The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-01-24
BY M.T.CALDOR.


smart woman: she'll take care Of her
self and other folks TOO. wish she'd
a-had I'll the wages the ship owed me.
but. lawful heart, Eho knoEs-perhaps
the good Lcrd's rewarded her with
great things By this time. I hope shel
get kind. good husband TO make ny
place good. / Amt going 10 worry,
anyhow-IN be happy here where the
Lords put me-
You've always done 50. suspect, ny
braFe-hearted Tom. and Z useful lesson
have you taught ne; and here now IS
my hand TO join you nov IN the bargain
Ito do the best and be the best ws
can"
Not most ike for the sake O. them. =
Tentured Tozi, nodding toward the
children. but for that+-Iifting his
eyes reyerently upward
..Ay. for that. answered AR. Vernon.
grasping the outstretehed hand And
SO the compact was sealed.
Two months saw a great change in
our island A neEIy-paved walk led
Up from the water to the green: a com
Portable. commOdious. if not luxurious,
dwelling peeped romanticaily from the
empowering vines whose Iuxurianee
hid the roughnessof the log foundation.
Carefully tended flowers had been trans
planted 10 its little plot, and within
the house was tastefuily arranged the
pretty, ingenious bamboo furniture up
on which Tom was never weary Of des-
canting, declaring thar no one but Mr.
Vernon could have produced anything
50 good TO use and pretty TO look at
Everything that was saved from the
ship was used TO deck the pretty p2rlor,
which was sometime to be given Up
entirely to Eiesnor's use; and there
was shelf filed wifi the treasures
Tom had concealed until his quick per
ception Was satisfied that they would
not be able to iniure the preciousness
Of Mr. Vernon's Bible-a Shakespeare.
a dictionary. an old history. and
''Faulkner's shipwrecE." besides
quaint old-fashioned novel and an al
manac that Tom declared to be worth
all the rest.
Outside, just far enough to suit 8Ir.
Vernon's fastidious taste-which Tom
respected, though he could not under
stand twas the formers especial
pride and delight, where be whiled away
in placid satisfaction many an idle half
hour-the pig-pen, whose unruly in
i q hftor4 haI hrr~ h1o.t--d - -.-~.-
gem Of war that had delighted Walter
hugely. Beyond that was set a large
coop with some half a dozen wild
ducks, and in a pen built over a. small |
POOL lounged in the sun three or four
fat turtles.
Here was Toms leld Of congenial
labor, although in no wise did he ne
glect any other branch Of the business,
as Walter facetiously termed it. In
deed most industriously and tenderly 1
had he watched the few hills which be
had planted with the corn found scat
tered round the ships hold--a forlorn
and hopeless task, as he was hnany |
obliged to confess, for in that latitude
1f prodigal Iavishness the hope and
comfort Of sterile regions refused TO
grow
Another useful task had the worthy
iailor performed; he had nailed the flag
iaved from the sinking wreck field
'eversed as a signal Of distress-upon
he top Of the tallest tree on the hill
'ehind them. saying as he did so:
'Therel if only one Of our British
rigates get sight o. the old flag calling
or help, III be bound they'll tack and
ONE many knot out O. the way to see
what's wanted"