Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1900-05-11
ODDIE'S

BY sheila E. Rraine


Mr.. Markham Oddie was n model
loo ser. an old bachelor and a heart
whole man-thnt Is to say, he was al
three until the day. considerably past
his fortleth birthday. that Il special
fate took him Ia hand aud brought
BIN face to face with the younger Of
two ladies' who mad recently come to
live In one Of the houses opposite.
They were evidently mother aud
daughter. Both were comely. end the
last named OF the two had one Of the
sweetest faces Il had ever been Mr..
Oddle's luck to behold. She happened
70 drop a small parcel while walking
along their mutual road. and he bur
rled after her with Il. The smile with
which she received II went straight
through Mr.. Oddie's somewhat anti
quated walstcont.
All the evening he thought Of that
smile. When he went TO bed. he en-
deavoEed. with the aid OF three can
dies. to get an impartial view OF that
region on the top Of his head where
the hair ought to have been. but now.
alas. was not. That bald spot had not
troubled bin much up to that time.
Now he regarded II with mlstrust.
Mr.. Oddie had led an amlable. pune.
tuaL. uncventful existence. going TO
and returning from the city every week
day with regularity and d~ispatch-the
kind Of person who Is never asked for
his season ticket. He was comforta
bly, off and had no one dependent up
on him. The few relatives he pos
sessed lived In the shircs.
Mr.. Oddic had remained n bachelor
ell these years possibly because no
body had set to work to marry him
II was not that he objected to mi
On the contrary. he admired the fair
sex. us n whole. quite unreservedly.
But he had never given his heart to
any one particular woman. and his
landlady looked upon him as a fixture.
The returning Of that apparently In
accent looking parcel marked nn ep
och. fife was never the same again
to the little old bachelor. He had not
watched Miss Iiexham's gentle face
and we'll developed but graceful figure
for ten days before he became con
WINGED that II was not good for a corn
dealer to live alone.
"a man wanted sOftenlng Influences
about him"-herc he hurled a piece OF
fried ham to the cat-'he needed q
gentle hand to guide and restrain him.
Mr.. Oddie nj this point discovered that
he had forgotten to wind his watch up
the night before.
The truth was be was In love and
with n young woman with whom he
had never exchanged a syllable. He
learned her Eame from his landlady,
an austere person. whose mind was
set upon n curious form OF religion and
who did not take much thought about
frivolous worldly matters.
Questioned d~iscreetly by her ledger
this worthy but depressing person
could teif him little regarding the two
ladies' who were nov the objects OF
such tender Interest to him. They
were n Mrs. and Miss Hexham. so she
had heard. and Mrs. Hickman was eli
Their leaf or dumb. or 1t might be
both. for her daughter talked on hel
fingers TO her. and she answered bach
In the same way.
Mr.. Oddle's courtshlp was n very de
eorOus affair. In Spain. despite his
years. he would doubtless have adopt
ed the role OF an Iron eater" as the
youth who goes counting under his
Iadylove's balcony Is styled.
But In sober. unromantlc England
the sultor does not eat iron or sere-
made the queen OF hls heart on the
guitar. He has TO be properly intro
duced. and the little corn dealer. know.
ing this respectable custom. would
have given anything for an introduc-
ton which would have allowed him "a
call aud establish friendly relations.
The months passed. and still he could
not get that thin but necessary end OF
the wedge In. The mother and daugh-
ter seemed to have very few friends
and never ven out. probably on &C
count OF Airs. Hexham's aflIctlon. II
was hard upon the daughter. Mr. Cd.
die thought. but he admired her all the
more for her self sacrifice.
Miss Hexham became aware OF bis
devotion. OF that Mr. OddIe was con,
WINGED. When they met-and he took
eare that they did meet pretty often
be ventured to raise Ills hat. and smiles
were exchanged. But there the afHalT
halted. to the poor little mans fire.
quent despair. lie could get no "for.
raider"
Once. when he attempted to speak,
Miss Hexham turned the color Of n red
rose and promptly hurried nway.
II have never been properly intro
duced. that IL why" was Mr.. Oddle's
anguIshed reflection. "She must have
been cxquIsItely bgopght up. the very
pink OF proprlety."
something win have 10 be doneT'
cried the poor mau desperately on the
day that he went TO The city without q
tie. aud an unfeelIng RcqIalntance jeer-
al q btu an1 inquired II bis nger Trro