The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-27
Mtsr,RecTep GENEROSITY.

reSponGence mad made hin vaguely aware
OF the fact that her husband. Calvin
2urdocl. had grown rich and that She
had two children. a boy and girl But
| he was not prepared for the Iuxu-ian,
conditions which he found upon entering
/ iheir splendid home. He was never es-
/ tTanged from his sister but when she
/ married Murdoch the soldier brother had
FADE UP his mind that his sisters hus-
/ bard was rot his kird" IN frontier
barracks and foreign camps. Colonel Bat
! tersly's Life had been lonely. lie was
/ silent. elemental. passionate man. whose
7 rigid habits gave a cold and even hard
! exterior TO q nature essentially tender
I Murdoch. was a man Of much SNUG piety,
who knew that a Sunday school class
| does rot hurt mans credit with the
! bank
But the Murdocks gave Uncle Bat
tersly grand welceIne. His sister kissed
| illrn. the two children gave him their
hands with trained Graciousness. and the
! lead of the house said: Welcome TO
! the warTior-see the conquerirg hero
cornes," This made the old campaign
e. III at ease. He blushed like a girl
( and thereafter found restraint in the. TO
! him. artificial atmosphere of the grand
! house. When he went out for walk
| Mrs. Murdoch said:
Poor fellow; how he's changed
''Out of his element with women and
/, children. growled Murdoch.
What makes his neck 50 red?" asked
the boy
When the Christmas presents began TO
arrive. and his sister showed them 10
! HIM. the colonel suddenly realized that
! he must buy something for the two chill
dren. He said nothing about il, but spent
half OF the next day buying for his niece.
/ a French doll, with a complete ward
robe. and 2 fully equipped steam battle
-
! cEoice-love and child for the little wo-
Il an. power and war for the little man.
He was very careful about the address,
/ Mrs. Murdoch 244l Penrose street
He wondered why his gifts did not soon
appear in the grand array, but he said
nothing to his sister. showing each day
( ar increasing interest in the accumulat-
ing' presents in the locked room. and fl
( rally on Christmas exc. late in the day.
/ going back to the store where he had
| :rade his purchases TO ask what had be-
Gene Of the doll and the war ship. 1t
I, ok a long time to find out the right
man. but at last a very polite clerk who
had been answering questions as fast as
/ q dozen people could ask them. turned 10
him and said
Murdoch? What address? Penrose
street or Penrose avenue"
Are there both?" asked the colonel, as
the possible blunder dawned on him.
Yes. one on the West Side. one on the
South Side. Where did you wish your
goods to go?"
OF course Penrose avenue is on the
South Side and Penrose street is on the
: West Side and Colonel Rattersly had
himself made the mistake. The goods had
Ieen receipted for. the clerk told him. 1t
| was pretty late TO attempt getting them
back. but they would try The clerk
/ made some notes. ratified off few words
about the terrible rush. moved off and
left the colonel standing dazed in the
crowd. He went home, and as pre-
caution got out of his trunk strangely
/ carved bracelet. antique. oriental noble
present.. he thought. FOR his niece; and
for his nephew an old. bejeweled war
! mask-it had been mandarins. And
he took them 10 Mrs. Murdoch, saying
! iothing OF their great value. and said
they were for her Girls and her boy. But
after dinner that night Mr.. Murdock tap
FED at the colonefs door. saying:
Il hope you won't think of giving those
rare curios;ties TO the children. colonel.
They're worth their weight in money"
Didn't cost me cent. Murdoch. burt
ed the soldier. They're part of the
well. the loot.that is. I picked 'em up
in China and-they-the children will APP
preciate them more as they grow older.
Murdoch walked away without another
{ NbEG- Dut lildl HtSitl TIE Ntd-dH bttA He.
brother. softly and with evident desire to
he grateful, that papa was so scTupulous
he didn't want the children TO receive
! such presents
You know. brother" she said. hes so
conscientious that he thinks You didn't
come b. them honestly-that is. from his
Toint of view You won't feel hurt will
YOU. brother? Papa is SO different from
YOU.
So the brother flushing red. took back
his larbsric gifts and went to bed. In
the morning. soon after breakfast, he
vent out az the house. called cab and
badc the driver take him 20 24+l Penrose
street The doll and the battle ship had
rot arrived. and he was going after them.
he got out Of the cab in a squalid street
and went into the Only house in the
block. II was a oirtv. tnmhledown cot
&c. built below grade and with sign,
.'For Sale" nailed to the rickety fence.
\ thin woman. I'm an old, faded wrapper.
came to the door.
II came to see If
"Oh. ! knew somebody I'd come. she
Interrupted him. Il knew they WASH
foi Us. sir-won't you come in?
He stepped into the dinEy nom and
saw n big-eyed. frail girl of fondling the
great French doll.
You see. sir" said tho woman. breath
less to explain. the things come while
j ! was OUT WORK over al iIe sEot idt-
tory, and-my name is Murphy. strand
when the things come nobody was home
sir but Mamie and the boy. He's mine
ard he's out there now playin' with tn
steamboat and when the wagon came.
Mrs Tracy she lives IN III next block
she seen IT, and she run over and signed
"a book and the driver jumped on his
wagon and went away. an. Of course. the
children seen the bundles an nothin
would do Nrt they must omen EN- That s
all sir: we Didn't want to- hope you
don't think we'd steal en-.
She was out OF breath TOW. and the
two chiidren--the boy. a sturdy lad OF
%. had come in-were staring. fright
ened. at the colonel He looked TT them
a moment and then at the mother.
Il don't understand you. madam" he
sd Il called % look al the house. It's
for sale. you know.
He saw the look of anxiety pass from
her ho..ely face. TIE children delighted
I with the reprieve. ran back 10 theii
splendid TOYS. He made show % look
t-g through the stufy rooms. and wher
= WAS going gave each u the little ones
q coin.
~CoOd-by madam. he said % ths
. mother You have tvo fine children
ard when he vas IN the cab again n
g:riked his gray rUstache ard chucsief
II was a lucky hlunGe-. after all ~
- down 10 tho store III the morning and
til 'eEl is al TishL t-Jchn II. Raltery
The Usual Nay.
From the Baltimore Herald
The Ercst aiieulst Was canning tn
condemned murderer who had. as 2 nat
ter - course. entered TIRE V;es - Insanity
Is he insane VIC asked
"Wifhcut detbs he answered. H
is irra-cc8hi insane.