. for
thought she was giddy because she was
pretty and young and had all her life
been hattered and sought after.
THE best friend I had on earth lived
| in New York City, man about five
| years my senior and rich by Inheritance
and his own efforts He stopped over
night once with me on his way West and
/ I took him TO see Miss Hart. or so 1
VIII call her, though that was not her
| name, and when we left her house he
was her enemy for all he was worth
| He knew women as few men do, and he
1 did tn that
vain and mercenary, and even tricky,
and il would be the regret OF my life IL
l let her fool me into marriage. OF
course, defended her, and, of course.
I went on loving her, though l held
him in no less regard for his well-inten-
toned kindness in my behalf. He was
mistaken that was all, and I laughed
at him. Ten days later he returned to
the city and wired me to come down for
Sunday, as he had something important
to talk to me about. I went and found
that the subject of conversation was TO
be Miss Hart and myself. He had no
further opinions to express concerning
the character and motives of the young
woman, but suggested that we subject
her to test which. II she withstoOd. he
would not only withdraw all opposition,
but give me $4,000 as q wedding present.
1t looked so fair that I forgot [ was
her lover and agreed TO it after he had
~ lildlLtU IL luAly IL me- SlAUh4A5 NildL
If it failed she would never know any
thing about it, and it would add that
much 10 her credit as being what 1
thought she was.
Monday morning I was again in my
office. and that evening I was at Miss
Harris telling her, among other things.
of nv visit TO New York and that my
friend Norton was singing her praises to
the skies. She blushed and looked great
~ pleased. The next day l received from
him a copy of q friendly letter he had
written 70 her with P. s. to the effect
that it might be as well not to mention
the fact to me. AT the end of the week
he sent me copy of her reply, and for
a month I was in receipt of these let
tiers, which, l need not add became more
like love letters the time went by. l
kept on calling at Miss Harris as usual,
but she never mentioned anything about
NOrton's letters, and when / would tell
her 1 had heard from him and he had
said such lovely things about her she
would pout a little and say If he thought
so much OF her he might, at least. say
so himself That was her vanity. you
know, for as an engaged girl she had no
right to be receiving letters even from
my best friend, but I didn't say so to
her. / only said she was a coquettish
little fairy and would kiss her.
a Lne emu Oh the IloHln norton came
up to spend Sunday with me, and he re-
NAMED a whole week, four days OF
which 1 was carried away on business,
and [ left him 20 the good offices Of Miss
Hart to make him have a pleasant time
until I could get back. He told me a
good many things after his visit, but 1
was still unconvinced and he said the
test would have to go on TO the end UNI
less I learned some sense sooner As
I said before. when a man is in love he
viii do many fool things.
When Norton had returned to the
city Miss Hart was nicer to me than
ever, and she spoke very pleasantly of
Norton, and how freely he had spent his
money in entertaining her, and how nice
it was TO be rich as he was. l told her
I would be as rich as he was some day, !
and she would help me do it, and we
would have a great time spending our
own money, and then she would kiss me
and we would talk about our wedding
day. which was to be IN June, about (
three months away. On Friday of that
week L received a letter from Norton, /
and Just after noon 1 went around TO
Miss Harris and told her I was called
away and would not be home again until (
late Sunday night or possibly leave at !
4 o'clock, when I asked her II she /
wouldn't take a walk with me for an /
hour or so before the train time and see Z
she said, and we put in a very charming /.
hour and a half before my train. Then /
7 went away waving a farewell to her Z
from the rear platform, and ] went 10 I
New York. arriving there about Z Jack 4
Norton met me at the train and showed /.
me q telegram which read:
John G. Norton. New York City:
Obstacle temporarily removed VIII (
be ready ut > Saturday.
This rather vague message bore my
signature and was from Miss Hart. who +
had signed il to avert suspicion at the /
telegraph Office in our town. where gos- /
sip is always ready 10 catch At straws. I
II was I'm response TO a letter from Nor !
ton proposing that he come in my alb /
sence and they would drive over to q I
nearby town and get married as a nice I
little surprise for me when I should re-
and knew from Miss Harris letters and \
Norman's that Il meant just what II
said. / was so wrought up that / was
on the point Of doing something desper- +.
ate. though I should have expected Just
this outcome Of the whole business. What
might have done was held in check 4.
by Norton. who had his plan all worked
out and I STAYED with him TIL clock 4
next morning. when I took train for
come. and went 70 my room by Q round
about way so as not 70 BE- seen.
At o'clock I was at Miss Hart's
door and 7 was more or less nervous
but I kept myself Wen ga hand. ana
rang the bell twice. in accordance with
Norton's instructions Il was opened By
Miss Hart herself
.-Oh. an she stammered 7
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