The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-02-09

The professor looked dashed; but he
said nothing, for Clarissa had no sooner
come in than she sped out again to an
swer another ring. Returning, she laid
on the tablecloth a fourth string of
buttons, and when the bell instantly
began another frantic jingle, she gig
gled in the professors face and went to
fetch the fifth.
Five button strings for breakfast
Then came a confusing forenoon, made
up mostly OF Clarissa's rather hilarious
entries into the study with ever-new
strings; a tiresome afternoon, wherein
the professor fed his house and
tramped into the suburbs; and n de-
pressing evening, in which Mrs. Battu
came home and said, Il told you So"
At 10 p. M, when the last girl had po-
litely handed into the maid a knobby
package with a plain label, forty-nine
button strings lay on the parlor table.
Actual count was tried, under Mrs.
Battu's commiseratng eyes; but the
number was not reduced. Then there
was a thoughtful silence.
Il shall pay for them every one" be-
gan the professor courag geously, IF it
takes my last dollar"
"You will have just $50 left out of
the $500 saved up" finished Mrs.
Battu, with awful precision. "Bnt sou
must keep your word, dear;p relenting-
~, there, never mind"
The next morning Professor Battu
drew forty-nlne checks for $50 each.
He was poor in money-rlch in but
tons. The first use to which the pro-
fessor put his costly, and apparently
worthless collection was in the form of
a gift Of the rare or curious buttons
on q string to the Agricultural Depart
ment Of the Connecticut State govern
ment. There, elegantly cased, with the
names Of the forty-nine industrious
young ladies, you may sec this ornate
button string TO this moment
So much of the professors story
had from the lips OF his charming
wife. My curiosity was up. what
became of the rest of those 147, 900
buttonsT' | inquired. THAT'S Just
where the story really begins" an
swered the professor. And from this
on | may as well use the professors
own narrative, as near as | can recol-
lect il.
When had paid for the forty-ninth
button string he proceeded, Il real
lied that my whim had cost me the
savings Of a lifetime, and that l was
practically pennuess. About this time
Mr.. , the African explorer, was
organizing an expedition TO explore
the Congo country. Through a com
mon friend | became a member of the
party with a nominal salary as botan-
ist and good opportunity ahead for
my own researches. |
Amanda was dead set against the
African project and tried to ridicule
me out OF it. You'd better take your
button strings along and trade them to
the natives. she said, ironically, when |
l was arranging my outfit. TN do it,, |
said /, and with that packed the
whole lot in, more TO tease my wife |
than anything else.
u joined the party in London ana
we landed in safety at the estuary of |
the Congo after an meventful voyage.
The Dutch Congo steam packets were
not then running, and we had to make
our advance up fhe great river by
means Of small boats manned by trusty
natives hired at the settlements.
ITO cut a long story short, we pushed
our explorations as far as the district
Df Uji on the Upper Congo. At that
point our native porters refused 10 90
farther, and deserted We had remain
ing only a few brass rods for barter,
and our other supplies We're nearly ex-
lausted. Our only course was to re-
reat down the river again.
The native prince Of Vii was. for
Central African. a man of ideas, and
a very remarkable interest
n the vague world beyond his own ex-
,erience. l was parleying with him
me day, and haggling over the amount
# yika flour we Were to have fo~ a
iozen rods. when the diabolical notion
occurred to me TO give him few obser-
Tations or the currency question to
yrestle with. The next visit | paid
lin he was all alive Oh the subject.
All at once remembered those but
on strings. packed away in a chest
With lot OF specimens. resurrected
pocketfuI Of the buttons and used
hem TO illustrate the currency prob
EN- TO the potentate of Vii. | suggest
a to him that these buttons would
make much better circulating
Medium than brass rods and his bulky
worry, and that with large surplus
II them he could become the money
ing of all that country and control the
inancial policy Of the rival uukab
pronounced Wee-kalD and Jumrah.
"The dead-black countenance of
'rince Belesbau seemed TO glow with
he excitement OF this newborn ainbl- /
ions .ic was fascinated How many /:
ave your he asked eagerly.
For an answer threw open tic
hest his language having no word to s
xprcss sucn large number !
''rhe result was we concluded 4 bar !
ain by which in return for the button i,
trings he was 10 Conduct Inc to a
ecret place where = fabulous store of