The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-06-02

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~&c1<A SUPPOSE that's o. frcsl
\ = y victim, Miss Betty
o O drawled stout man from
4 the depths OF a garden
WotS arm chair.
Miss Betty was a slender
young person in green muslin who
stood near the arm chair with a racket
IN her hand and turned as the speaker
waved his cigar towards the tennis
lawn below.
Il dare say" she answered compos-
edly. STOPPING to tie her shoe.
Bet you he isn't" returned the stout
man quickly, and couple Of bystand-
ers Joined In his laugh
A delicate flush rose in the girls
checks, but she answered cooliy. why
do you suppose he is exceptionally"
"oh, he's a man OF the world. he iss'
answered the stout man jovia.ly. "And
he's a swell-not ike us poor city
Johnnies-had lots Of experience lie
added with a laugh. Come now. Won
look SO jolly confident, what'll you bet
on il? You must bet or I'll believe you
are climbing down.
Il don't care If / do" she returned
with look Of scarcely yelled contempt
at the laughing group Of men. "What
will you goy'
The fat man pulled himself up in his
chair and his eyes twinkled. He knew
Ralph Pyne pretty well. and he knew
he would not easily be made fool OF.
Also he did not at ali wish Pyne to fall
into the snares Of Miss Betty Langley.
There was a certain lovely Rebecca
Cohen. his own niece, who would make
a more satisfactory Mrs. Pyne to his
thinking. But Betty was dangerous
decidedly dangerous. unless she could
be induced to cut her own throat.
"Well, Ill 20 as far as PIN"
'Dlamond"
"Hum-yes-h Hanged If / won't stand
a diamond pin
Done, Sfr. Juarez,r answered Betty
as she moved away, and Mr.. Juarez
ehuckied as he sank back among his
cushions. "If Miss Bet tries any Of
her games on with that Johnnie he'll
bolt, and, possibly. l may have the
catching OF him.
Ralph Pyne had already spent two
days In Bettys company, and had en-
joyed himself as most men did under
the circumstances, and he was not at
all loath to escort her home by the
short cut through the covert after she
had supernteaded the shooters tea at
the gamekeeper's cottage. Betty was
uncommon good company, as good as
o younger brother, and much better to
look az, Probably It was because she
was so brusque and boyish that most
men found themselves proposing to her
quite Unexpectedly 10 themselves, for
no one could think of sentiment and
Betty Langley in the same hour. "No
humbug about her. regular good sort"
the blinded victims used to say, and
played on-lawn tennis. billiards, hide
and scek-regardless Of their doom, and
their doom never varied.
How hot 1t is," cried Betty sudden
ly; don't you think there is going to
be an earthquakeT
rs It hot before earthquakes" re-
turned Mr. Pyne. "That is an interest
ing bit OF general information"
"Oh, people always say they feel
queer before earthquakes--" but a
sharp rustic among the leaves inter
rupted her lecture. "Good gracious,
it's ralningl And there Is thunder!
Now we are in FIX and gathering
up her skirts she started to run.
"An right, there's a pile Of fagots Just
beyond" cried Pyne, mo end of fine
shelter. see?n as they dashed on side
by side, and he pulled back the drip
ping branches and showed tile pile
which the woodcutter had arranged as
sort OF wigwam.
Crouched down In shelter Betty soon
regaIned her breath and began to chat
ter again. "Now this is romantic, and
It will end in my getting bronchitis
and you'll get pneumonia. and we can't
go TO the Lorimers' dance"
"But, alas. shan't go to the Lori
mers' dance anyhow. am Off to-mor-
row.
"0h. I sayl What for? What q
shame.
MY sister has wired she's coming
back from India and will be at South
ampton, and an earthquake would be
trife compared to the tempest IL !
didn't meet her tomorrow night"
Betty is silent He is going to-mor-
row and she has just remembered hel
bet. She feels rather sick at it--aud
yet, no, that odous Mr.. Juanez would
chuckIe. He has always hated her
she knows, since she had said no q
him and his shekels, and he would hate
to pay up his bet; and how she would
Ike to own-just one-dlamond! Bet
tvs face is her fortune and has moi
brought her any diamonds as yet--ouly
ofgeys Of them, for an equivalent. Bul