The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-08-10
The Blue Carpet.


fCopyright. lsoe. by Daily Story Pub. Coz
The last amen ioated out from the
vestTy over the kneeling people
bowed forward like a field of wheat
before tae wind Upon the high altar
the acolyte was smothering out the
tall candles and to the rumble OF the
organ the congregation-tnat is. all
but the Ladies' Aid-pulsed decorous-
ly down the crowded aisles to the
day-lightcd doorway.
But the Ladies' Aid poured Itself
into the vestry, as a green and gold
snake pours itself into its hole, and.
no longer awed by the Sacredness Of
the sanctuary. demanded in chorus
Of arpeggios and evegi tone Of the
scale. Where Is the cafpet7"
The carpet?" echoed the abstract
cd rector. his spirit still upliftcd from
his strenuous exhortatiou TO his peo-
pie to be good. to live th. higher life,
the carpet7Y
Yes. yes. the carpet Our car
pet 1t was here last night" sang
the chorus inharmoniously.
Their rector's thoughts slowly set
tied to earth. The new blue carpetl
The worlimen finished putting it
down at six O'Clock yesterday Who
moved all those heavy pews. and took
Il up again before rorning Who
took up the carpet?" rolled forth the
chorus antiphonai and feminine.
The beautiful blue carpet which
had been sewed for and sung for. and
cooked for in Ladies' Aid meetings
and musicalea and rummagc sales and
fairs all winter long. their beautiful
blue carpet. which had been finally
4 selected and paid for. amid much ar
gument, and at last had been laid
upon the church floor with the care
ful supervision Of the entire Ladies'
Z Aid in conclave assembled only the
day before; their beautiful blue sar-
pet had been spirited away in the
night
That sunshiny Sabbath morning
they had entered the house OF wor-
ship. not one missing. to tread, not
upon a soft. blue brilliance. but upon
a noisy bare floor. The Ladies' Aid Of
the Church OF the Redeemer rubbed
Its eyes and surreptitiously pinched
itself while the solemn service fioN cd
on.
Thou shalt not steal" declared DR..
I Harrington. and softly the choir re-
sponded. Have mercy upon US and
incline our hearts to keep this law.
who could have stolen their beauti.
ful blue carpet. chanted the Ladies'
Aid mentally. "and grant that this
day we fall into no sim" murmured
the people. but that all our dolngs
being ordered by thy governance-''
who're was their carpetg Verify tho
prayers OF the Ladies' Aid flew up
ward and their thoughts remained
below.
The president. Mrs. Frances Almer.
on Warren. resourceful and unafraid
asked the same question aloud in the
yestry, where the clear mountain sun
shine flooded the room with joyous
ness. Seeing no adequate solution in
the group OF huttering ribbons and
smart Enthusiastically not fashion
ed lie unto Solomon's even in his
glory. she demanded the clergy. the
deaes rs. and the janitor. Thus II Il
that Woman, however independent
cars upon man in times Of real stress
and danger.
Tie clergy placed himself at heI
disposal. likewise the deacons.
Under rigid cross-examination the
Senior Deacon did remember thai
corning home late the night before
he had seen a light in the sacred edi
ncr. The Junior Deacon. who had
go lie out to spy out the land. returned
" h the discovery OF tracks OF 1