The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1900-12-05

One could scarcely imagine a more
striking contrast than that presented b,
the two ladies in the Thornton carriag.
as it rolled along in the procession
heading toward the cemetery, on Sol
dier's Memorial Day. The one wa,
small and dark-very dark and the
beauty, which had evidently once be
longed to her face, seemed to have been
consumed by some inward fire, the dy
ing GOALS of which still flashed fitfull,
into life in the dark eyes. She wore 9
gray cloth ulster, unfastened at the
front revealing black silk dress oI
suspicious newness. A tiny gray bonnet
surmounted by black tips and ornaments
of jet rested, rather among than above
the puffs Of soft white hair. All together
hers was q striking face and figure; but
one from which. the casual observer
turned and almost drew a sigh of relief
as his eye rested ON the other occupant
of the seat. The latter had every ad.
vantage however as the light blue trap.
pings of the carriage had been ordered
expressly to set off the blonde beauty
Of Paul Thornton's bride; and then to
her belonged youth, hope, and love.
Her costume was of pale pink flannel
with facings, trimmings, and other ac-
cessories of white.
They were nearing the entrance to
the Union Cemetery, when the elder
woman spoke in low passionate voice
GLADYS, / cannot 60 in there; / tell
you, cannot. hate them all, the
living and the dead. DO you think
can listen while one foe eulogizes
another, and not cry out and tell them
that they are thieves and murderers? ?"
Hush, mother, oh, do hushl some
one will hear you. Don't feel like that /;
these people are not our foes, but friends; /;
and presently they will go over there, y
(and Paul Thornton's wife pointed TO
another enclosure a few rods distant
"and do honor to our dead. / am sure
it shows that they are good, when they
save some Of their beautiful flowers for
the graves Of their enemies. We have
never done such thing See there is
Paul; don't he play nicely. mother9"
During this speech Gladys had taken
one of her mothers hands in her own,
and now smiled proudly into her stormy
face.
Il suppose so; but you have eyes and
ears for no one else Paul Thornton
may be well enough, but it does not
make me love him that he has robbed me
of the one thing had left on earth
my child. But it is as I have always
said, / am bound to lose all ] have for
the sake Of the North. Even you,
Gladys, are changed, grown cold
blooded since you left the Sunny South.
/ almost wish had never let you come. :
Their carriage had driven TO a posi-
tion that made further conversation out
OF taste, and saved the daughter the
pain of replying.
While the services, to the one so dis
gusting and irritating, to the other so
full of soul aud beauty, are in progress,
We will glance briefly at the past history
of the two.
Helen Glenly had had lovely home,
q fond husband, and a charming baby
girl at the time of the war; at its close
she had nothing save the last. named.
She had been twice the rebel her hus-
band was, and had urged him into the
service; aud when a marauding party
pillaged her goods, drove of her stock,
and burned her home, she had defended
her rights to the last with brace Of
pistols. Hers was deep passionate ma
ture full of Southern fire and heas. Not
long after she had been forced to seek
shelter with her only sister, she found
her husbands name among the missing;
and later friend wrote her that they
had buried what they supposed to be
his body, his face being burned by what
seemed to have been a powder ex-
plcsion, beyond recognition.
It seemed to her friends that she
must surely die too, SO wildly did she
beat against the bars of the cage fate
lin measure assisted by HERSELF had
built about her. She would listen to
no sympathy, and unreasoningly in
sisted that no ones grief and loss was
equal to her own.
To what extremity her abandonment |
Of self-control, and indulgence in a de-
sire for revenge might have carried her,