The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-30
Her Grandmother's Chair.

II It hadn't been for her grandmather's
chairs Agnes Quincy would probably
have been married before she reached
the melancholy aga Of ..
They had come 70 her as her portion
Of her grandmother's sadly diminished
estate. Having been brought up In an
atmosphere Of old mahogany she had
remained among the most cherished Of
her possessions But notwithstanding
her fondness for them she was conscious
or thought she was-that in some sub
tie way the influenced her IN regard 10
the opinions she formed about the men
from time to time dayned upon her hor-
lion. She even went so far as TO blame
the chairs, MT her own difficult heart
when they dropped beneath it, borne
down by her gentle NE
Tt was bad enough when she lived IN
Boston. where men are supposed 10 b
born with antique spoons in the mouths
and therefore to take naturally to cd
chairs. But when she was obliged 10
earn her own livelihood and moved her
household goods west q was worse
There stood the chairs in the pleasant
living-room OF her small apartment-aig-
nified, severe And thither came the
men who were weak enough to permit
Miss Quincy's dark eyes and clever mind
10 attract them.
One after the other they vanished-and
the chairs triumphed.
Some daring woman friend once ven
tured to make a remark which embodied
that reproachfui word, ''coouetry"
But it isn't T." Agnes said, her eyes
widening with indignation.
IF you could only see how It comes
about. There appears from somewhere
a man. He seems to ike me. He brings
flowers and speaks of friendship. I be-
gin to wonder II he can be the man. He
begins to talk Of matters personal-then
more personal. When 7 am most inter-
ested the chairs end it ALL
'But how, you foolish girl?''
80 many ways Sometimes-snd I've
known intelligent men to do this-he
speaks feelinglv Of the present foolish
fad for old furniture Sometimes ne
leans on the back Of one Of them and
lets his watch chain or his KEY cham
scratch q long. deep, heart breaking
scratch across the top. Sometimes he
rebels against their good, straight backs
and wiggles so much that have to give
him modern rocker to sit in
when by a happy chance he does
none Of these things and begin to feel
settled in my mind, he suddenly intro
duces same Billy Baxter phrase in the
midst of a ssrious conversation and I
seem to see a long line OF eminently re-
spectacle Puritan ancestors waggirg
their heads 1t him in disapprobation.
What can I do2"
Sell the chairs-or give them to me-
suggested the woman disinterestedly
Agnes went on the even tenor Of her
way, attractive and attractive. but invul-
nerable-until she met Morris Hunt
It might have been the Christening ef-
feet Of her twenty-seventh birthday and
the reflections it induced. It might have
been the fact that the daily struggle Of
providing her with chairs with a roof
and herself with other essential things
was growing wearisome 1t might have
been Morris Hunt himself, since there
was much to say in favor of his engag-
ing personality. It is certain that soon
after ne began TO evince fondness for
her society Agnes admitted to herself
that her affairs seemed to be approaching
a crisis.
One night in that pleasant room Of hers
Morris Hunt bent toward her suddenly
without warning. as If the words could
no longer be stayed
Agnes, you know I love you. Be
my wife"