Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-09-29
THE
INTERRUPTED
FEEGHa By ST..
TINSLEY
Copyright, 1901, by S. L. TllSley

and started toward the door.
IF you change your mind so that
you can manage to leave tonight, why,
call me up, will your
Mr.. Franklin Thickerton, who was
opening and closing the drawers of
his desk. turned around hastily.
"Yes, yes, I'll see, my boy, I'll see!'
Pierce Factore nodded his head, and
was about to leave the room when
Mr. Thickerton whirled around sud
denly in his chair, with an expression
of dismay upon his thin, smooth face.
"Elosel What will do with Eloise?"
Pierce Factore uttered an exclama-
ton of impatience.
Marry her to some onew exclaimed
Factore in evaporation, hardly know
ing what he was saying. To his
amazement Mr. Thickerton seized upon
his idea with delight.
by George, the very thing. Glad
you thought of it, III attend 10 it at
once. Perhaps, after all, I'll be able
10 leave on the midnight express"
Then, whirling his chair around, Mr.
Thickerton applied himself to work,
Having finished his letters. Mr..
Thickerton hurriedly rang the bell and
then impatiently awaited the arrival
of his daughter Eloise. Elolse Thick
erton was n tall, slim girl, with Il pale
face, large gray eyes and short, curly,
light brown hair. When she entered
the room in answer to her fathers
summons, she looked about her with a
frightened expression. A summons
from papa meant something extra.
Mr.. Thickerton was always too busy
TO say more than good morning or
good night to his daughter. When
Eloise had closed the door, her father
began speaking.
MY dear, / must leave at once for
Russia on business. / may be gone
months, and may be gone years"
Eloise srasped her fathers arm in
surprise.
"Papar' she exclaimed
Eyes, | must 90 at once. This deal
means much money for me. There
fore 1 have sent for you to tell you
that you are to be married at once
this evening by s O'Clock at the lat
est That is all, my dear. You run
away. | am busy, very busy"'
Poor Eloise! The room swan before
her eyes. She sank into a chair, be-
cause she could not trust herself to
stand,
"Papa, dear-dear papa. what do you
mean?
Her voice was so pitiful that even
her busy father found time TO turn
around and look at her.
"There, there, my dear, don't fret;
it will soon all be over"
Eloise shuddered. Papa, dear, you
don't mean it, do you? You're just
teasing me, aren't your
She clasped her hands. He did not
look at her, but shook his head and
drummed nervously upon the desk.
There, there, my dear, run away
now and don't bother me. 1 am very
busy. But remember, be ready 1y g."
Eloise walked sadly toward the door
Then she hesitated ana looked back
timidiy at her father.
"Whom am l going to marry, papa|
Franklin Thickerton did not under
stand his daughters question, and he
was too busy to ask her to repeat it. So
he answered absently, "Never mind,
my dear never mind"
Eloise silently left the room.
One hour later Franklin Thickerton
was sitting in Judge Wilton's office.
The judge listened while Mr. Thicker
ton talked. The conversation con-
oerned Judge Walton's son.
You have always favored a mar
riage between Eloise and Harry. AS 1
start for Russia tonight and have no
one with whom could leave my
daughter. why not let us have the mar
riage performed this evening? What
do you say?"
The lawyer looked at the judge.
"What does Eloise say?' replied the
judge.
"She viii do what l say"
''Very well, Harry shall be on hand
Mt 8 o'clock tonight"
The two men shook hands, and Law
yer Thickerton hurried away to make
the final arrangements for his journey.
At q quarter before o'clock the
Thickerton household was in state Of
excitement. Eloise was missing. The
housekeeper was weeping in the sitting
room. The lawyer had locked himself
In the library. The servants were bud
1led together whispering in the kitchen
Eloise had left the house an hour
before, and her father had expected
her to return in few moments. She
had not returned, and the housekeeper
had found a note in her room adj
dressed to Mr.. Thickerton.
This note Informed the lawyer that
his daughter would not be married
that night. She had gone away and
would never again trouble her fathers
business arrangements. She expressed
the hope that he would be successful
with his Russian business transaction,
then she bade him goodby.
When Eloise's father had read this
note he seated himself before his desk
and for fully ten minutes opened and
closed the drawers in rapid succession.
He seemed to be searching for some
thing-perhaps Eloise At this mo-
ment the door swung open, and Judge
Wilton hurried into the room, his face
pale, his hands working with excite
ment.
"Thickerton," he cried when he bad
GAINED control of his voice. my son
has gonew
Franklin Thickerton looked at the
judge as though he had never before
seen him. $50 has my daughterw
Eloise Thickerton looked around
the waiting room of the depot,
frightened expression in her large
gray eyes. She held her mutt tightly
in both hands and watched the people
coming from and going to the ticket
windows. Eloise had not fully made
up her mind just where she wanted to
60
When Harry Wilton, carrying his
satchel, came into the waiting room,
the first person he saw was Elolse
Thickerton, The young man looked
at her in amaZement, then he slowly
drew out his watch; 1t was o'clock.
or course she must be looking for
himself. Poor girl, the idea OF being
deserted was intolerable to her. Walk
ing quickly across to Eloise's side,
Harry touched her lightly upon the
arm. The girl gave little startled
cry.
"oh, Mr.. Wilton, I'm so nervous.