The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-01-30
THE TAN
WITH
THE HOE
NGGGGSO1GG0d

III uOeSn OIlen happen, ana no one
save favored few knew why it hap.
pened this time There is a little
sunburn in this story, but no var
nish, and let those who like a
lacquered tale turn the page.
She was a bud last winter and this
winter she was married. Most of the
buds stay on the stem a little longer
than that, but considering how many
there were who wanted her the quick
plucking and Learing av.2S Is not to
be wondered at in anything save in
the personality Of the flower lover
who did the picking.
Frances Marvin's father had NO
money, but he held place in society
by force Of intellect and family. There
are not as many Of those cases as
there used to be. The girl was .
beauty. If novel writer were telling
about her he would say she was
regal, James Parker, LaSalle street
stock broker, was not novel writer,
but he thought Frances was regal new
ertheless. He had a thought Of this
kind from the moment he saw her.
Parker followed Miss Marvin's move
ments as closely as he did the tape
in the stock ticker. He was a mem
Der OF every club In sight, and he
drove and rode, and did all the other
things that a man Of wealth in 30
ciety does when he knows how.
james Parker was a catch. Every
body said SO, and the fact was pretty
strongly impressed upon the Marvin
family. bar Marvin pere, VINO didn't
care whether Parker was catch or
not for Frances was to be allowed to
make her own choice. Parker be-
came the girls shadow. He paid
court, however, unobtrusiyely and
with perfect tact. Frances was fat
tered bit by the attentions Of this
man, for whom all the other girls had
made cast. to use a piscatorial
simile, and had failed to get a strike.
Now, there was as well as James
Parker one John Meadowcroft. Mead
owcroft had big truck farm out be-
yond Bowman vile. Curious thing, but
Meadowcroft worked his farm him
self. He was a big fellow, something
more than trife awkward, but with
a fine head and a good face. He had
an education and no capital except
that which was represented by some
acres Of onion. carrot and potato beds
and some hundreds of square feet OF
glass. under which the roses and car
nations reached perfection when the
winter blasts howl and the optimistic
snow bunting whistles In the fields.
John Meadowcroft was a graduate Of
the Amherst Agricultural College.
Just what had turned him to farming
people did not generally understand
A good guess would have made it
that Meadowcroft loved the country
better than the town and took to gar
iening so that he could live at all
times where he could smell the soil
and see some clouds besides those Of
smoke 60 drifting by.
One summer day number Of young
people drove out beyond Bowman
vile to see the massed color and
beauty of a great field Of flowers,
which the newspapers had made pic
lures Of and written about. It was
"the thing to go out to that spot OF
loveliness during that month OF bios
SONS. 1t was there that Frances Mar
win first saw John Meadowcroft, farm.
er. He had pretty place for home.
II was naturally pretty, and John
Meadowcroft knew how to enhance
Its attractiveness. James Parker was
there that day, and being a man OF
acumen and worldly wisdom he saw
that Meadowcroft, the farmer, thought
that Frances Marvin was more to be
admired than any flower OF his field;
love them all though he did, from
the tiniest blossom to the big flaunt-
ing peony.
Meadowcroft had friends in the
city. They were OF some Of the good
old New England stock, who In their
earlier days had known his father and
mother. Meadowcroft had a way of
overcoming obstacles. His friends
say that some day he will be growing
green chrysanthemums, and will do it
without feeding the earth with dyes.
At any rate he met Miss Marvin again
and then again. She was rather
amused than otherwise at the atten-
tions Of this farmer man" as her
mother called him. There is some
thing In sincerity that wins a way in
all kinds Of things. and finally Fran
ces Marvin grew to like John Meadow
croft.
One day Frances had been shop.
ping with her mother. They had no
carriage, and the North State street
cars were luxurious enough for them.
They met James Parker and he
walked with them when the shopping
was done. 1t was one OF those after.
Moons when the sun and the general
Of things can make even
walk in the smoky streets OF Chicago
pleasant. Parker suggested that they
walk home. Wien they had reached
the corner of South Water street
their way as usual was barred bv
great sacks and boxes. Parker had
had one or two reasons OF late to nc
tually look with Just suspicion Of
jealous apprehension at certain
farmer from Bowmanvllle. He could