The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-02-24

would in time forget this other man;
that she would listen at last to his
own importunate pleadlngs learI ;
believe that the true love of an hoI
man was a thing not to be lightly c.
away; that love breeds love, and that
there was far more joy in the yearb
still TO be lived than there had been
Of sorrow In those that were gone?
The editor sat for some minutes
without moving, ponderin- over all
the chances that make Of mar a mans
life. True, he was sorry for the girl;
but none the less he was determined
to win her for himself If he could.
Suddenly he sprang to his feet. His
mind was made up. He would so to
her and tell her
"WIll you sign these now. sir?" 1t
was the Office BOY with a sheaf of
| trpewritten letters awaiting signature.
Yes; put them on the table"
He sat down again, took up his pen.
glanced rapidly through each letter
and wrote his name at the foot.
He had come 10 the last note, and
was about to deal with it in the same
| half-mechanical manner when the adj
dress at the bottom caught his eye. 1t
was letter he had himself dictated
to the author Of some mediocre verses.
The wouldbe poet had begged for the
favor OF criticism. even IL the verses
were not accepted, and the editor. In
his usually 'Sindly manner. had COM
| piled. Now he saw that the writer
had sent them from the address of a
clearinghouse in Brighton. Some
thing Of the subject of the verses
came back to his mind, and he quickly
drew them out OF the tnyelop.
They were written in a fowery
style, and some Of the rhymes would
have disgraced a pill advertisement
But the editor read them through with
rapt attention, And, as he read, the
lines in his face hardened and his
brow became furrowed. He turned
70 the waiting Office boy and bade
him take the other letters to the post.
This one be would deal with himself
Yes, but how to deal with it--that
was the trial For not only the ad-
dress, but the description of the scene,
of the heroine and the nature Of the
subject enlarged upon-''Love Scorned"
left him no room for doubt as 10
the cruel trick that fate had played
him. 1t was evident that the verses
ere by the girls lover. written in
the iirst bitterness Of Lls refusal
But why should they have been sent
to paper. and why to his paper?
That was clear also. The girl would
have had the Clubland Chronicle at
the clearinghouse Indeed, the editor
himself had sent it to her there each
week. And the lover. knowing she
read the paper, doubtless hoped to
reach her In this way.
But what was the editors duty in
the matter? At first he refused to
answer the question at ALL He told
himself that as an editor he could not
publish the verses. They were far too
weak. Neither could he publish the
girls story. Duty to his employers,
after ALL came first. and, to tell the
truth, the story was very little better
than the verses. All he need do, there
fore, was to return both to their
respective authors, with a little note,
and then play the game as hard as
he could in his own interests.
The editor was having a big fight
with himself-a fight that few men
have to fight even once in their lives,
and none twice. For the love in his
breast was divided into two opposing
forces-the selfish inelinations on the
one side and the unselfsh en- the other.
And then it happened that his eye
fen upon little sheet of note paper.
1t was her letter. He took 1t up wear
ily and read 1t through second time.
1T Is fragment Of my own life.
1t is easier to write than 10
speak OF things like this"
Ali 1t has touched her heart, this
affair In the clearinghouse at Bright
on. He saw her little eyes wet with
tears; he heard her sobbing to herself
in the night time. After all, her hap
piness came first; he would think only
of that.
There was no hesitating now. He
had thought out a means of bringing
the two together again almost as soon
rs he had read the verses the second
time. In a moment 1t was done-the
act that had robbed him Of the sweet
ness of living.
He simply sent the girls story to
the man in the boardinghouse at
Brighton. And the mans verses be
sent to the girl.
The night and half the next day
had gone by. and again the editor Of
the Clubland Chronicle sat in the edl-
torial chair But this afternoon ne
was not alone. A lady visitor occupied
the chair on the opposite side of his
table.
s'NO." she was saying, II don't IN.