The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-30
THE DOCTOR OF DECATUR.

THE DOCTOR OF DECATUR.
All fat life has a striking similarity
and is as separate and distinct from the
domestic life of family In the detached
house as it is from the boarding atmos-
phere. Once a natter always a fiatter.
for the ear-rnarks OF the strenuous fiat
existence are never quite obliterated, just
as the Cliff jewellers removed from their
cliffs are still q. quaint and unusual pec-
pie Through listening for burglars by
day and watching for fires by night
there is a tense expression in the facial
muscles of the fat inhabitant, which he
who runs may read.
A perpetual aura Of interest attaches to
fiatters who live on the heights-nothing
OF consequence ever happening to those
who occupy first and second or even third
fats, the picturesque events belonging to
the rarer atmosphere Of the upper air
stories The higher the flats the greater
their opportunities Of being furnished
with hair-breadth escapes from fire and
food, with strange developments in fam
lies, where adults do the renting and
babies are smuggied in with the furniture.
and domestic animals forbidden in the
lease emerge from the coal hod with the
CELEBRITY and adroitness of a conjurerS
trick
All these inside elements furnish fiatters
with gossip more interesting than news
and the antics OF one family will amuse
OF annoy the whole lot of jewellers who
are colonized under one roof Take, for
illustration, the Harmony fats on Ellis
avenue. a mere Pigment of imagination
caused a commotion in that concord
ance Of happy families which threatened
a disruption Of all fraternal ties. All be-
cause two people changed the even tenor
OF their ways without informing the
butcher and baker, or-of more import
ance-their fat neighbors.
Leslie Dawson and wife occupied the
fourth fat in Harmony Flat building, and
all the other hatters congratulated them
selves on having such an agreeable, quiet
couple for neighbors. No children, no
servants, not even a piano. Both were
young, and Mrs. Dawson was particularly
attractive. 1t was whispered that the
young couple were in hard luck. and that
was why they kept no servant, but Mrs
Dawson said she did her own work for
exercise and her notable housekeeping
proved her an expert in the domestic arts.
Then some sharp ears overheard a con-
versation between her and her husband.
4 insist. Alice" he said, that you drop
that doctor of Decatur. 1 will not give
my consent to your associating--
oh, Leslie, the eavesdropper heard
his wife say. you are so prejudiced. The
doctor Of Decatur will be the best friend
we ever had. Can you not see this? If
you only would look at the situation in its
true light. And we need help so much
just now
1T Will be the ruin of our domestic
peacer' responded her husband. Il can
see the finish of our happinessi I wish
You had never listened to that doctor OF
Decatur
Now, now Leslie, listen to reason. You
need never let me out Of your sight II
you think you cannot trust me. Remem-
Der the advantages it viii give u.s."
What will the other fatteTs think OF
you?"
They need never know. Besides, they
do not pay our bills. If you will stand
by me. Leslie. they won't dare TO give
me the cold shoulder. Trust me, Leslie,
and II will come out all right
Mr. Dawson was heard to finally give
a grudging assent, but what on earth did
it all mean? The natters possessed their
souls with impatience-and waited for de-
They came thick and fast
Talk of physical earthquakes. they are
mild compared to the moral earthquake
that disturbs fat community when 1t
finds itself imposed upon and deceived
At first indignation was expressed in
snatches and gasps.
I'VE thought them such nice couple"
II always kept shy Of her"
Doesn't get UP till noon."
"Out gadding all the afternoon"
Never comes home until midnight, and
drags him along"
who is that horrid doctor OF Deca-
tUr2"
He'd better not show up here, or we'll
set the janitor on him"
Meanwhile Mr.. and Mrs. Dawson were
very much engaged in attending to their
own affairs. They were wholly unaware
OF the storm of protest and indignation
that was clouding the hitherto fair sky
Of their fiat life, until one day Mrs Daw-
son noticed that her neighbors did not
respond to her salutation, but turned |
with scornful eyes and averted heads
on, dear she said to her husband |
i am beginning to feel the penalty of |
success. Well, there's nothing for It but |
to take the bull by the horns"
What's wrong now?" asked Mr.. Daw- /
SON
oh the fatters are beginning to sus- |
poet something
'D-n the hatters.' growled Dawson.
mo; let's propitiGte them. Give me /
some matinee tickets, dearie: there is /
virtue in them, and we really have ig-
aored those good people shamefully. To /
Kill them with curiosity is as bad as to
murder them in their beds-I am not sure
but it's worse"
So Mrs. Dawson made a little fr4endlv
,all on the hatters and left tickets for the
matinee
II want you to come and see me on the
stage, she said sweetly, for you must
.now that l have made my debut in
,omic opera. No, I am not in a singing
part yet, but VIII be next season. Oh
res. I can sing. I hope that nv voice is
ny fortune, but now [ have Just a small
nart. ! am the Loyal Wife in the opers
Il The Doctor Of Decatur I fan the
ioetor-that is my part-but I am learn
ng stage business and acquiring conf
lence."
Never was there a greater fat senss-
ion or more agreeable one. II was so 1
Inherent from what they had expected
bat they nearly embraced their debu
q nte while they congratulated her. and /
,lutched the matinee tickets And when !
hey learned that Dawson waited for his
wife every night and brought her home !
nat her afternoons were given to re-
learsals' that she had a prospect Of some
lay being priua donna, and that she /
could set all the matinee tickets she
= anteo for nothing, oh then they forrave
Ter for not consulting them, and the .
5eace OF Harmony fats. which had suf-
tered such a fracture. was permanently :
'estored.-Airs. II. L. Rayne.
Newspaper Waits.
II oratory is dead. as has been said
here is no doubt that it was talked To
ieath--Puck
Il suppose. old chan va, hsr.,,. -.