The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-31
The Wedding Dress.

| NHOef the glass roof OF Paddingto1, I'M
| patient to start
he had just returned from Bios. a
town of middle France and from study
Of the French language. and there had
preceded him-by the space OF three
! months-from the some town and the
| same study one whom he knew to De the
most beautiful lady in the world. She
| lived at Paignton; Mr.. Henton's great
aunt also lived there.
Some one-a man-came Up to the car
rage door, opened II. and began TO ram
IN baggage-things strapped together. and
paTasols and a box marked with care''
-cardboard-obviously connected in some
way with millinery.
Is that alp asked the man, turning
to some people behind.
Everything. But have you putaka5
box in carefully?"
Henton sat up in his seat It was the
inevitable third person. She spoke. It
was her luggage. She was coming down
in the same train with him. Tru,y the
s5reat Western was the finest line in the
world
box
1T wouldn't do if your wedding dress
went wrong" he said.
| Henton. who had risen to his feet Gag
! erly collapsed as if with cramp We'd
ding dress.
4 shouldn't be able to proceed with
! the ceremony If It were crushed
/ The party turned away from the car
rage door and went down the platform.
/ Henton was left to his contem plation.
! the hateful box before his eyes. so-hs
was to be married tomorrow, rend BY n
! irony Of fate he was to travel down
| with her and her wedding dress This
I n nut Aaf r.
| nave been expected. of course, If the had
not been fool. It would have been po-
2 lite TO let him know she was engaged:
! that could easily have been done.
] An Old gentleman got into the carriage
took corner by the door, and threw a
! pocket handkerchief over his head. as if
| contemplating sleep. His entry gave
Henton the idea Of escaping while there
| was yet time before he had been seen.
As ne stumbled to the door the insurer
! able man who had rammed in the lug
gage turned the handle.
just off,
Henton returned to the far end of the
carriage. aisle had got in and was bid
ding good by through the window.
she took her seat as the train began to
move, and IN so doing became aware of
Mr. Henton for the first time. A faint
!
Mr.. Henton?" she said. holding ont her
hand. ''rhis IS a pleasure and surprise"
a great surprise" he answered, fciy.
She looked little Derpiexed.
Are you going as far as PaigntonP"
Farther" he said, Considerably far
| Their" He had decided to 60 to the ex-
IRENE limits of the world. where whjrl
pools are. and colcanoes and other des-
perate things She looked az him in
wonder.
1T seems long time since ". were At
! Blois?' she asked
Only three months; but agree with
you that one can forget good deal in
! three months. I did not think at that
time that I was to have the-pIeasure-
Of congratulating you on your-your
wedding Dress
oh" she said-and a glinner Of
amusement danced in her eves-''thanlz
YOU If had only known YOU were 10
be in England-but you won't even Re
near-otherwise should have given you
an informal invitation to come and see
the ceremony
Il regret that I shall not be in the
neigbborhood."
Then of course it's impossible"
Her tone was as cold as his now and
she also sat back in her corner. The
train rolled on and the old gentleman
began to indicate q halt, ne awoke and
! inquired If they were pproaching his des-
tination.
Il think So" she said looking out.
Then perhaps same one will obIge me
by handing out my parcels as I get
down, said the old gentleman, lowing
toward Henton
He might as well have addressed the
cushions. Henton was planning a scharne
for exploring Patagonia procided mat
rattlesnakes abounded there.
'Politenessr snapped the old gentle
man
May help your" She handed him sut
his parcels and his air-cushion.
THANK you. nam. thank you. But in
my day it was the young man who as
sisted
The sound of his swapping aroused
Henton, and he spraing up confusedly.
can 1 be of any assistance?" he IN
CURED.
No. sir You cannot, SIR. There is a
time for assistance, sir, and that time is
when assistance is required, not when It
is entirely useless"
81 beg your pardon" said Eenton I'm
afraid I didn't notice you were getting
OUT
IN my day" said the old gentleman
mercilessly, young men had eyes ar
their -"
But the train began to move before the
aphorism was complete. They were alone
in the carriage, now, both silent-she
with her eyes fixed on a 9laEaziue. The
pages of which she perused md turrei
over with an almost fnconceiyahle Esufd-
ity, without observing apparently that
she held it upside down; he staring out
Of the window at the moving land
scape
~ fear 49, -r,.4 "a. ~ - -
alphabetically
Not at all" she said. ooldly. booking
up from her magazine.
But I was preoccupied,- he went or
nervouslv
''Why should you not be?'
I was thing1ng Of that day at Bios
that you mentioned"
'Indeed?"
It did not expect to hear SO soon of
your marriage"
'Marriage-rny msrriage7"
Iour marriage" he repeated.
''But 7 am not aware that / am 70 be
married"
Not marrieGy But-but isn't that
your wedding dress? Aren't you 10 be
away Tor q honeymoon
"Oh.' she said, aing-''Tnat7 Its
only D ck's nonssnse-he takes advau-
&c Of being a young cousin 10 ch9tter.
Really. the dress IS nothing grante- than
q bridesmaids dress which you c0rgrat
ulated me on becoming"
But the honeymoons"
''Aiy cousins3 She s. to he married
from my aunrs house n Psigntcn. and
an 20 stay there fer three weeks an
tas house and pretend % be q daugh-
teT"
Then youn Dc AZ PalEntonT
She nodded. us only z chanEa n
house I'm making-sn6-,ere' PasEuton