The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-31

| aside TO let him pass, and as she raised
/ the lantern Tom saw that it was his
wife.
Mary" he cried.
| 20. Tom, Tom,'' she gasped. throwing
/ her arms about his neck. Il thought you
/ were killed. ! woke UP dreaming that
| You had been robbed and thrown into
snowdrift. and I just had 70 try TO find
/ you"
She was crying and Tom put his big
arms about her and half carried her the
/ remainder OF the way home.
Poor little GIRL he said. as ne sooth-
| ed her into quiet.
But next morning at their II o'clock
| breakfast he made unmerciful fun of
her and declared she must never do
such a fool trick" again, no matter
what happened.
Tom went out for few minutes during
the afternoon and almost instantly Mrs.
Elliott came downstairs and rang the
| bell Mary had begun 10 hate the wo-
man. There was something uncanny
about her. How else could she know all
about what had happened the night be-
fore. OF course the jan;tor or somebody
might have seen a part, and guessed the
rest, but at any rate it was enough to
make anybody mad" She could stand
lOHl > lu0r though she lIOuRnL IL FGtner
heartless but il was too much to have
this strange woman continually pryiug
into her private affairs. And Mrs. Elliott
was so persistent and SO free with her
unasked advice that when she went away
Mary was crying again.
She told Tom when he came back, but
he was not bit sympathetic.
Mrs. Elliott means all right, my dear"
he said Il wish you'd try to be little
like he hsar-
husband is a travelling man, and she
I doesn't see him for weeks at time. yet
you never hear her carrying on like YOU
do. You must try not to be so foolish
l am sure nothing would make Mrs. FL
lott go all to pieces like you do
That made Mary So angry that she
dried her eyes and did not shed single
tear. Instead, she went into her own
room and shut the door and sat down
to brood over her heartless husbands
cruel words.
It was not till they were ready 10 sit
down to their dinner at $50 o'clock that
the two members of the Dawkin family
became even partially reconciled. Tom.
looking silent and serious, had Just be-
gun to CIT the steak, when Shey were
both startled by the shrill sound of
woman's shrek. Twice il was repeated
and then. before they could rise from the
table. there came a wild pounding on the
front door.
Tom rushed TO open the door. There in
the hall stood the fat ana courageous
Mrs. Elliot, crying and wringing her
hands.
Then she toppled over in dead faint.
Tom and Mary carried her into the fat
and laid her on the bed Then Tom rush
ed upstairs, while Mary hurried TO the
kitchen 10 get some restoratives. Tom
came downstairs again on the fly and
only cried TO his wife. as he few past
the open door The fats on fire. I'm
going to turn in an alarm"
Mary noticed when she went to the
kitchen that water was triclSing down
through the ceiling, and that the cell
ing itself was beginning to flake off.
Then she hurried back to the still I'M
conscious Mrs Elliot. BY pouring cold
water on her head, -unloosing her collar.
and holding a bottle of hartshorn TO her
nose. Mary was able TO revive Mrs FL
Iiot who sat up and stared around wildly.
I can't get in there" she stin re-
peated, feebly.
Mrs. Elliot" said Mary, where is lit
tie john John was the Elliot boy.
L can't get IN there" answered Mrs.
Elliot.
Mary left her and hurried up the stairs.
From the door a cloud OF thick. white
steam poured cut into the hall. She
wrapped ner apron over her mouth and
dashed into the fiat. The air was thick
and sitting. but Mary noticed as she ran
that it did not smell like smoke.
She found the baby gasping on the
floor in the front room and carried him
down 10 her own fat. Then she returned
TO the floor above TO make a more careful
investigation She saw that the steam
seemed TO come from the Elliot kitchen
but when she tried to make her way out
through the long hall she soon found that
the atmosphere was too thick Then she
thought Of the hack porch and hHrtied
down again 20 her Own fiat and out
through the kitchen door 70 the porch.
- the steps she ran ard 81 a minute
stood lust outside the window opening
into Ms. EIiiots kitchen. The air inside
ives thick with white steam and she
could hear from within the sourd Of run
ming water Then in a fash she knew
what had happened.
NIrs. Elliot had turned the hot water
faucet. the sink had been stepped up.
ana was row overfowing. and the hot
water. flowing III torrents. has flied the
fat with steam
Mary broke orc of the window nanes
and tho steam rolled ont n clouds. Then.
-,-frf Nsr arm and hand wrapped - "a
rug picked IN from the porch a0or. she
reached into the room and turaed Or the
hot water In feW minutes tfe steam
5iseuaearsd. and she hurried down %
prevent the fIo9aiug - heT own opart-
GREAT.
Presently the sound q the IRE gonez
pose from .hs street and Tom. 81 tie
lsaa ~ threo or four lremen. came PUSH
iEE 70 the stairs
Mary net them and explained what had
happened Then the Ire captain mace
bar r,renEe complete
SAY - said. rurli1g g Tom. = Tgu
lad rs rnuch sens a. yog- e5se you
wouldn't 81 uE our fer little th-ns
i.ka thls Xou zel eNcliea tr7
after tisv had scue Mary caH.d r7t
resist tae tez.nEst ton % rla ID 81
lsttie on SIS. Eilio--
Sd l-1tle John OF = TIE stsa-u
ftst IL tf-ee. 1rrs. Eiliot- So SAID ans
ihz- a~srr art - the nees porrh. b-sxe
Z rfrsr- -sre. ard tur1eu or She hot
,-zr-- rsrces Evsr--sh --gs 81 r.Est rez
p ard - rot - - 80 -,3issl
Il ac-.f CO III % good - g s
80 tfsss aas ygs ksrT
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