The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-11-20

the way or breathe.-at least I didn't
L looks Ike fate
The girl sAl.ed How do you know
Z I'm lonesOmee' she asked.
Because your homes r. Ohio, he
answered promptly. and vJI're a long
ways from IT, and-an andwy0u're
afraid Of elephants. Everybody is
lonesome when he's away from home
Home wouldn't amoant to shucks as
an institution if be wasn't"
Il am lonesome. admitted the girl
I'D give anything II ! was back In
/ Ross county this very minute. She
glanced significantly At the elephant
and wiped the corners Of her eyes. Il
didn't have to leave But my uncle
wrote to me asking II I didn't want
position in his restaurant out here
and / was foolish enough TO take IL
/ thought Il would be better than the
mrm. And after I'd taken il I was
ashamed 20 60 back till I'D stayed q
year. cause said ] was going to stay
year. Father wrote me long ago.
saying be could tell by the tone OF my
letters that I was homesick He said
I'd better come back. ] wrote and told
him that nothing but a-a-"
Tornado" suggested Belwynd
Yes, that nothing but a tornado
that's what 1t amounted tO-would
make me come back TN my year was
up. and he said was just like mother
set in my way. After that / got a
letter from mother. and she said she
was sorry I was so stubborn. but she
knew I couldn't help it. cause I was
father right over again Ny fathers
name is William Travis. Perhaps
you've heard Of him"
NO. said Belwynd. honestly Il
never did Your home must be south
Of Chillicothe isn't it?"
yes. Yours is north2'
yes"
"But it's all old Ross county"
eYes. looking at the girl in frank
admiration; "it's all old Ross county"
And we're far away from It"
Far away from H."
The girl drew long breath
Wouldn't you like 70 go back?" she
asked
We'll" confessed the elephant man
slowly, sometimes do feel a banker
ing OF that sort, and ] can't account
for IT, I never got much else than
kicks and pushes when ] was there.
Maybe twas my own fault but ! like
20 think twas more because none OF
my folks understood me. Old Ross
county turned me down unreasonably
hard. yet the hankering comes IN spite
OF H. I'm a good deal like man
knew once who was with the show.
Him and his wife done a turn on the
trapeze that was good for letters
foot high on the bills It was a stun
ming act. But the little woman took
sick. Overwork. l guess. They called
II consumption Twas heartbreaking
10 hear her cough. But she never lost
hope. Folks sick with that thing
don't they say She stuck by the
show till the last minute. The day
she died she rode old plate here in the
street parade
~Ol" The brown eyes contemplated
the PROSTATE beast with a new ex-
preston. Then they flashed sympa-
thetically into the gray ones Of the
elephant man.
"Her husband was good deal cut
M when the end came He knew she
was better on and all that. but some
how he couldn't seem to get recon
clled. He hadn't married her because
he loved her particularly twas more
because she was clever performer on
the swinging bar 1t was a matter Of
business. Such things are not uncom-
mon in the show line. Maybe they're
not uncommon in other lines. I don't
know. He was like most other men,
he had mis- notions about what went
TO make up female loveIiness, and this
woman. his wife. wasn't according to
EN-. But after she left he quit the
trapeze and took up another branch.
He didn't know why he done it, He
lust felt that way. And three years
later he found the woman that he'd
dreamed Of in his youth"
And they we're married?"
NO they weren't married" Belwynd
inadvertently bent the stick in his
hand. breaking It. For a moment his
face took on the look OF one who
mourns. They weren't married. They
never win be- 1t was a most peculiar
thing. Twas sort Of ridiculous. in fact.
The man looked at the woman. and he
knew she was beautiful. but something
on his inside kept him from asking her
to marry him. He knew she was beau
uful but, eonfound it, he said to
himself. she doesn't cough and her
face isn't thin like the faithful and
true little woman's who's dead. And
be went on his way-alone."
ct is a pretty story" said the girl