The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-04-25

4 4
/ NMN Not more than seven rooms,
/ tClHcJ whether it's a house or fat,"
90 Ada had stipulated. And be
sure that the servants room isn't IN tne
basement. for no woman would sleep
there and 1 won't have Chinaman;
they are just as likely to murder the
whole family as not The baby has got
10 have a sunny nursery. and We must
have a guest chamber. Of course Il
would be nice II there was a music ROOM
where / could practice without bothering
Harvey and a little smoking den out OF
the dining room would be
--s.Rst. Ada Beth -4H4erposed. "that-s a
great deal more than seven rooms.
rs itg on, Of course; I forgot the
kitchen. Well. leave out anything but the
nursery. As long as the walls are pretty
and the house Is sunny-youd better get
a corner house Beth-yes, dear mothers
comingl And mind. Beth'-this from the
stalrs-"we can't pay cent over torty
dollars. and we'd rather pay thirty-nve.
Be sure it's a nice neighborhood, and not
sut Beth had ned.
For three hours she had tramped up and
down the Western addition, list IN hand
rushing In where any one but a house
hunter would have feared TO tread, and
getting gloriously snubbed in consequence.
She boke up tete-a-tetes, interrupted fam
ny rows, assisted at a fire and barely
escaped a funeral The hunt became
nightmare Of glaring pavements, and
piacarded windows that enticed her In
4 with their impudent ITO Let" and
grinned maliciously when she went away
/ disappointed There had always been
/ tradition to the effect that Beth was a
little shy, but after the first half hour
1 she found that she was by nature brazen.
A woman could not walk down her own
I front steps without Beths plunging after
Z her 10 ask how much rent she paid, and
which was the sunny side Of the street
/ Gradually she began TO feel growing dis
/ like for her sister-in-law and a positive
hatred for the baby. That sunny nurs-
ery'' was like a ghost at her elbow. warn
ing her away from every door
There was just one house left on the
/ list. II was the most promising Of ALL
but she had avoided Il before When
/ you've told a man you never could care
I for him In that way, and parted from
( him with something very like a quarrel
1 Il isn't exactly nice 70 take a house for
/ your slster-in-law directly across the
street from his home, when everybody
knows YOU spend more than half your
time with her. II would look as
II you wanted people are silly enough
I TO say anything For herself, she
didn't think much OF a man who could
ask you to marry him one month and go
bicycling all the time with that Cragan
girl the next. Beth honestly believed
these were the reasons she had left that
house tin the last. II any one had sug-
gested that Walter generally got nome
about 8. she would have wanted TO know
i what earthly difference that made to her,
and would have been very angry indeed.
It was a pretty little house as near
what Ada wanted as II was reasonable to
expect, with a sunny corner room for the
nursery. and 4 clean odor OF new paint
and paper.
1T is exactly what they want" she de-
cided looking around the nursery with
deep satisfaction. "And II is all in such
nice order I wonder which way the house
frontsy' She went 70 the window. then
opened Il with an unnecessary amount OF
noise and leaned out regardless Of the
fresh varnish. young man passing be-
low glanced up. then stopped short in sur
prise on. Beth. Beth You who despise
the Cragan girl because she Is not above
small maneuvers. you who never walk
rast the club unless that is undeniabiy
your way. who pride yourself on having
no small motive for word or deed, after
an you are but a woman. There was no
harm in fiinging up the window. or even
4 IN knocking on Il q You wanted to. but
IN that look OF genuine surprise as You
heard your name. there was.
"Beth," said the young man, wonder
Ing.
How do you 40. walter?' she said in
the grave. rebuking tone we use to peo-
( pie whom we have vowed never TO speak
10 again as long as We live.
What are you doing up there7 he
asked, trying 10 be easy and natural
Have you set up housekeeping BY your
self2'
I'm looking for a house for Ada" she
I explained. This Is the best ! have found
yet. though ] don't altogether like the
nelghborhood"
Perhaps sou would like Il better II
moved out Of a." Re said meekly. This
was exactly what she had meant; but she
had not expected him 20 show that he
7 understood SO she answered hastily:
"Ifs rather far from the cars that's
an. Harvey has TO SO down town early.
you know
II see. he replied Then ne looked up
al her with a sudden smile. please can't
F come up and shake hands with your" he
asked. Beth smiled hack before she real
lied what she was doing. so up he came.
several steps az a time. He found her
standing IN the han looking rather fright
ened.
CHI Walter" she said IN a low tone.
" sas, heard such fanny no So. as
though some one sneezed rilhf behind
me- ] was in hcre~-going into the cor
nar room rather fearfaiiy--eand it
stcme. TO come ffam that siHe near the
T chimney"
"Yoa always hear spooky noises in
empty houses. he answered. stopping to
look up the chimney. me burger could
ge. in.n that rfile nse. Il y ouldn't
even hold his jimmy. And ghosts have
gene out 81 fashion. like valentines and
keeping Sunday You never would dnd one
IN this neighborhood. There's an old suit