The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-02-27
The Fsud Of ihs FsrgusOns.

ing eagerly between the sitting-room
curtains OF warm red chenille. Come
here. an see Lsssie-ycW eyes are
yopnger'n mine
Bui the girl sitting iistiessly by the
littie open stove did not stir nor
speak. Her bright BIT Of knitting had
fallen neglected On her lap Upon ir
fer slender brown hands lay clasped
n the fdleness oil Indifference
seems like you don't take Interest
in u0thin' since you been up 10 Cart
vile 10 visit. went On her mother ir-
ritably. She sent 4 sharp glance m the
direction of her daughter. Then she
turned again TO the window. Its
broke OF something she enunclated
with brisk recurrence Of curiosity.
"The mans comm this way. He's
leading the horse. He's comm straight
herel'
Il was a comfortable. common little
room that wherein mother and daugh-
ter sat The rag carpet had mellowed
to dull tones and tints so snbdued as
10 suggest the wonderful weaves Of the
Orient There was a glass lamp on the
crocheted mat OF green wool which
ornamenled The round walnut center
table. The couple 0f wooden rockers
had crazy-work cushions and head
rests On the shelf which did duty for
a mantel was a clock. a china dog. and
two frost-white glass vases decorated
with scarlet roses The yellow light
Of the winter afternoon came in be-
tween the chenille curtains. and gave
70 the oval cheek Of the girl by the
hearth an almost peach-like uansiu-
cence. Except for that skin Of child
like fairness and the lustrousness Of
her long gray eyes Lessie Ferguson
could hardly have been called pretty
girl Her face IN repose was sober
almost somhre. But when she vas
pleased. gay. animated she quite took
the palm from the other girls IN that
part Of the county. Just now her face
reflected her mood. which was that Of
downright melancholy
Mrs. Ferguson. still sentinel at the
window. kept issuing bulletins. Hes
got far as the rye patch now. First
/ thought I was Ellis Dix. but Il amt
Ellis don't come here much since you
got to putin on airs after gittin' back
from Cartvllle. This one is taller'n
Ellis-hes got q moustache too He
don't belong in these parts. You go
to the back door Lessie. I'm skeered
Of the wind In my face with the neu-
ralgy ! got Find out where he's from
You can tell him where's the tool
chest in fhe barn II he wants 70 FIX
his harness There-he's knockin'i
Mrs. Ferguson looked frowningly
after the slow-moying form Of her
daughter
i wish I'd never let her go Yisitin'
to Cartyillel" she was muttering to
herself 10 accents Of annoyance.
"Praps il hadn't told her she
shouldn't have had anything 10 say to
that Rene Ferguson she'd never have
thought Of lookin at him. Like as not
Z was just the contrairiness of girl
that made her take up with him. An
then. to come home and throw over
Ellis Dix like ne wasn't worth wipiu
her shoes on-him with the likliest
bunch Of steers or any man IN the
township sayin she'd marry Rene
or no one. An now moDin away
Ike the life was throwed after her.
We've had trouble enough with them
Fergusons Of Cartville lf they was
blood relations instead Of only hap
penin' TO be folks OF the same name.
their family and ouf'n couldn't have
got on worse an these years we been
dealin up to Carlyille."
I.essie. opening the back door. saw
slhouetted against the white expanse
Of the snowy prairies. a big hurly fig-
ure in great-coai and slouch hat
III you need the tool box. she be-
gan with perfunctory politeness.
~youu fnd il Ia the right-hand--~
She broke OF with q little gasp-her
heart plunglng.
~Ieasie,n said the stranger MY
eirl-Iessiei
Then the slim little form in the blue.
eold-braided gown was swallowed up
In the ierrent grasp o. two powerful.
rough-coated arms.
~Oh. Renei" Her voice vas sweet
tremul0us "Oh Rene-how dared
yong
He kissed the loving reproach on her
lips 70 silence.
For YOU, be answered I've
driven over from CartYiile 70 SEE your
father. I'm going 70 ask him for YOU
And n he refuses" The maeterful
look that came into bis blue eyes was
a good thing TO see.
"But-Renei Father has gone 10
Iowa Aud even when be is al home
ke has nothing 20 say j. mothers
around
"But he's been keeping up Tire fend
between the families an these years
and
No-Boi It's been mother Father
has only fired the bullets she made li
lou can once get m0lber - favor yoa
hush. hers she Is.r
land sakes. know now vito that
young man isir The voice o. tIs
Ferguson preceded her Ike q herald.
ing horn. She arpeared 10 The doos-