The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-07
HUNTING A WIDOW.

| ~ was moet unaccount4oly uncomf0ft-
able. l was conscious Of it, and yet I
could net get my mind or the subject.
1t was still early in the evening. scarcely
O'Clock. Should I go to the theater,
ana in mimic life forget my own annoy
! ance?
l arose, walked to the window and
looked out It was a cold, disagreeable
night.
Feeling that I never could get through
the evening .alone, I buttoned up my
! great coat, and putting on my neck-scarf.
started out. had no definite idea where
l was going, but the secret of all my
discomfort was that / was in love with
| two women.
Don't throw the paper down, and de-
clare that such a state OF affairs IL not
| within the bounds Of possibility. and that
l deserve to be sent to Salt Lake direct,
whether I will or not.
Don't do that, say. but let me explain
| Perhaps l wasn't at that moment in love
with two women. but 1 certainly was over
head and eafs in love with one, and head
and ears engaged to another.
Now, that certainly was enough TO
make a peaceful, laval iding citizen I'M
comfortable, to make him afraid of his
own thoughts and still more of his own
! actions.
1t came about in this way: 1 had two
years before met Julia Leeds. She was a
beautiful girl, had fortune in her own
right, was smart and intelligent. and was
the belle of the city. 1 met her at par
ties, socfables, concerts. operas. every
where. in fact. and after a time 1 had
the extreme satisfaction of learning that
l was preferred to all tho crowd of for
tune-hunters who worshiped at her
shrine. And then it was, in an evil hour
that l proposed and was accepted. Her
heart, she assured me, was in my keep
ing, and had been for very long time.
But it fell out one day, or rather / fell
In one day.. to the company of Kitty
Blanchard
l did not know who Kitty Blanchard
was. 1 thought at first glance she was
a schoolgirl.
l went home that night. and thought
about her until bed time, and then dream
ed about her until morning. For week
1 saw nothing. night or day. but black,
roguish eyes and dancing curls.
l went to parties. and theaters, and con-
certs by myself, in hopes OF meeting her.
No use. She wasn't there.
At last. asked a friend who she was.
and found she was a widow. I had never
liked widows, but Kitty did like.
So 1 discarded the widow question, and
thought only of Kittys bright eyes and
bewiidering ways.
/ am sorry to say it, but think quite
forgot all about Julia in those days. and
after / had axnin met Kitty and had
passed one or two evenings in her so
ciety, 1 knew I did. In fact, I did not
know that there was anybody else in the
world
This was about the time my trouble
commenced.
Things had got to just this pitch upon
that stormy cold evening of which l
spoke at the commencement of this story.
l went to see very intimate male friend,
rejoicing in the euphonious name of c.
Ellsworth Percival. He was a great
lady's man." He loved the whole sex.
and they. the ladies' God bless them!
took to him naturally.
/ found him, and told my story, and
asked him what / should do.
He didn't know the little widow. he said,
but he could readily imagine, after my
description, that she was the lone alto
gether lovely" Quotations were natural
to C.. Ellsworth Percival and he could
always express what he meant in Ian
guage belonging to somebody else.
Julia Leeds he did know, and he would
call there few times, get up little
filtration, or words to that effect; could
get jealous, pick quarrel. break the en-
gagement. marry the widow, and let
Julia find somebody else.
1t was all as easy as rolling off slip |
perry log.
| was In the glory OF happiness in being |
able to think only of Kitty. consequently |
was very mitch surprised one evening |
to find her sitting very close to long |
whiskered individual. who was tenderly |
holding one of those identical little hands |
that l had been rav!ng about for months. |
She rose very gracefully as / entered, |
and--well, / never did know just how |
she did IT. but found out by something |
she said that 1 was acquaintance. and |
that DR.. D'Ariemont-or some such con- |
French name-waS her affianced |
husband. or she was his affianced wife, !
or something of that kind--I didn't know |
or care what was only conscious of |
the fact that l wasn't anything or any
where.
After recovering my reason. 1 made up |
my mind to show her that | cared not. |
by marrying Julia Leeds. The ceremony
should come off Immediately,
| was a little sore around the heart. |
and very achy around the head when I
awoke the next morning.
The postman was early-two letters lay |
on the table at my bedside.
1 took one of them. doubled up the pill
low. raised myself on my elbow, and
broke the seal.
1t was from c. Ellsworth Percival. tell
ing me that he was marrfed-that he had
been exposed took it. had il the natural
way. and that the crisis was past. or in
other words the ceremony had been per-
the evening before. He hoped
was satisfied. and insisted that he |
owed me a debt of gratitude for putting
him in the way of securing so lovely and
lovable a wife. Then followed some
about the widow with the soul
full eyes, and many good wishes for my
success in that direction.
1t was too much.