The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-02-03
LOYs's Second Dsgrss.
EY ID H rAIMAnnr

~1p5il6nt lstl, by Daily Story Pub. Co
This is bit Of plain history. an,
ie reader whose mental appetit,
zaYes adventures favor. with tie es
snce OF heroism and se.f-sacriice viii
ave himself disappointment BY pass
ag 1t by 1t is. it may be said, the
iainest Of plain history.
John Delwin, the hero, Is a man
fho sells groceries. Formerly he was
r ordinary boy Of numerous freckles
her a delivery clerk in the village
tore Of which he was late- part owner
IS life, so far as his acquaintance
an judge, has been a psalm from the
.eginnlng.
When he married Emma Minkler he
yore the customary black, and the
ride was attired in the customary
White, and congratulations upon the
lappy event We're many and sincere,
nst as the village newspaper said. So
az as is known no hearts were broken
II even bruised in the case. John
lad no rivals. Nor had Emma. He
wanted a good sensible wife. She
wanted a good sensible husband. They
we're married. Everybody was salts
led.
Theirs was the most commonplace
Of eourtings. He escorted her home
from church one night. and they
stood for a time at the front gate
while the little god Of love performed
ais duty. They did not realize the
solemnity OF the occasion, otherwise
ne would have talked less fuently of
butter and eggs. and she would have
subdued her references to the starch
ing and ironing Of shirts.
1t was fate.
John said to himself that there was
a girl who was practical, a girl well
calculated to comfort q man who
worked for his daily bread. Emma
said to herself (mark the coincidence
that here was a man who was prac-
-ical. a man who wasted his brain tis-
'ue with no trivial subjects OF thought.
And from that moment the compact
between them was virtually sealed.
A year passed before he asked her
o share his fortunes. Scarcely an
Instant passed before he received his
'nswer. He kissed her then, and they
we're very happy.
John" said she. as they parted that
light, engaged couples are different
rom unengaged ones. Come and see
ne often, John, for I shall be lone
ONE without you. Come Monday,
'uesday and the other days"
III do it." said John, trying to re-
iember a couplet he had laboriously
ommitted to memory; "Ill-Iil do
"
Do said she.
20, I will" said he.
Thus It came about that whenever
lsiness was a bit slack In the store
ohn girded up his apron, which bore
saleratus brand upon its bib, and
ent forth to call briefly upon Emma.
nd he never failed to find her busy
ith household work. her round white
ms barred to the elbows. her fingers r
ten bedecked with dabs Of dough. I
n face flushed by the heat OF the
tchen fire. And he said to himself a
rvently, in much the same spirit that Il
aracterizes the stock burst of graft .,
de in the more thrilling Of love
les. What a prize I've wont What |;
girl she Isl my." And he walked
on air in his leaden deliberate way
'aight to the wedding day. -
Emma was not beautiful. She was -
{ witty She possessed not those
alities which throughout the pages
a questionable literature have made
man at once the despair and iov
the masculine heart. John under -
cd this and gloried in it. He him =
had not been a success at holding
one end Of even a five minutes
lversation with the more dashing OF r
girls who attended the church So y
Is. He rather feared these girls.
was never able to quite free him
from the suspicion that they wer,
Ling fun Of him. He Ditied TIE