The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-28
A MARROW MARGIN.

I SHOULD nave been as happy aS 4 9-Sslr
but she was not On the contrary, she
+ vas wretched, for she had just received
& letter by the morning mail which she
could not show her husband They were
eating breakfast and she laid the letter
I by her plate unopened, but fearful that
/ he might comment on this. she tore the
end of and unfolded a half sheet OF note
PAPER. It read:
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Ny Own Darling Nellie:-You
have saved my life. Check re
ceived all right. How can I ever
repay you except with my indy
ing love. Your FRANK
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Now, I VIII not permit NY Nellie 70
remain a moment under the ban or any
projected wrong-dOing. The letter was
fIcm her twin brother who was studying
fol the church, and was arrested in his
studies by the necessity Of serious oper-
alton and several months OF hospital
treatment. He had no money, was work
ing his way through college. ana had not
informed his sister OF the situation until
Il was almost too late TO save him.
Letter from your brother? asked
Lewis Rathbun. as he slipped his coffee
He was one Of the fortunate few among
young salaTied men who had more than
twenty minutes for meals. His wife had
esteemed this blessing; now she wished
that he were compelled to eat and run
If he should ask 10 read Franks letter
there would a mystery arise between
them Before he had alluded 20 il So
norOus voice went past crying with sew
eral different intonatiOns the familiar
street rhythm:
Glass Dut-ini
"Glass-put-inl
"Glass-put-ini
All limitations of that vocal harmony
are far and away less interesting than
the original chords, but Mr.. Rathbun
was surprised that his rendition Of il
should send his wife into Mysteries She
was still laughing laboriously. when he
picked up her letter and read it. Il was
a greater surprise than the hysteria-
4 did not know you had a bank ac-
count, Nellie. 1 must have married an
heiress in disguise. ] hope, dear, you
have not acquired the fatal habit Of
Borrowing money"
Here was an opportunity for this young
woman TO tell the truth. the whole truth
and nothing but the truth, and face
very unpleasant counter dilemma. She
hesitated and was lost.
The amount would hardly make me
ar heircss.' she said with a hravado
that was admirable. we won't talk
about it, dear. You know my brothers
life hangs n The balance. ard you can
trust me"
Nellies laundering caused her husband
many serious thoughts that day. Why
was she not willing TO tell him where
she had secured the money, which must
run into the hundreds, to pay such ex-
pense? Should he assert his right TO
know? He was very much in love, and
he decided to let the matter drop. After
all Nellie might have saved the money
from her earnings before she married
him. She had taught music and sung in
choir and he rested on that suppose
ton.
So peace was established on one side at
least, but Nellie's constant fear of dan
ger from another source nearly wrecked
her health. One evening as they sat at
dinner her husband remarked that he had
been fortunate in purchasing her engage
ment ring when he did. as diamonds had
advanced heavily in price.
BY the way, Nellie let me look at your
ring. I thought it needed cleaning. It
looked like a bit of window glass when
1 noticed it yesterday. but 1 forgot 10
speak OF it"
Poor Nelliel Window glass was exact
~ what it was. for she had gone 10 a
jeweler, had the diamond taken out and
a mock gem put In its place Then she
had borrowed the money on the dia-
mond that she had sent to her brother.
She was a study for a psychologist at
this period. Her pride in the Iove-gift
of her husband, the sense OF having
wealth albeit they were poor in money
affairs, the pleasant responsibility Of
owning a fine gem, all these against the
possibility of parting with it for the
sake Of her dearly loved brother and
thereby inficting a grievous wrong on
her husband-this, with minor details,
was making the tragedy of Nellie Rath-
of escape that seemed possible. and that
was as vague and distant as an avenue Of
dreams. 1t was the forlorn hope that
she might collect payment on an old debt
Nellie Rathbun did not petition provi-
dence to collect the debt and then sit
down and wait for results. She got up
and moved heaven and earth in a desper-
ate investigation and found out for her
self that the man who could not pay for
his daughters musical education had
grown rich on his peculiar policy Of non
payment. Perplexity had sharpened Mel
lies wits and she compromised on the
total amount by accepting a lump sum
down. She was on the verge of hysteria
and kept humming 10 herself the weird
refrain, "Glass-put-in. as she unwound
the coil fate had woven around her.
The good news of her brothers recov-
cry and the repossession Of her diamond
occurred at the same time. Mr. Rathbun
held her hand unchided and looked at the
sparlder on her third finger with the
rapture man feels when he not only
owns the diamond but the woman who
wears il.
"Oh. I see you've cleaned 1t yourself.
IT n. Looks much clearer" and he re-
garded It with 4 scrutiny that a week
previous would have been fatal 10 his
wife.
Aud rho marty ~ the srst mart would
give her eye-teeth 10 know how much or
how little the party Of the second part
knows and whether saving q life with
that diamond could possibly hurt its IN
trinsic or sentimental value--Mrs. II L
Rayne.