The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-31
Arrus EDGE OF THE PREcIp,cE.

brutality winch showed tnat ne Was De-
yond the honeymoon period:
Like the very devil, my dear.
So that settled for Mrs. Hale all pros
pect of a dinner and theater party TO
which she was expected to go that even
ing.
Her dearest friend, Wilhelmina Sey
mour. had been lately married, and the
completion of her honeymoon trip and
her return to London was to have been
celebrated that evening at the party
which Mrs. Hale was now so painfully
forced TO renounce.
Mrs Hale was sitting at her parlor
window looking at the house opposite.
There was nothing particular to see at
the moment, but at times the house OPP
posite was the scene of what sober
minded people called .'goings-on-'
A certain brilliant blonde lived at the
house opposite She had such clothes.
Such a figure, Such rustling silk petit
coats, And such number of messenger
bows with kilograms, flowers. notes and
certain little white boxes tied with gold
cord.
It was fine to have life like that.
thought Mrs. Hale. Now. why couldn't
she have such life? Jack, her nus
band. was a darling. of course, but, oh!
so commonplace. There was no more ro-
nance about him than there was in the
-
trifiing nor gallant about him TO tighten
the monotony of married life. He was as
definite as a proposition in Euclid. She
wished-she did not formulate any exact
wish-but she gaZed enviously at the
house across the way.
Suddenly a messenger boy crossed her
line of vision. and TO her utter amaze
ment mounted the steps of her own house
Fluttering with excitement she ran 10
the door, There are wild possibilities in
the advent of a messenger boy, but
though Mrs. Hale's strongest Nights or
imagination could not suggest probable
reason for his appearance, yet the mes
sage he bore was simple and direct
enough.
Just back from the Cape" it ran.
"Will call for you at 4:30. Object, dinner
and amusement. WILL
The messenger boy disappearade while
Mrs Hale stood at the open door, and
contracted her brows over the message.
She knew who WIN was Her friend
WiIhelmina Seymour had fashion OF
signing her letters thus. but what did she
mean by Just back from the Cape.
AS if in search Of some key to the prob
lem, Mrs. Hale turned the message over.
then turned it back and re-read ii, and
finally read the address on the envelope.
Mrs. Hills, Is Brock street w. She
read and sub-consciously repeated it AS
she uttered the words Mrs. Hills, she
jumped from the chair and dropped the
envelope on the table.
Good gracious!" she cried, that's not
my name
Wondering and thoroughly mystifled
now she again took up the envelope.
That's certainly not my name, she
repeated, but the address is mine. And
if the message is not from Wilhelmina,
who is WHIP
Somehow the name, Mrs. Hills SEEM
ed strangely familiar to her. and as the
message itself was to her more cryptic
than ever she finally concentrated her at
tention on the name.
''Of course" she cried in triumph at
last, Mrs. Hills was the name OF the
person who left this house when we took
it. ten months ago. The message is for
her"
Mrs Hale used the phrase. ''the person
in describing Mrs. Hills. because it was
firmly impressed on her mind that she
was not a lady. From what she had
heard of Mrs Hills she had mentally
classed her with the brilliant blonde of
the house opposite.
With her interest in the message dirnin-
ished by its explanation, Mrs. Hale again
seated herself by the window and looked
on the world with pessimistic eye.
For still half an hour Mrs. Hale sat by
the window in an agony of self-pity, and
then she was aroused by the return OF
the dog cart the distinguished
man and the brilliant blonde to the house
opposite.
Mrs Hale. feeling insanely jealous of
the brilliant blonde, flung herself from
her chair and then suddenly awoke TO the
| fact that she had still got the message
| for Mrs Hills in her hand.
As there was no address on the message
| she could do nothing to prevent WIFI
| from calling. Therefore she must decide
| on course Of action. It was strange
| that the fact that the toothache detracted
| somewhat from her good looks, naturally
| she was most attractive, should have any
thing to do with her decision. but it is an
undeniable fact that Mrs. Hale said:
Il wish my face was not swollen"
A few minutes later she said: The pain
| is completely gone. l think the swelling
ought TO be reduced
a glance at the mirror convinced her
| that her face was by no means so swollen
| as it had been in the morning; as a mat
| ter of fact her pet dimple was struggling
| for recognition.
Il feel sure" she reflected. that the
| electrical massage that Nelly Landon was
| talking of the other day would completely
cure il. I'll try it, she decided Il can
easily be back by half-past four"
When Lucy Hale returned from her
n1asseur at about ten minutes past four
she was radiantly beautiful her eyes
| sparkled with excitement, and the pet
dimple played its due part with great
vivacity in adding to the charm OF her
| smiles.
Ten minutes past four" said Mrs.
| Hale looking at her watch as she sat
down to her writing table.
At twenty minutes past four Mary,
| the sole domestic of the establishment.
| left the house with a note from Mrs.
Hale 10 Wilheimina Seymour.
At exactly thirty-two minutse past four
a hanson stopped outside Mrs Hale's
house Mrs Hale. hidden by the window
| curtains. surveyed its occupant attentive
| w Trembling with excitement though
| she was. vet she noted aproviugiy the
handsome. bronzed. clean-cut face Of the
/ man who emerged from the cab. Military,
| beyond doubt. and about thirty years o.
/ age.
was VIII
| Mrs. Hale walked across the room and
/ walked back again. The door-bsn again
! tangled It's summons. yet Mrs Hale hest
/ tated Romance had come to her Had
/ she the courage to take Il by the hand
/ The brilliant blonde came out Of the
/ house opposite with the distinguished
1 looking man Mrs. Hale saw her glance
at the impatient visitor.
/ The man outside lifted his brovs IN IN
disguised admiration when Mrs Hale
( onened the door. The Pc; dimpie, the
I sparkling eyes. the stray curis and tbs
routing mouth. with its moist. ful lips
made a picture too charming % Be Re-
Z sisted
Airs Hall broke the ice Are yoI
( VIM she asked.
The man put out his hand and smiled
! y - No iEtroiuee rnTself he 80 ~