The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-28
OLIVER LEARNS A LESSON.

I
years ago 70 wor in a commission
house He is a tai. goed-looking young
chap, with small knowledge OF the world
and an extremely kind heart His creed
has always been TO do anything possible
10 help people who are in trouble. Here
after. however, he viii be careful how
far he allows his kind heart TO lead
him.
A few months ago Oliver changed his
. boarding house. He got q good room on a
South Side street His landlady was a
! faded-iooking person named Ritel. Mrs.
/ Ritei's hair was between grass and hay
Her attire was a compromise between
| elegance and poverty. She had deep
I voice and tragic way of rolling her eyes.
] Oliver made up his mind that she was
nursing a secret sorrow, and he felt
sorry for her.
Oliver rarely saw Mr.. Ritel. who was a
| somewhat mysterious person. Occasion
| ally Mr.. Ritel was about when Oliver
came down 10 breakfast. but usually he
drank his coffee with only the landlady
| to keep him company.
Once or twice Oliver noticed that Mrs
Riter's eyer were red when he came into
the diningroom. and once he heard voices
| one shrill, the other deep, both ane
coming up from below stairs 10 his hail
| bedroom.
! One night Oliver went to a prize-hght
| That kept him out until after Il O'Clock
his companions We're a couple of chaps
! from the office. After the show tn
| three went "over TO Newton's ana had
a little drink '-three little drinks-Scotch
! highbails. Oliver got home at 1 o'clock
/ IN the morning. He was perfectly steady
/ or his legs, but was feeling strangely
elated over nothing in particular.
The minute he stepped into the hallway
ne smelled gas. 1t was strong. He hur-
rled upstairs TO his own room. But there
the smell was not 50 strong. He went
Gown again TO Investigate. In the lower
| hail the gas was almost Suffocating. Il
seemed to come from the entrance into
I the private quarters of the Ritels Oil
Yer went close up TO the door and nut
his eye 10 the key-hoIe He could see
/ nothing, but a perfect stream of gas came
! through the opening and struck him in the
face He raped. There was no answer.
Then he threw open the door. Ii was ike
opening q gas reservoir. BY the dim light
which fell through the window he coulu
make out, lying on the couch, the pros
trate figure of Mrs Ritel Beside her
on the floor lay her pug dog.
Oliver held his breath. rushed across
the room. and raised the window. Then
ne opened all the doors leading TO the
other parts of the house. Finally he
started TO revive Mrs. Ritel She seemed
entirely unconscious. He tried to raise
her from the couch, hut she fell back
again Imply. He carried her to the open
window and put her in a big armchair.
Then he started TO rub her hands.
Somewhere he had read that when per
sens We're unconscious that was the
proper thing to do.
But Mrs. Ritel still remained aDnarentlv
unconscious. The pug dog in the mean
time had got upon its feet, yawned and
started to stagger around the room in an
uncertain way
Finally he thought of cold water. He
rushed out to the diningroom, and came
hurriedly back with the silver-piated ice
water pitcher, which stood on a swinging
stand By the dining table He lifted tn
pitcher to the height or his shoulder and
poured a stream OF ice water on TO Mrs
Ritei face. As the ice water struck her
she suddenly Strengthened up and scream
ed al the top of her voice. AT the same
moment Oliver heard some one come rush
ing through the hall and into the room
He looked up TO face Mr.. Ritel, whose
eyes were flashing fire.
80, womanr cried Ritel, i've caught
you at last
Meanwhile Mrs. Ritel kept on scream
ing, each Shrek rising louder and shriller
than those which preceded it.
She's taken gas, Oliver broke in.
And came in just in time
Gas, said Ritel, reaching for re-
yolver which he carried ia his hip pocket.
Gas, heh2 Well see about that
But. my dear sir" interrupted the
frightened youth, -
Don't YOU dear to me-" snapped Ritel
with threatening gesture
Duh Ouh.' shrilked Mrs. Ritel
III kill you" Ritel shouted, and Oliver
by this time thoroughly frightened at the
mass into which his kind heart had led
him, backed out into the hall When he
reached the street entrance he turned and
ran swiftly. He kept on running until he
was four blocks away from the house
Then he turned into hotel for the night
Oliver sent over for his trunk the next
day. HIS board and room he had already
paid for a week in advance. With his
goods came a note from Mrs. Ritel, ex-
pressing the hope that hereafter ne would
have enough sense to keep out Of mat
tiers which do not concern you. You can
never know what an injury you have
done me"
Wen, for goodness sake" thought OIL
iver, what in the world does she mean
by that!'
AS opportunity offered Oliver made in
quiries about Mr.. and Mrs Ritel. until
finally he has placed together a theory
IN the first place, he discovered that
Mrs. Ritel had been, before her marriage
an actress in emotional plays. He discoy-
cred also that she and her hUsbs
had many quarrels and that both were
suffering from jealousy. With these facts
before him and with the aid of one Of his
friends who has an ingenious magma
ton he has evolved what he is sure IS
the true explanation of the whole thing.
Mrs Ritel.' he says. was Jealous Of
her husband. She wanted TO do some
thing which would startle and alarm /
him and at the same time arouse that
pity for her which is akin 70 love SO I
she decided to take gas. She knew. 1
what I have since discovered. that Rftel 4
works downtown until after midnight |
and that he comes home regularly az i
1 O'Clock in the morning. She timed +
herself therefore. so that when he got /
home he should find her under the iufu- i
ence of the gas, and yet not TOO far /
gone to resuscitate. Therefore she was
angry with me because I came in Just De
fore her husband and spoiled her little 4
game As for Ritel, his IS just plain
case Of crazy jealousy.
OF course. il her husband had been de-
layed downtown for Al hour or two
later than usual. Mrs. RiteIs expert
ment would have turned out seriously
but she was evidently willing 70 take the
chances. or it may be that she had made
ARA ngenlents 10 prevent a catastrophe iu I
some way Of which I have no knowledge
7 don't know how the thing finally
came OUT. I hope that after the trouble
Mrs. Ritsl went 10 she succeeded r. teach
ng her husband lesson an s1Te she
taught ire one. AZ any rate
The nert time ! discover woman who
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