The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-04-19

had ever seen on his Impudent counte-
nance, said. "Those apples were sour,
The whole performance was SO abb
surd that I laughed, but not so freely
nor unconcernedly as could have
wished: in fact, / found myself blush
ing very red. indeed. and was relieved
when Donald came In. This incident,
trifling In itself, haunted me. Mel and
I had been on a brotherly and sisteFly
footing Of perfect freedom for SO long,
I wished he hadn't disturbed It by such
foolishness. I brooded and worried ov-
er It till found myself wishing that II
he must kiss me at all he had done 50
in seriousness, and not in miserable
burlesque. When ( got to this point /
gave up trying to delude myself any
longer. Helen McGregor. I said, you're
in love with that boy-with person
who regards you as a female relation.
And the more I thought about It the
more unbearable the humiliation be-
came.
Mel was the same gag. affectionate,
good comrade. evidently fond Of me,
and no more; while I, day by day, found
more and more how natural and every
day thing it had become to me to love
him. I found myself waiting for his
coming, depressed II he was away,
watching his face to see what his mood
was, and wondering always how this or
that thing I thought OF doing would
strike him. All this had probably
been, unconsciously .1ore or less SO
before; but now my self-consciOugness
and self-loye were all alert, and every
such indication struck me a fresh blow,
and abased me further In my own eyes
OH youth, youth, that can extract such
boundless happiness or such infinite
misery from the simplest materials
bore this strange new state Of affairs
as best I could for a short time, till II
seemed to me that / was beginning
to treat Mel in a constrained and diff
ferent way. I even thought that I saw
difference in his manner toward me.
II had a mother, or a girl friend even,
l might have managed matters differ
emily; but as It was. when things came
to this pass | resolved on a bold stroke.
One day, when we were sitting to-
gether over the drafting-table again,
and felt my cheeks beginning TO get
hot with remembrance, l opened my
campaign with:
Mel. you ought to be thinking about
getting married, or you'll grow up an
old bachelor; and they are terrible
al but Donald"
"Do you think SO. Helene said he
In a somewhat hurt tone, regarding me
with evident surprise Don't YOU
think II would break IN on our tri0g'
felt, with a sinking heart that my
bold stroke was in fair way to be
failure; but ! foundered desperately
on.
mo, don't" said l Shed be nice.
and It would al out our number: Don
aid and /, and you and she"
silence again, and Mel regarding me
with a grave quiet. unusual with him.
Finally; Well Helen. since you are
bound to hurry my youth and inno-
cence to the matrimonial mart, maybe
you'd kindly suggest a lady worthy OF
the honor"
Ny patience gave way Here I had
done the thing ! had been planning In
secret for weeks as my one salvation.
and seemed merely TO have succeeded
in making an awful fool OF myself. and
Mel was taking the whole matter as
joke
You know I don't know many girls,
Mel-and I dare say nobody would
have you, anyhow" said GROSSLY; but
I'd try for a girl with some money, If
were you. It's just as easy. and it's
horrid to be p5oR all your life"
had reached a me1sIre OF success with
this abomlnable speech. for Mel didn't
look "iokey" now.
That's your advice. Is it?" he said
almost contemptuously.
Eyes. It is." I replied. with an as
sumption Of blunt simplicity. II think
you'd be a gump TO marry a girl with
Out nVhNgf WAcA 1NN AAttnA Ar WNlA At4
for one with some"
Il suppose, then. you think a girl
without money would be q fool TO mar
~ me-" said Mel with angry delibera-
ton. fixing me with his glittering eyes.
"Oh, no" I answered with an un-
moved front: "she might be in love
with you, you know. / don't see why
she shouldn't"
Mel worked In silence for about three
minutes: then his good humor came
back with q rush. Mers face would
grow tired il he didn't laugh for ten
minutes az a stretch.
"Help me to plan he said. leaning
forward across the table. laying down
his pencils, and turning to me with an
absurdly languishing air, which sat
most comlcally on his ugly. good-hu-
mored face. "since my beauty and fas-
cinauons are to be disposed Of to the
highest bidder, who shall she be?"
eTry Miss Van Valkenburg." I an
swered, shortly; "she has plenty Of
4a..f.. .-lt ~, .-..I-.a, g.. ~.