The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-12-23

Iz0=I the big, rose-lined sunha
l!al lIsIlD was very white. Her lip
qulyered a little. The hands that helC
the vagrant sheet trembled.
Il thought said the girl to herself
II hadn't begun to care-in that way
j was only becoming attracted. But
the shock-the disillusionw-'
When she had started out an hour
ago for her usual brisk morning wall;
along the crisp, shelving sands, she
had been one of the most Indifferent,
light-hearted of girls. She was done
with college, and the two years Of for
,eign travel that had succeeded school
as a sort Of polishing process. She
had perfect health, and misty dreams
of all the yelled future held in its
keeping. She had esthetic tastes, and
her skill in athletic sports was the ad-
miration of her less vigorous girl
friends. She had been having a beau
tiful time down at this gay, unconven-
tional resort on the Michigan coast.
And now-welI, temporarily it seemed
that her pleasure was spoiled.
And in her heart she knew that she
must have been beginning to think too
much of the man whose attentions to
her had been 50 marked, or else this
discovery would not so affect her. Sit
ting to rest and watch the white-crest-
ed waves come curling up to break on
the border of the lake like threads Of
att
caught by a small, white, whirling OBJ
ject that at first sight she had taken
for bird. 1t has whisked lower and
nearer. Then it tioated so close she
could put out her hand and grasp it,
and she found 1t was a sheet of note
paper covered with diminutive chirog-
raphy 1t was written on the station
cry Of the fashionable hotel looming |
up on the dunes behind her. At first
she had been about to crumple it up |
and cast 1t aside. But in the very act
OF doing so name-her own name
met her eye.
Even then she hesitated But the
three words were so significant she
must know their writer's full meaning.
The page was the continuation of a
letter. And the first three words at
the top Of the page were "-love Ivy
Lyle" Impulsively, giving herself no
chance to weigh the niceties Of honor
In the balance, she scanned the page.
love Ivy Lyle. I've fought against
It-for l can't afford to marry her. as
you know. But she has rather swept
me off my feet, old chapl At first l
was taken with her innocent beauty.
There was no one at this big hostelry
% compare with her for good looks.
SO l let myself drift. I thought she
vas just Gear little country girl, and
hat it would be easy TO say a senti-
mental farewell when the summer was
'ver. You know what these warm
Weather fiirtations amount to. So I've
'een going to see her steadily and tax
ng her everywhere. We've gone dane
ng and swimming and boating and all
he rest of it. And-by Jove! for all
he's mighty quiet, I've come to find
nj sLes not the typical little country
'irl at all. She's well read and tray-
led, though she seemed rather aghast
vhen she let that fact out And she
ooks at a fellow in a cool, apprising
ort of way that makes him feel pretty
heap-if his spoken thoughts are not
ute up to her white standard. But
he's not really in the social swim.
he's a native, take it. It's been
ard to pin her down to any conf
ence about herself. She lives with a
cry dragon of an aunt at a farm
Onse on the edge of town. She wears
er cotton dresses and share hats in S
way that takes the shine out of the Il
omen up at the hotel, but I've never V
.en her sport any of the swell clothes +
icy wear to the hops here. oh, con-
'und it, What's the use of my moon r.
Ig away to you at this rate? I've a
ot to 60 away and try to forget her a
efore it's too Late. C
tDamaris Chase and her father are II
J be here this week, they tell me. b
nd she's the girl the heads Of both Il
II houses expect me to marry She a
ay have the good taste to refuse me u
and / almost hope she viii. She's a e
-eat heiress, and the consolidation Of 4
lie business interests would be a capi- d
i thing: but, oh. hang me If I thought CT
would be so hard to get that little u
iris sweet face out of my heart. l el
ust do the sensible thing, and go in W
II the twenty thousand a year. Lord
ut I'm sorry for those poor devils Of
ings who have to wed for reasons of
ate. feel disgustingly like one Of Ct
lem. I'm sleepy. Good night-Tll in
nish this in the morning. Ten to one q
dream Of Ivy Lyle" 81
It needed no signature. The writer
as easily recognized. she erumpIed Il
he paper tightly in her hand and
'rust it into the blouse Of her gown
! a rapid, heavy step came crouehing Ii
own the beach. That step had be- n
'me too pleasantly familiar. Could fC