The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-09-05
AND
THE ROCK
A-BYE MAN

ny +. BLAIR EATON.
| Iha romance really began that day siie
4 hrat nestled coutentedly IN his arms took
hts meaaurs-which evldonuy gave her
satisfaction With pair Of wide-open blue
eyes. and chewed his watch-fob with all
the sans froid Of her "a months.
Because she had the habit OF twisting
her puaey nook and regarding him for
several silent moments with big eyes
which hllnked anon, he had come to call
her Peepors
And hecnuse-when she was little old
er. and her understanding and language
had somewhat improved-she spent many
delightful evening hour on his knees
listening to his stories while he rocked
her 60 and fro. sho came to know him as
f the Rook-a-Hye Man. A great friendship
sprang up between theE.
As she grew older ne grew younger;
nH she grew more serious he grew gayer
In which manner Il came about that
Poepers and the Roci-a-Bye Man reached
. a common ground OF thought. which was
very sacred 70 hcr, and was none the less
sacrec 70 him because it was also-to his
analythical mind-very amusing.
when sho reached the mature age OF
f 9 she spent long, delightful summer in
. long summer IN che country. but they
4 had not been the delightful summers this
ono Nas
This ono remained Ia her memory with
q setting Of rose and gold because the
4 Rbck-a-Bye Man was quartersd at
noighboring hotel
They walked together through enchant-
ed fields. they stroled in fairy woods.
where every corner was poopled for her
by tho elves OF his imagination: at tw-
hsht they appropriated some convenient
haystack. and propped In its fragrant
rhRooNs he told her wonderful stories OF
II was sr the lee OF a haystack that
Il she nfst confessed to him her was her
Prince Charming, and that some day
& when she was q big girl-hadn't hr said
\ Ehe Prince would come when she was a
= big girl-he must come seeking ner on
white charger aud dressed in silver
The Rock Bye Maj shook his mead
Fraveiy fle didn't look well in silver
Afnorl be said. and thon, too. he would
probably ran on when the charger
He pinched her checks ana iaugaed i'm
moderutely' whereat she grew very am
She declared he was her Prince Charm
lnEs anyway. and II another ever came
she would get her mother 70 hide aer IN
tro hik closet by the chimney where Il
was dark and smelly and there we're rats.
And 80 earnest was she that the tears
IovefnQWed her eyes and hung irresolutely
ION tne END % her nose. making hor such
n picture of despair that, to comfort her
be si,id he would take riding lessons with
an eye so the white charger and that
nsfsl,sps, eltsr aii. re could train his COM
After which they walked home io-
etner' esen stransely az peace with the
lie was thinking of an these things a.
is nc WALKED down the street that OctO-
1er afternoon. lie was also thinking
nat his hair was very sparse on the ton
81 his head. and about the temples. where
was let of respectable thickness. IL
Rwas rapidly turning gray.
Tie was old. be told himself horribly
pa. Perhaps he was thinking of the dis
,rrpancy between 20 and 3s
The trend ~ hla thoughts was Influenced
1 Py q clipping he had cut from the morn
ng paper and which be carried in his
nncr pocket 10 stated that Mrs Thomas
Nortningion Allen and her daughter Msr-
Sarci bad arrived the day before after
tWo-Ycars' residence abroad.
II also cited the rumored engagement
Miss Allen 70 Cecil Clay lletherlnE-
On. who would succeed 10 the title and
states OF his uncle. the earl OF pan-
he mentally reviewed tho contents o.
be ciiFpus with strange sinkins his
leart. Tie tried 60 cheer himself by an
ppeni 20 MS sense of humor.
"lmaGine me ga silver armor thc mused
hen. ~ the ainkinE feeling refused TO
spart. be sighed heavily mo fool like
a ola fool. he observed 70 a neighbor-
nE gatopoal
re climbed the steps OF rather pre-
ontioua house and rang the boil He
, sked FOR Miss Margaret Allen. and the
ARD he presented hose the name af John
hamilton Knox
Yet a Few moments late- when they
~. food together in the library, she Was
aging 'i knew you'd be- the first 80
ONE. Rock-a-Hya Man" and he WAS re-
altirE "Eoepefa-f Peppers" in a rather
we'd tone AS n irving 20 assure himself
nlt ~ wda rcally she.
N was not until ne rose 20 go -5hat Ne
foachel the matter of her enlargement
at me nraf time in hts NE he an-
toarhea a subject ciumaiiS, After which
baltlngly congratulated her a. the
cor no turned and faced her.
"reencrs." he said very gently "the
rlnfe Charming has come az told YOU.
nd YOU didn't have 90 set your mother
hide you A. the chimney closet, Some
mes I used 10 hope you would-lu fact
We always hoped a. but with All my
dina lessons i couldn't ST that white
~