The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-03-24
TIE STORY OF sEpALlA.

dalia. There was balm and healing
blessedness. There was the bloom Of
peace. Domestic affairs emerged from
! their chaos of disorder and moved with
rythmic regularity. After feeling upon
our necks the stiff reins Of many d
maid Of all work we discovered that
those Sedalia welded were slken and
that she was gentle on the bit Indeed,
we were apt 10 get our metaphors mixed
when We spoke of Sedalia, for while it
was the aspiring young lawyer Of the
| family who reproVed the sporting fndivid-
| ual for such a phrase il was the daughter
| Of the house who 1kened Sedaha TO
great rock in a weary land. The pater-
| familias j0cuiarly decided that she was
| good for the preparation OF human na-
| ture daily food. And comment con-
/ corning her was capped by the small boy
| emphatically asserting that she was all
right.
So sedalia adopted Us. and we were
| duly grateful for the honor. To be sure,
| she had her peculiarities. She couldn't
! abide a body trackin up her floor. So
few were the feet which trod thereon
| soon after the sound of her scrubbing
| brush had ceased. And she resented-as
| rejecting upon her capability-the anx-
1 iety which brought the mistress Of the
| house out into the kitchen before dinner.
Her interest in the health Of the house
| hold became vivid-almcst aggressive.
| One must render account for heavy eyes
/ or failing appetite. The boarder feared to
/ meet her piercing gaze. -Auch as he rel
| ished her wafles he shranA guilty from
meeting her eye. And yet he was the
| most harmless Of bOarders-the most in
| nocent In regard to women his life was
q blank, white page. While he had cared
| in the course of his fifty years for
| several women he had never been con-
| ceited enough to fancy that any woman
! could care for him. He lived in his Of
nee. his books, his few old friends The
| daughter OF the house called him the
alliterativ artist-not, she explained be-
cause he painted portraits in his leisure
hours, but because he was proper, pecu-
liar punctilious, and prepossessing.
But then no one pail much attention
to what the daughter Of the house said.
She was at the age when enjoyment of
athletic games sweetened Ter life and her
! perpetual exposition of the aforesaid de-
lights made melancholy the lives of 9TH
! ers.
The first day that Sedalia bent her gle
eye upon the bachelor-Mr. Alexander
| 1rimmerth by name-that individual per
ceptibly WINGED
He looked up from his delectable break
fast in slightly nervous apprehension.
''You-you spoke to me2'
Sedalia continued to regard him with
judicial gravity.
mol didn't But I will-if you don't
mind. How's your Hver?'
Mr.. Trimmerth gaspea. He hastily set
down his coffee cup.
"AIy-my--" he faltered. Ny
Your liver" repeated Sedalia. 'It
doesn't seem to me that the whites OF
your eyes have got real healthy look.
They are kind of yellow"
That was the time the small boy dis
tinguished-and isgraced-himself.
If the whites are kind of yellow, Sc
dalia,' he ventured, why don't you call
them the yolks?"
But Sedalia was not to be disconnected.
Although her interest in each and every
member of the household was unusual.
it was Mr. Trimmerth whom she was ap-
parently most anxious to keep in perfect
health. To tell the truth, he rather re-
scented her solicitude, and as weeks went
on this resentment deepened. He spoke
of it to the head of the house with
something approaching CONSERVATION.
why she moved the hot biscuits out
of my reach this morning, as though 1
were a child he gasped. Said they
were real short-I suppose she meant
rich-and said they might bring on an
other headache"
You have not been having so many
headaches lately" he was gently re-
minced.
Mol I dare say she's right in the
main. But can't say that 1 ike her
everlasting supervision"
shes a capital cook" declared the
landlady.
I'm not denying that. But sne's too
conscientious. She takes an interest IN
me because she thinks she ought to.
That's the trouble with her-conscien-
tiousness. Now, I'm old enough to take
care of myself"
He certainly was, as his silvering locks
proved. although he did not look within
ten years of his actual age.
DO you wish to speak TO Sedalia?
WELT wouldn't hurt. But anyhow,
the next time she attempts to give me
advice I won't take IT.
IS declaration OF independence was
put to the test the next morning. 1t was
a bleak spring day. Rain had fallen in
the night. and raw east wind was blow
ing. Mr.. Trmmerth came downstairs
with q new spring raglan on his arm.
Sedalia eyed it scornfully.
You u better not wear that she said
1T isn't but half as heavy as the one you
always wear, and t---s wind is going to do
damage. Put on your winter overcoat.
Mr.. Timmerth ate his breakfast in
stony silence, but there was resolUte
glare in his eye. The meal ended, he
Ostentatiously dOnned the raglan and
without even buttoning it went off re-
belliOus and victorious with his head in
the air. But that evening came Sedalia's
revenge. For the boarder came home
with a touch of fever, a headache. and a |
racking pain in his side. BY the time
the hard siege Of pneumonia was over
and he was-thanks chiefly to Sedalia- /
on the convalescent list. he was sur
prised how pleasant he found II to have |
the deep-chested and cOmely young Wo-
man around. What pretty throat she /
had! How neat she always kept her /
dark brown hair! And there was q fine /
loo. of LOYALTY in the gray-blue Irish !
eyes.
"sedalia," ne asked one day after a
prolonged and thoughtful silence. why I
have You never married.
May yet, said Sadila, laconically- /
Don't think 7 VIII, t4ongh. I don't like /
to he taken care of. m more used to 1
taking care Of people, am.
SO see. he said, dryly. Was Il habit I
only. then. that induced your interest in /!
me?' He slipped at her excellent broth /
and watched her narrowly.
You needed more looking after than 4
the olners. she explained. You had no /
one else
Mans inborn dependence on the ma
ternal love of a good woman conquered /
AR Trimmerth "Sedalia." he begged. +
viii you take care of me-always2 VIII +
YOU marry rne2" Sedalia smiIed-fut she t
also biushed Perhaps she said. IF
youl promise to wear the coat I tall
y0u to-
Nr Trimmerth suddenly set down his
cup. Il wrl-O I will SedaiaE
Knows All About the Weather.
(From the Philadelphia Record)
There is but one woman weather fore
caster III the United States Mrs i. IA.
renwal5 ~ York Pa. who has filed
this position under the Jnited States
Neathar Bureau for twelve years she
is reeoenfEad rs IN authority CD Cl5mst-