The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-01-27

s3tAt- very soon. Wlat little mOHey rs
had OF his own. anc then lie hegaa on
MS masters. The money went rapidlv
At sunset the wedding party packed IL
self into the cart and returned 10 the
city. laughing ana singing. Jacques
drew long sigh as he passed tie NH
liners shop and saw the gorgeous bon
net again. Yielding 10 sudden ini-
pulse. he stopped the horse handed
the reius TO tie bridegroom aud rushed
into the shop When be came oft he
mad a big paper parcel in Lis hands and
twenty francs less in his purse. lie
stood his companions railery with good
humor. but at dinner. which was the
next event On the programme. he drank
recklessiy to drown his remorSe. When
the party broke ~ his companions had
TO help him into the cart.
Hence. as Las been sald. he foand
himself driving homeward at midnight
in very cloudy frame OF mind. As
be drove on the weather became
cloudy, too. The stars vanished. the
wind blew and presently the rain fell
In torrents. Jacdues had become
slightly so0ered and Thoroughly wretch
ed. Every few minutes he started Mt
what seemed the primitive cry OF tue
calf lying bound behind MIN As In the
morning He turned and saw only The
hamboyant hat Then he thought OF
MS almost empty purse and tremble.I
at his masters wrath. With unsteady
hands lie drew the purse from h,s
pocket. took oul tne lonely gold piece
and stared at il vacantly. The wheel
strnc1 stone AID the coin sIippel
from his fingers and fell into the gu.-
ter. He dismoanted.. thrust his arm
in the mud and groped for the treasure
in vain A gust extinguished his lau-
tern and left him in darkness. He he
came panic stricken. He foresaw dis
grace. arrest. Imprisonment. Even
Clementine woald turn from him. He
had just crossed the bridge when he
stopped. He would end it all. With
a last vow 10 cIementine on his iips
he rushed to the canal and leapad into
its waters.
Clementine. knowing that Jacques
ought TO have been hack by noon. had
been worrying about him for tile last
twelve hours What could have hap
peneds The dread OF accident alter
mated with another dlsquleting thought.
There were plenty of pretty girls in the
city. Perhaps Jacques had been en-
shared 2y one Of them. He went to the
marke. every Saturday. Very likely
he had sweetheart in st. Queatin.
Then her jealousy would vanish and
her anxious fears return.
At supper the farmer noticed that
Jacques was absent He went to the
stable and found that the horse and
cart were missing also. Coming back
With q black seowl on his face he swore
q round oath and cried.
The scoundrel has bolted with the
money There was a profound ST.
ence. Everybody knew OF the attach
ment between Jacques and Clemen-
line. The poor girl covered IN a cor
ner, hoping to eschpe notice. but the
farmer spied her and sneered. $50 your
over is thief These cruel words
haunted her after she had crept TO her
garrett over the stable. Jealous though |
she was. she could not believe them. |
Jacques was honest. she was sure, even
I be were unfaithful. She tossed un- |
sasily on her pallet until the clock
struck eleven. Then she got up and |
irassed- She would 20 in search OF
Jacques. She would bring him back.
live or dead. Slipping away noise
essly to the road. she went in the d. |
'ection Of ST. Quentin. Her pace soon
ilackened to walk, but she plodded /
N. mile after mile. resolved to 20 all ii
he way to the city II necessary. She
Sept on through the furious storm 4
which soon burst upon her. straininc
ier eyes to see the dreadful thing
which she now regarded as certainty.
jacques lying by the roadside. bound
md gagged. bleeding. dead perhaps.
3ut she saw nothing until her weary
limbs had carried her to the bridge
where she came upon the empty cart
With the horse asleep between the
hafts. Climbing into the cart. She
'ecred and groped about until She
ound the woman's hat. All. her ieal-
usy had not been unfounded then. and
he had come this weary way only to
make certain her lovers treason. The
ong bours she had passed in anguish
.e had spent in the society Of his city
weetheart.
An indistlnct sound. coming from IN
Ter the bridge. startled her and lntensi-
led her Jealous anger. They were
nder the arch. on the where
acques had stolen his first kiss. She
Brang from the cart and ran down
be bank. As she did 50 sharp. de-
pairing cry for help came from Il little
lump OF bushes by the waters edge.
t was Jacques voice She ran to the
pot and found him half buried In mud
vater and tangled grass. battling for