The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-04-19
A Trio in A Flat



The greatest happiness Of my life
came TO me through an advertisement.
You think the business manager
stood in" with me to get me 70 say
that; but he didn't, at all. /. was this
way Ny father died when was four
years old: and my mother. a woman Of
great good sense and energy, maintain
ed herself ana me ia comfort, and even
considerable luxury. by keeping a girls
school There was only mother, my
brother Donald. and me. IN the little
household after fathers death; and
Donald being fifteen years my senior,
was then nineteen Mother died six
years after father. leaving me, a girl
Of ten, and Donald. man Of twenty
five. entirely alone, so far as relatives
in this country are concerned; you will
Judge from our name. McGregor. that
ve are Scotch.
Donald wouldn't put me in a board
Ing school, as most of our friends ad-
vised him. We were such a tiny rem
nant OF a family there wasn't enough
to divide: SO We boarded and ! went
10 school for two very uncomfortable
years. Then Donald concluded 70 set
lip an ohice for himseif-he's an archi-
ieci. and a very distinguished one,
now. too. and we took a nat IN an up
town street took the top floor. where
there was q charming view Of the mud
son. and one large room with a sky
light that made a handsome ofice.
mis- was home az last
Brought up as / was, I should have
: cen d shifiless. out-at-elb0ws cLild;
hut. IN Spite Of the usual rule in such
matters. the housewife woke within me
at the possession OF something 70 keep
aud tend and ] soon developed into
notable home-maker
loved. on Saturdays and after
school. 70 mess and cook In our little
kitchen. though we usually had our
meals sent up from the restaurant on
the FIRST noor. tried my hand al fash
ioning my own dresses and hats. and
took the decorating and furnish
Ing mania. then prevalent. IN an ex-
lremely violent form. This last was
mercifully tempered by Donald's edu-
Gated taste. so that our rooms were
made simply charming. and did not
present an appearance half way be-
tween a museum Of antiques and a fan
cy-work bazaar as might have been the
case had been allowed to work my
viii on them alone.
when I vas fourteen Donald took me
into council-he always did. though be
was 80 grave and quiet and SO much
older-and told me be thought be must
have an assistant In the Office. Ny cf-
fer 20 serve In that capacity met with
immediate refusal "tiil after I should
be through school anyhow" and we
had two or three boys. an Of whom
turned out poorly.
Helen" said Donald. N the face Of
these failures. "I've a mind to adver-
tlse."
do nice people ever answer adver-
tlsemenis2' said J. douhiously
I'VE don't need 10 take any OF them
n they don't suit" replied Donald. and
advertise ne did.
70 seemed strange 20 us that every
young man about nineteen years Of
age. with some knowledge OF drawing.
IN New York. was DESTROYS of "balne
employed In the ofice OF an architect
to make himself useful. attend to gen
sral matter. do plain drafting. and al
himself Tor the profession"
Donald was out when the boy he ia
ally selected came was keeping Of
fee. told him 20 wait. and that DON
aid would be 81 directly. and then sat
demurolY at my table pretending 10
write. and taking mes Of the new ar
rival through my eyeiashes. For some
reason. perhaps because / had passed
my life with older people. he seemed
very young to ne, though be must have
been nineteen Or more. and vas bare Z
~ fourteen. he vas tan and siim. a
boy who had grown up suddenly. with F.
a turned-up nose. some freckies. and q I
trace Of the urchin surviving iu his ex- /
preston. This latter was not 30 ap-
parent however. as I glanced at him. |
Tor BE was looking somewhat anxious
ly about him as he turned bic little soft /
hat around In bis hands
when Donald came On I saw it was I
all right had been dreading that be /
wouldn't snit. and hate 70 see any one {
refused or sent away; not 50 much be- /
canse I am particularly kind-hearted. /
as from q selfish shrinking from Wit /
Messing pain and distress. The boys
name was Melville sierreit; he was an
Intelligent young fellow. and vel edu- 4
Gated. and % vas wonderful how soon /
and how completely DC became one OF 4
us. he was almost as much alone In /
the world as ue were. and. sometime 4