The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-07-02


Morton, the belle OF the last season.
and a most distractingly pretty girl.
withal; with fortunes and titles await
ing her selection. providing she would
barter her fair self for them, was most
unhappy-for one reason.
Pro contra. Fanny Downs, belle OF
all the countryside about Swish Val
ley, and as plump and rosy-cheeSed
and tempting as ever was a country
lass; with the choice Of all the sturdy
young fellows therea bouts at her feet,
also was most unhappy-for exactly
the opposite reason.
For My Lady Florence, satiated with
jewels and fine raiment and the fiat
terry Of men Of the world. tired Of lux
ury and the feverish pleasures OF the
city, sighed for the love Of a true.
sturdy man. and for a simple life OF
honest love and endeavor in a mod
est way, far from brown stone fronts
and dazzling lights and uniformed
servants and all the pomp and PAN
oply Of society warfare.
And Fanny, in her calico gown,
gazed out through the window, over
ger hot oven and sighed for silks and
satins and jewels and carriages and
servants and lights and the glitter
and sparkle Of what she esteemed to
be true lifs-and she looked with dis
dain upon the honest young fellows
who sought her for herself alone, and
who looked into her eyes with the de-
sire OF true love.
Is it not a pity that these two maid
ems could not have changed places
But this is a solution of problems not
in Natures scheme.
Now, Swish Valley, as the little sta
tion nesting in the mountains is
known, is not only the market place
and metropolis of that particular dis
trict. but is also the station where
the tired seekers for country air aban-
doned the hot trains from the city and
sought the cool breezes and country
odors pertaining to the great hotel on
the mountainside o mile back, which
was eagerly sought during the sum-
mer season by some of the most exclu-
sive and wealthy denizens of the town
The gorgeous butterflies OF both
sexes had been thrust upon the at
tention of Fanny for many years. In
deed, were they not the most con-
spicuous spot in the life OF the coun-
try about Swish Valley station. and
did not the Valley simply exist froI
season to season between the depart
ure OF the "swells" and the arrival
thereof? Besides, Fanny had waited
on table at the hotel for a season ol
two, and her quick eyes had taken In
all the splendor and luxury Of ths
situation.
Probably that was why she treated
Dave Bangs so coldly after she go
home-Dave, who had been her un
swerving lover and admirer ever since
she had been old enough to remember
Dave dumbly accepted the ooldness-
and kept coming whenever she wouls
LET him in.
While Fannie stood beside the hum
BILE gate to her home and spurned hel
true love and sighed for the titles
lover of her dreams, Florence endured
the attentions OF My Lord Lyddon
with his 40 years and his marks OF dis
sipation and his intolerable air o
supercilious proprietorship, as best sh'
could. She knew the match was thu
dream of her mothers heart. ans
meant the rehabilitation OF thei
fortunes and the maintenance Of thei
social station. She loved luxury ever
while hating the neartlessness of he
set-and she appreciated her mother
necessities. Then there was Ralpi
Sommers, whose quiet, steady eye
would not leave nes mental vision, AM
whose manly voice rang ever in he
ears: Florence, you must take you
choice. cannot offer you wealth o
position-only an honest heart and al
the devotion OF a lifetime"
She knew well enough what sh
wanted-but the habit of all the year
and the pressure OF parental love an
hlial duty had kept her from her In
clinations.
My Lady Florence had a passion 70
riding. and the happiest hours sh
spent In the mountains we're Will
; she galloped over the country roadi
climbed the hills and half slid dow
into the valleys. And she often passe
the plain, unpainted little farmhous
in the dusk OF the evening on he
return to the hotel, and many time
she saw pretty Fanny Downs st2ndln
at the gate listening listlessly to a BIZ
honest fellow, who seemed 70 be plead
ing his cause very earnestly, II some
what badly. and to whom Miss Fam
seemed to turn ever an Indifferent.
not impatient, ear. And something
the appearance and poise Of the bi
fellow reminded her most distract
ingly OF Ralph Sommers, and sh
grew cross with the girl for her indli
ference-and then blushed as sh
thought Of her own treatment OF Son
mers. So it happened that she b
came interested in the courtship Z
the farm gate, and happened very frs
quently to ride by end observe.