The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-02-04
LITTLE JACK HORNER


Mr. jackson Horner what would he
have said il he had known that now and
then irreverent people called him little
Jack Hornerl- lived in avery handsome
villa in bonneville, aud was the richest
man, no doubt in the whole county.
There was time not 50 very long be-
lore, either when he had been no
richer than his neighbors, and thea he
had not, as they said, @taken so many
airs.
But lucky contract. not particularly
to his credit when itcame to conscience,
and lucky speculation or two added to
that had made Jack Horner rich.
In the old days, when he lived in the
row Of frame houses with shops under
them, his most intimate friend had been
one Jerry Pine who kept the tiusmith
shop next door 10 him.
Many a good turn had Jerry done him; (;
many q dollar had he loaned, glad to
accommodate a neighbor; but Jerry. be-
ing generous, had been imposed upon,
and Jerry had grown poorer. and since
Mr. Homer had gone to live at the villa
lie had not invited bis old friend to see
him.
Jerry felt the slight. For years they
had smoked their pipes together. sitting
on the low fences Of their little gardens
ID the evening, or played dominoes when
winter nights were long. He still had
che old accordion they both used 10 play
on in the boyish days before they were
married aud they had been confidential
over their love affairs.
My Jim was born two years before
Jacks Eliza came into this world. the
tiusmilh would say. Jack used TO
swear that his girl should marry my boy,
and their mothers talked as il it were to
be SO. I'd like to see Jack Horner's face
up there in the villa. as he calls it, IL he
Was put in mind Of that Riches spoil
some men. And yet who doe,n't want
emp I'd like to see my Jim one Of the
rich ones, would; but be has got to
take to his tools, like his daddy.
Jim was quite content He was big
fellow, with brawny arms and black
hair and eyes And whatever coolness
had come between tue rich and the poor
one. none had come between their
children.
They had been playmates and Jim's
mother died early; so that ELIAS
mother, feeling pity for the little child
wHo had no womankind 10 watch over
him. had had him about the house
good deal after that
Eliza vas very affectionate. and by
the time she was II and jim 10, the
boy began to know that it was not as a
sister that he loved Eliza. He was
sorry then for the first time that he had
not fortune to offer her. but be in
tended to make one-to hammer it out
81 the iin. he said. If there was no other
way. And lie often vert mp to the
Houer villa, never guessing that the
mother knew 50 well what her hus-
bands feelings on the subject would be,
that she never let him see who called
They cat IN the family room, and Jack
Horner knew that Eliza had company
in The parlor. Young folks always had
company. be supposed; and they we're
10 fine house, and the neighbors sons.
an people who were quite up to his
taste. woald naturally drop in.
Eliza, he would say to himself,
-will marry q big banker Or something
Of that sort one of these days. There's /
nothing Ike lifting your family up.
However. be himself made no new
friends. He asked people 70 dinner.
and went ont to dire They bowed
and spoke as they met On the cars. re-
turning b their villas from the city. He
uas ore Of the select neghborhood. but
fIcrc vas no one 70 chat with him over
lis pipe. er play dominoes. or talk over
all times IS there was when he was
islima e With Jerry Pine. the tinsmiih.
The idea that It vas Jim Pine in there
81 ihe fne parlor. with its carved man