The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-02-17

lsNot Broken on.
I I WAS Christmas eve. and that with
US Is always perfect rush, what
between the servants and the chill
dfen. ana all our relations, and all
our fricnds-and now, to cap all,
M,,S S%eorge Clarke was on the scene.
and. Of course. had heard no end about
him, but j had never set eyes on him.
lie engaged himself to Maud at lightning
speed, and II he kept up the same pace
through life. | should set him down as
a brilliant fellow. Al any rate. II not an
out,and-out geniuh. II is neck or nothing
with Maud. too. all off or all on the
whole time. and ] was prepared to have
the engagement either snap ia two, or
run INTO an elopem mt before the week
George IS a friend OF brother Greg
orys. We always call him brother GREG
ory It's a sort of persinage for we
nave only one brother. so we ike to nile
II on. Brother Gregory gets restive once
ana a while, for when he comes home
from college, II Is Brother Gregory"
sung out IN all sharps and nats from at
uc 20 cellar all day long We have so
many things we want him to do FOR us
II VIII case on Brother Gregory now that
Maud has George Clarke In tow for she
IS the most exacting one. Kate and
can. nix our own skates, and as for Ger
trude ana Edith. they do not count, OF
course, Brother Gregory Is not obliged
70 letch and carry for mere children. un-
less ne chooses Of his own free will
We like our presents in layers II Is
Just that way about the Fourth OF July
we IKE 10 keep up running fire. as
bIOther gregory says. We have stock
ings Just before breakfast and flowers
at dianer, and German favors at night.
tree. OF course, for the children / said
20 70 Maud after George Clarke came:
Maud' We must stoD that. We are
grown up, and the children ought to be.
..You rYou will break my heart said Maud.
ihink or the dear long ago"
Maud, ! wish you would not keen run
nlns on the past so much. II makes me
iesl something Is wrong" said l.
DarlnS you don't know what Il IL to
De drenched IN sadness" She suddenly
clapped her handkerchief 10 her mouth
DIothcr Hregory,-only get me one OF
ms long bicycle stockings, and wen put
a candy cane in II. / should die. You
know the story about his first cane. when
brolher Gregory and he were stalking
Look here. Maud. I think it's down.
right shabby OF YOU to run George the
way you do broke in Brother Gregory
you've hurt his feelings now, and he's
going II like mad down on the Ice"
"Oh, Is he doing that beautiful roll?'
sighed Maud. It's the sweetest thing
perfect dream. the poise OF it'll do think
when mere ! am Just pining for q skate.
go off-I believe it's all overw
Maud Maud! rehect-rehect" cried I.
fYou told him only an hour ago you'd
rather finish your fan cases.
"A whole houri" said Maud
That was ~ the afarnoon. BY evening
we had deci led 10 have some Of the gifts
around under each napkin. There would
be enough for breakfast. luncheon aud
supper, II we gave up the stockings. In
the evening ! got George Clarke In the
corner and told him that Maud was not
really 50 rattlety-bang as she seemed
He said he knew II. He was going 10 try
and bear up, VIII say George Clarke
has n very bad way Of carrying his small
change around loose In his pocket. II Is
shocklngly careless. he sometimes losing
as much as 10 cents a day, and never
knowing u. He said II was not his blame
because none OF the girls had given him
a purse. But Maud happened to know
that Elsa Vane had given him one, and
that was awful II all came out that. he
had swapped lt for a peg-top, when the
forgive him, but she was Wild % have
scarlet silk purse that Gertrude had been
knitting for Brother Gregory. OF course
Maud had a gift ready for George, but
sbe wanted the purse to put under his
naukin az breakfast. and do not wonder
she was furious when Gertrude would
NOT give Il up. and sat sulSing as she
did right Ia mammals presence.-the lit
tie nafrow-minded goOsol
we kent both the men running on er-
rands the whole evening. Tor there Mere
no end OF things 10 be finished. Brother
Gregory has no eye FOR matching silks
and we Just screamed over some or the
messes he got into with the shop people:
but George Clarke really showed 10 at a
great rate and he took TO II tremendously.
snd said there was a science In II, and all
sorts OF things He said he had never
been 80 interested in his life.
Once they were gone FOR some popcorn
Gertrude told Maud she wanted 10 give
up the purse. and that Maud might have
"iIts too bright" said Maud Il know
It's too bright and ne would never In the
world carry H." She insisted then and
there on slipping out TO the corner store
must 10 with her DO you believe Il.
while We were in tho store they both
sailed by! They did not even look our
way. Maud said. as soon az they iouhu
us gone, they would come after US.
Kate viii keep them, said l.
..I guess she cannot keep George. said
Maud. Hell nnd I've gone and ho viii
NSs She wa wss il frantic haste for fear the
men would como and catch Us She tum-
bled over the purses and ,Dought the
sweetest thing--soft gray with a silver
siagp. and we left Il charged, because both
of tis were entirely out Of money We
rushed out OF the store, but all OF sud-
den Maud slowed up, although was
freezing We bad run out the back door
lust as we were without any wraps ana
with thin undersleeyes;
"He must come" said Maid suddenly;
He does not know where you are
'srhe darkest forebodings visit me, said
Maud. Suppose he hadn't any chlvairy
suppose / should discover lack oil ehat-
';suppose he should In you"
''Wei. anyway II he isn't sorry 10 have
me out in this crowd alone ht mBhI VIII
ali these horrid little boys tripping Us
M. he's horrid so therel The minute
f enter the room. he ought TO rush up ara
beg me never to 20 In the street alone.
and IL he does not-he cannot meet my
ldeai-and It's all over. ..,.,..9,,
.sReaily. when he Is so good loohng
But / know It was Just our iuek 70 h'.N !.
~ annear nt the masquerade. all three Of
us with only Brother Gregory ior an
escort Il do hope to goodness Ieorke
will come UP to the scratch, SAID }.
We slippcd IN at the back door. ana
Maud tossed the skin purse into the nas-
ket which contained the silver. ana when
stood on the sideboard ready 70 30 up-
stairs for the night. - .s
sailed into the parlor as cool as eucuin-
ber George never turned. He was help
ing that tiresome Gertrude 70 hang hp
ber stocking, which she must have. al
thc,,erh every one else had given them tin
ar h9hvish Maud leaned on the mantle
etof.lnc down al the FIRE yet he never
stoned until he was thorough Ihen ne
Come Maud. let's go IN the conyersa-
tory I'm tired OF all this
Maud said. mo. thank you. ~ the
haughtiest way possible, ana ~ sa1
down bv mamma and pretended To 70 hei
Fan cases (She never gets her tniii~s
done.) ,. ,,.,.soosl,,
fprlous I'm sure Maud didnt dare loot
-. ~ oho would have gone AT 20