The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-06
THE MYSTERY OF AN OLD HAT.

young wife had been gone a week for the
| first vacation Of their two years OF
married life Moping alone in the empty
| house for four days was beginning TO try
his nerves so that he was almost tempted
10 let Mrs. Manning know, even at the
cost Of suddenly spelling her holiday, that
he had suffered an awkward fall two days
after she had started for New York The
| house girl, who was a treasure, had gone
home for q rest, and the maid had gone
with her mistress and the baby. Being
o stranger in town. he had few callers
n the evening and none at ell during the
Gay except for the waiter who came with
his meals from the hotel around the cor
ner Having read everything IN sight,
played solitaire for an hour and tried
everything he knew on the piano, he pull
&C out his watch and saw that there were
yet four hours Of daylight before him
He was reaching for his crutch with the
sudden determination to telephone for a
carriage and have a drive in the park,
| when he saw Godfrey Fairchild one of
his old-time friends, staring at the house
numbers Manning tapped on the win
dow with the tip OF his crutch and hailed
him.
"Oh. jeff! Come in, old man. Where
| on earth did you drop FROM
The visitor was in the hall before Man
ming could reach the door to greet him.
| and they shook hands and laughed like
| genuine men who are glad.
You're whole life-saving station,
that's what yau are. Jeff!' said Manning,
/ gloating over his friend You've got
TO send for your baggage and keep bach
elors hail with me till Maud comes home
yes, she's gone down to her mothers
! with the baby--you We never seen that
baby. Jen-where did you say you'd
been? Texas? Do you realize. JEFF, that
this is only the second time you've been
! in our house since we were married? ?"
Yes l know, Vince but I've been ter
ribly rushed. laughed Fairchild, settling
down for a chat. Il don't even write to
my mother, fact No. have no sweet
hearts-at least. none that l know of"
And they chatted just as fast and as
merrily as a couple of women till the
waiter came for the dinner order. Man
/ ming insisted that his friend should stay;
I that he could have his luggage sent up
/ afterWard and that it would be a sheer
crime TO go away and leave him alone
like a sick man in solitary confinement.
And so it was arranged. While Fairchild
was at the telephone, Manning was chOos-
| ing a dinner for two and explaining to the
/ waiter, who didn't seem to understand,
| that thereafter, till otherwise instructed,
he must bring food and service for two
instead of for one.
Wen get through with this by Satur
| day." Manning exclaimed, when Fairchild
came in. Maggie, our revered domestic,
will be back She's a good cook.
Godfrey Fairchild had been class
mate of Manning, and they had maintain
eC close and unruffled comradeship till
Vincent married Maud Cutcliffe. Some
Said that Manning had vanquished
rival in Godfrey. but at any rate the
wedding was not so intolerable TO the
loser as to prevent him from appearing
as the most blithe and happy Of the
groomsmen.
1t was about when the waiter
came for the breakfast order, and when
il was given Manning saw that his friend
was not yet stirring. and went back to
bed with a parting emphasis upon the
dull ears of the waiter that he wanted
breakfast served al 10 o'clock. At that
hour the bell woke him again; ne hob
bled down, let in the commissary, and
went back to rouse Godfrey. He raped
on the door, but got no answer. Then
he went into the darkened room, let up
the shades and saw that the bed was not
only empty but that ii had been unOccu-
pied during the night. He searched the
rooms and the closets before he went
downstairs, but there was no sign OF
either Fairchild or his baggage. On the
hall rack, however he found Godfrey
hat hanging just where its wearer had
placed it the afternoon before. This set
him to thinking that perhaps his friend
was lolling about, but a half hour s
search yielded no further trace of the
vanished guest. The waiter was gone
There was no help for it but to continue
his explorations of the house alone. 1t
was nearly noon before he began TO feel
faint for want CT his breakfast. He ate
1t, puzzled, worried, and waited. but no
Fairchiid appeared. The next morning
his mail brought him a letter from Geof-
frey. 1t was dated Beaumont and said
that the writer was just starting for Chi
cago and would drop in The date line
and postmark both showed that the letter
had been written only the day before
Godfrey had come, and how he had man
aged to beat the fast mail from Texas
was almost as puzzling as his sxtraordi-
nary behavior after arriving. Manning
suspected that Fairchild had put up some
sort of a trick on him, but turn and
twist the thing as he might he couldn't
guess where the laugh was TO come in II
il was "a joke. While he was finishing
his coffee a telegram came which set
Vincent's heart to beating uneasily about
his absent wife and boy; but It. too,
proved to be from Fairchld, dated Tex
arkana thus: Delayed here two days.
VIII see you Saturday night, sure.
jeff"
on Saturday night Manning was so Gu
rious to find out what sort Of plot his
he went in a carriage TO meet the train
He was at the gate a half-hOur too
soon, but when the train did groan in.
Godfrey wasn't two minutes in finding
him. Manning was put upon his guard
at once by Fairchild's too enthusiastic
greeting.
But what in the devil did you mean
by stealing out of the house in the night
like that" asked Manning
ssSte8lfur ont of what hOusCy gapcd I
Geonrey.
Manning looked at him q moment. but /
Fairchild carried the joke bravely with /
out a twltch Of eye or lip except what (
denoted surprise. and Vincent could only /
shake his head and say: "Oh, all right. /
JEFF. Have your blamed Jokes if you /
viii. but by George, YOU scared me. l 1
thought something had gone wrong.
Fairchild laughed a little fooiishly as /
they went slowly to the carriage. hat
Manning changed the subject with an 4
outspoken resolve 20 be on guard against I
Geohrey's funny climax. whatever = +
might prove 10 be. Whey they arrived al +
Manning's house. Maggie was there u 4
greet them. She had dinner ready. ana .
they We're quickly forgetfui q the listle f
mystery that lay between them
But where is Maud ?? said Geoflrey, /
looking about.
All. drop that joke Of yours, said I
Aaunlnf, nait annoy ed teiA -oA al
about that the other DAY when you were +
here.
You know I wasn't here. Manning
said Fairchild dropping the familiar
Vince So markedly that Manning saw i .
was not joke after alb They explained
argued. almost guarded Eairchiid in
sisted that ne had not been near the
house for a year. and that. II Manning
was in earnest. he had either dreamed 4
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