The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-10-15

j can't marry man VINO drinks ana
carries on like you do. If you'll prom
ise not to drink any more. I'll marry
you. Won't you promise2"
mo, Lucy, / won't promise for ia
hate to tell the women ! love lie.
/ don't think I could stop it soon. My
grandad loved ticker. my dad loved
Ticker. and l love Ticker, and can't
promise you III quit Goodbye, Lucy.
It's a nearer cut through here TO
home"
One evening during the close OF
October heavy clouds settled over this
section and a drizzling rain COM
menced. The old people, who mad
been watching the almanac. knew
rainy season was developing, and saw
mill men up and down the creek fas-
tened their logs. Pilfer creek rose
fast, being the destination Of many
smaller streams Bridges were fas-
tened with log-chains. and the fatten-
ing hogs in pens along the banks had
to be moved to the ridge. People with
nothing else to do sat cn the banks
and watched logs, fences, bridges, and
occasionally a dead animal, pass down
in the swift yellow current BY eight
o'clock that night the back-water was
where it had not been for several
years. and was still rising Along to-
wards midnight, above IN, roar Of the
murky creek. came the cry;
Come and get usl"
Tony Lloyd, who lay awake, heard
the cry and was soon standing with
his lantern on a hill, waiting for the
second cry, which soon came. Tate
Olives family in the bottom, near the
creek, had been driven to the loft OF
their house. Tony padded the fam
lily ashore In his skin, and then went
down the strip Of water and around a
bend.
Dink Joiner went to Tonys house
the next day 10 see about some fence
rails but the house was deserted.
That evening he inquired around the
neighborhood, but Tony had not been
seen since he rescued Olives family on
the night before. NeighDors began to
inquire. and at last a search was ad-
vised. which followed, and was thor
ough, but availed nothing towards
finding Tony Lloyd. Days passed. and
he was not heard from, and parties
went away down the creek In search
OF his body. for it was very probable
that be had been drowned Every pile
Of drift wood was Investigated and the
banks and thickets closely watched.
but the body could not be found AS
persistent search and inquiry brought
TO light nothing he was given up as
lost drowned and washed away His
home. which had always borne a lone
some look. because no one occupied it
but quiet. peculiar Tony Lloyd. now
stood with a mysterious. lonesome air.
The doors were fastened with chains
and padlocks. and the windows nailed
down.
Lucy was not the same girl now.
She went to none OF the social settle
ment gatherings, and often stood on
the back porch looking sadly at the old
house and out towards the creek. Pill
fer creek winds around. and finally
empties into Cumberland river. Sew
eral weeks later. the half-wasted body
OF a man was found on a sand-bar a
few miles down the Cumberland. Bad
ly decOmposed, it was buried at once.
without being recoghized. in a little
graveyard at a nearby church. Lucy
went there and on that new grave
tenderly strewed wild roses and plant
ed on it fragrant honey -suckle.
Two years and more have gone since
the above story was written. The
church women in a small Arkansas
village are bustling around decorating
the village church. and preparing
reception for their pastor. who viii re-
turn from another state with a bride.
on the evening train. The pastor. /
VIII add. Is Rev. Tony lloyd. who came
..THI