The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-01-24

wasted the hand that had clung 20 him
for a moment; how slight the weight
that he had sustained. With grim
satisfaction he had watched the tokens
Of falling youth in her keep pace with
his own aecumulating inhrmities. Be
yond this be had never looked until
now. She had seated herself upon the
bank and insisted that he should go
on. Her painting breath as she leaned
against a tree told how her frail
strength was exhausted A nameless
foreboding oppressed him as he left
her.
A comrade observed his depression
and approached him. addressing him
genially. touching the burnt hole in
his sleeve. IN mute recognition Of its
import. then lifting bis hand to smooth
down the pocket lapel on the breast Of
his old military coat A paper rustled
IN the pocket.
Important dispatches." querisd the
other. in smiling recognition Of the
service in which the old coat had been
worn.
III they were, I'm afraid their use
lulness would be past" returned Sex
'on lightly, idly thrusting his hand
nto the pocket and wondering what
7eiic Of army days would come to
light.
He drew out a couple Of tiny sheets.
gilded on three edges, a jagged line
7n the fourth showing where they
1ad been hastily torn from binding
Across these was scrawIed a message:
Il win marry you tonight, il you
want me. John. Your empty sleeve is
more to me than all the epaulets in
he world"
There was no date or signature. but
le knew Hetty PIymptons hand. What
lid IL mean? When had she written
{? How did it come there? He re-
NAMED standing, stupefed, bewildered,
while the rest moved on. Suddenly
the explanation flashed upon him. He
remembered the scene at the railroad
station on the day Of his return from
the south; how she had turned aside to
write in the little book; her light
touch on his breast when she had stood
before him.
II was well for Hetty Plympton that
the place where she had sat down to
rest was by-path, away from the line
Of march. John Sexton would rot
have hesitated or delayed his errand II
there had been a thousand people
about her She rose at the sound Of
his quick tread. He held out the little |
scraps Of paper to her
"Hetty. have but Just found this.
never saw it before. Ny darling, t
what must you have thought?"
Can love and Joy find resurrection,
full and perfect, after they have been |
entombed for a quarter Of a century? |
Aye. If clean hands have laid them
away, and purity and faith kept guard
over them. Swift came the awaken
Ing gathering force and strength from
az the years through which they had
Miss Hetty's face bios
somed into something so like its girl
sh beauty that she was as one trans
figured to John Sexton. whose eyes
lost their tired, strained look and re-
covered their youthful fire, while his
igure Strengthened. and he seemed in
/ moment to renew his lost estate OF
youth and courage
Yet they accepted their happiness
'everently. as becomes those who re-
'elve precious gift. long withheld.
With a low exclamation, like the cry
# some hurt creature, long suffering,
hat has at last reached covert. Hetty
aid her head upon his breast, and he
olded his arm about her
Sweetheart" he said, gently your
hedge has been slow to reach me. The
lay has been long and lonely. VIII
'ou keep your promise tonight?"
The shadows we're lengthening when
hey turned their faces homeward, but
he radiance Of the setting sun was in
heir faces.-Flora H. Longhead, in
Mass) Republican.