The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-03-26

always cAFrDt ~ AA"A~ 49,
break. It's one Of the rules Of the
store"
''Mr Lacy, cried Mildred, breath.
lessly. II did not break that. 1t fell
of when the young lady caught her
gloves.
1T was your fault, then, for not |
seeing that It was properly secured,
said Mr.. Lacy, craftily, for, ofeourse,
it was his business to aiix blame, not
to the wealthy customer, but 70 the
defenseless shop girl, who had no one
To take her part. s'You are RESPONSE
HE for this counter. And Tape and
Sparkle expect these little things to
be settled at once.
Mildred grew pale Ten dollars
As far as she was concerned, he ml8hl
have said ten hundred. She had Just
risen from a long and expensive bed
Of sickness, aud beyond the fifty cents
that was to pay for her dinner and car
fare, she had not pennyin the world
Gerald Ayenel stood quietly by tho
counter while Flora Watson guiltily
arranged her furs and settled her bon
net strings, affecting TO be Ignorant
of the colloauy going on. For It was
Flora's hand that had precipitated the
statuette TO the floor aud she knew 1t
perfectly well.
"Will she be base enough to let the
other girl sufIer for her fault2 be
thought. "If so, It Is a revelation Of
her character Of which / had never
dreamed before. "
But Miss Flora did not mean 70
spend any unnecessary money. 0he
disliked Mildred first, because she
was pretty; secondly, because Gerald
Ayenel seemed to be interested IN her'
as an old acquaintance; thirdly pc
cause she was a shop girl, earning hei
living by her own hard work.
"Come. Mr.. Avenel, said she, I'M
i, patiently. II don't see anything y
j suit me here. Let as go.
"Notyet, said Gerald, eomposediy,
J, opening his porie-monnaie. MOT I'M
til / have paid for the statnette winch
! You knocked down.
Flora burst into tears.
ut wasn't my fault" she cried. II
couldn't help it. And wish ! ha'
Z never seen the horrid thing. Come
4 Aunt Libbie, let's 60 home.
7 ~ will put you in the carnage
said Gerald Ayeael
"But you are coming, too ar
Aveuel?' said the discreeter maeron
'sNot AZ present Perhaps 1 VA
- come around this evening for littl
= while" 49,,
Is go be shut them into the handsome
elaret.colored brougham and watehe
4 them drive away before he went oac
h 70 the store.
y "Flora.n said Aunt Libbie, almoi
'n indignantly. rs the horses move
ui awav. "what made you behave so lih
y. a petnlant school girl? You've lo
~ him now. A man never can endure
display OF temper like thatl You m'
~ depend upon It, he will never propo
:; 70 you now.
" Meanwhile, the unconscious snble
III Of Amt Libbie's haranguo had r
turned to the counter, behind VINE
=" Mildred no longer stood.
"Where is Miss Erskine?' he aske
~ with the innate air Of superiority Al
'iH- command which belonged TO him
tS- NV a Gift OF nature. Mr. Lacy inyoiu
tarily cringed before him.
lef "she's gone 70 put on her thing
ien sir. /" he said. Miss Erskine Is d
,L charged.
.ne "Dischargedw
the "Yes sir wouldn't pay for
y figure she broke" Lacy glihly
: swered.
, = ssYour statement is erroneous
IN ,vo particnlars." said Gerald, calm
'ie' s'In the first place, 1t was not she q
broke the image. In the second pla
.oi- YOU have already been paid for It
80 Of my parse.
eP' s.Nlnch obliged to you. I'm sur
said the smirking Mr.. Lacy. y
It's our invariable rnle always to mi
"e tbe vounq women responsible for g
~ own counters. II teaches EN- 10
s.,s' careful. sir. you seel
l'g' Gerald Ayenel turned away wat
oh- aneer before whose fiery scorn,
Lacy could not but vince ia spit
.U.
e'' himself
at viii teach me to avoid sue
a'n- den Of cheating and villainly for
q % futureir he said, as he left the eleg
'us'' marble -aoored Emporium, theI
depriviug Messrs. Tape a Spark
one Of their best customers.
,..'., nei But he fingered outside until
!, Mih gray. slight figure crossed the "a
, holh.
i'-n "Mhldredr'
ears How she started. ''Mr Avenol
hei thought you we're gone"
'oNs Il waited for you. have no
'eieu brella neither have You. Where
ne vou roingg What do you propo'
s.- dot"
Z % Il am going home-if you can
nse' urth-story back room home
propose 10 siarve." with q io
lsoe, zee, laugh. "For. really, 7 know not
He' else 10 DO
mildred. viii you take my
aAon vice. We we're old friends once,