The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-04
GRABBED MN
and KISSED En-
Astounding Action of a Pretty,
" ell Dressed Woman.
1T MADE ONE MAN MAD
Story of a Girl Who Persisted
in Going on the Stage.

loin last evening. 1t was early, that is,
about 10 o'clock, and the streets were as
quiet as a country village. Two men
had stopped for a chat in front of a sup
per house wherein business was just be-
ginning. l don't know who they were
gamblers perhaps, or swell FOUNDERS.
Their tall hats and evening clothes sug-
gested one as much as the other An
empty hanson stood at the curb, evident
ly, for the driver made no attempt to
pick up custom from passers. Presently
the outer door of the supper house opened
and there issued a radiant vision of
beauty, her cheeks the more radiant, like
ly from the effect of her prolonged din
ner. She was dressed in the most stun
ming style, and she had that trick of shape
of the foot and quantity of white under
garments that is bewildering to the mas
culine perception. And you know the
flourish a skillful woman can give to her
drapery as she walks something like she
made evident in the six yards she travers-
ed 10 the curb,
But having got so far she halted sudden
ly and turned back to the men who in
default of any better entertainment. were
observing her in what I thought was
rather an approving way. Apparently she
thought so, too. Going up to one of them
she put his arm around her neck and
kissed him with a loud smack before he
knew what was coming to him.
"Oh, like you.'' said she. Then, quick
as a fash, she turned to the other. He
was a bit on his guard, but whether he
really resisted the assault 1 can't say.
/ know his tail hat fell off and that he
caught it before it reached the pavement.
'And, you too she said las she admin
istered an equally loud smack upon his
shaver cheek.
Thank YOU" kindly gasped the second
man, as he grabbed convulsively for his
hat.
The first was too fabbergasted even
then to make utterance of any kind. He
simply stood and stared with his hands
still in his overcoat pockets. She had
apparently bestowed all the favors she in
tended in that quarter, and was making
quickly for the cab again, when along
came a pensive, sedate person, a little
man half her SIZE but twice as old. He
walked as if he was pacing along his
favorite flower beds in his back yard gar
Gen, seeing nothing but his peaceful
thoughts.
OH cried the gay young woman,
Here's another. l never did see so many
lovely mem" Wit hthis she was upon his
pensiveness like a sudden gust of south
wind. She used both arms and Rugged
him good, the saying is. Taken by
surprise, he nevertheless struggled. Per-
baps he was alarmed for his purse, for
such methods have been employed ere
now by naughty DANES, but she was no
pickpocket
a kiss vas all she wanted. and that
she was willing 10 give, not take. "Oh,
you fussy little dear" she cried, as she
succeeded in saluting the elderly party's
lips She let so then at once and has
tened to the cab. The elderly party was
sputtering. Go home. YOU harradanr'
was one of the unappreciative things he
said. He even shook his fist at her The
young woman got into the cab and put
cigarette between her lips lighting il
quickly with a match that she drew
across the sole of her shoe. Good night
boys" she called as the cab started. The
driver evidently knew where to take her
for he asked no questions. but he grim
ned cheerfully as he CLICKED up. The last
seen of the frolicsome dame was a pair
of wel-shod feet on the dashboard of |
the cab as it rolled away northward. but |
1t took no sort of imagination to per-
ceiye the elegantly negligee attitude she !
assumed for her post-prandial smoke and |
the ride homeward. 1t was not till the |
cab had got a block away that the first |
man favored by her OSCILLATION recovered |
himself sufficiently TO ramark on the mat |
ter. BY then the third man was trotting /
along. muttering discontenteGly and the /
second was thinking deep thoughts as he |
gazed after the cab.
We'll. III be hanged" said the first /
man. lets have something and he pre- /
coded his companion to the bar OF the
supper house.
Il want 70 be engaged. said the girl.
and the man thought there was no good
reason why she shouldn't be. She was
good looking. well dressed. and her frank
ness had nothing of the repellant in it.
on the contrary il was engaging. which
seemed 10 be most appropriate. As for /
himself he was out of il. There was an 1
abundant gray in his hair. and. more
to the point a certain vie and children
10 be thought Of: but there ought TO be
any number Of p1esentable young fellows
eager TO jump at the chance He said /
something airily TO this effect, whereupon
the girl pouted and exclaimed that he
knew better. That wasn't the Kind of
engagement she wanted and il wasn't bus
inesslike ir eonsiderate for him 10 tribe
with her. The man sighed. She was
rigl.,; and as he glanced around at the
walls OF his room that were COVERED from
floor to ceiling with photographs Of actors
ane actresses. he sighed again. She want
ed an engagement. OF course. There
were many like her in that regard. an
army of them and this was the natural
place TO come for the article. for he was
theatrical man and had much to do
with getting companies together.
This theatrical man was. moreover. a
man with a heart. Long years OF ex-
pertence in turning down dramatic aspir-
ants had not wholly accomplished the /
hardening OF his sympsthies. He is prone.
as he has told me with reluctant self-coa-
6emnation. 10 fan q sudden victim -
pair Of beseeching eyes.
II can't explain 1T he says. 'for days
At stretch l will be the most case-hard-
ened wretch In the business I give the
marble heart TO one and another without
q oualrn. and I have ne doubt I say the
most outrageous things and never CULVER.
Then. without any reason whatever. and
before I am half aware what has hap
pened. put myself out In the most ex-
traordinary fashion for somebody / never
oemparison between the two passages Of