The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-23
ELINoR's WAY.

Don't be so internally patient, return
ed her father. Meeknes was trait OF
| her mothers. and that had always irri-
! tated him and made him feel blame
worthy
Where is the housekeeper?" he inquired
presently Not up yet? Well. L hope
she is getting some beauty sleep-she GER
tainly needs it,
His daughter made no reply. for she
saw that he was in an irritable frame of
| mind. This morning she had wanted 10
have a nice confidential chat with him.
but his mood made it out Of the ques-
| ton.
BY the way" said Judge Caldwell,
with a frown. II don't want the billiard
table used for ping-pong- What any one
can see in that inane game is more than
1 can understs nd. but if you want TO play
it, for heavens sake get a table"
81 have ordered one. Eleanor re-
| piled quietly, land it viii be sent up
today
The library is the only suitable room
to put il in" Judge Caldwell remarked,
so 1 suppose you will take possession
BY the way, 1 wish that you wouldn' I
let your friends smoke there. Last even
ing after young Ramsay had gone, the
library was full of stale tobacco smoke.
Ramsay is a regular furnace-smokes CT
garettes all the time. He'll never amount
to anything-cigarette smokers never do
and he is a gambler. too. l know for a
fact that he lost fifty dollars on the
Derby. Now, l never made a bet in
my life, and / have my opinion of men
who play the races"
But, father" Elinor ventured, Really
- She Ionged to defend Rasmay,
for he was her closest friend, and a
really splendid fellow, but she was afraid
Of hafr I1.- vim tnn
Elinor was rot girl who wore her
heart on her sleeve. but she wondered If
the pecking of DAVIS could be harder to
bear than what she secretly suffered.
What kind OF tea is fhis?'' the Judge
broke in How many tunes Will l have
to caution the cook about not letting
it boil? The proportions aren't right.
either There should be four parts of
Cooling to one part green" Il
have sent Madame What's -her-name a
check for your new clothes" he observed
as he looked over his mail. land here is
her receipted bill. That reminds me-" he
added that L would very much prefer
TO have you wear high-necked gowns in
the future
"Oh, father!" exclaimed Elinor in dis
may. lone has TO have decolette gowns
for dances and dinners. They are the
only appropriate ming"
Young people always think they know
best" was her fathers sententious re-
joinder, but you would, perhaps. feel
differently if you heard the men at the
club talk about 10 and behold dresses"
How vulgar of them,' Elinor muir
INJURED, with as stern an expression as her
dimples would allow.
Here is a note from Mrs. Van Garde, ."
vouchsafed Judge Caldwell, as he finished
perusing the mail. ''She invites us to a
dinner in honor of that East Indian,
Swami Something other
Delightful" Elinor exclaimed. with en-
thusiasm. Il have heard all about him.
He is very poor, and often lives on wild
flowers and
do you think that he will eat the
floral center-piece?" her father inquired,
sarcastically. You may go If you
choose he went on, but L prefer to
decline Mrs Van Garde is a woman
that l cannot tolerate--the sort who won't
take a seat in the car when it is Of
fered to her-in short, she is thoroughly
tactless." He would have continued his
diatribe had not the butler entered just
then to say that Mr.. Ramsay wished to
speak with Miss Elinor at the tele-
phone.
Goodness ejacunlated Judge Caldwell
frowning. His daughters color heighten-
ed, and if her father had noticed her
expression as she left the room he would
not have thought her meek.
On the way down town his conscience
pricked him, and he resolved not to be
so irritable in future. He thought of q
morning twenty years before when. after
scene not unlike the one just enacted,
he had gone down town and returned in
the evening to find that his young wife 8
life had fickered out, leaving to his care
a lar a ha 10 a.
preached himself bitterly for not having
been more tender but now he found him
self repea tint his mistake. No father
ever loved his daughter more devotedly
than he loved Elinor, but often he was
less gentle than he should have been.
How can | be expected to be amiable p
he asked himself when l am so equity
that l can almost chalk billiard cues with
my fingers"
But in his heart he owned to himself
that ne did wrong not to be less fault
finding and he made UP his mind that he
would try to be pleasanter at home
"Elinor poor child must feel the lack Of
a mother keenly," he soliloquized. She
really has no one TO pet her and play
confidante. / am such a gruf, Undemon-
strative man." and he gravely shook his
head.
Late that afternoon he was sitting in
the lounging room at the club. when
young Ramsay sauntered toward him and
luxuriously ensconced himself in the arm
chair opposite
Il would like very much to know"
Ramsay began, with an air OF extreme
nonchalance-"I would like very much TO
know If you have any objections to my
marrying your daughter.
Il am particularly interested Ramsay
went on, as he lazily blew a smoke
wreath. for the fact is that Elinor and
Rue.