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

vistas through the gold-hued glasses
Of youth. She was not what would
be called a pretty girl. but the gods
had endowed her with the divine
quality Of imagination and ideality.
To the unobserying her rather thin,
pale and irregular features. surmount-
ed by a wonderful shock Of red hair,
marked her as distinctly common
place The more observing and ana
lytieal who took time TO look into
her bright. restless. sparkling eyes
paused and said: There's something
in that Graceland girl"
II remained for Frederic Walling
Hapgood. a man OF the world. con-
noisseur and dilettante. to discover
the true worth and vital beauty
which lay within her.
II happened at the Springs. where
she was taken by her grandmother.
with whom she liYed-being an or
phan, and who regarded Marie sim
ply and wholly as one born TO min
lister TO her comfort and convenience.
For the first time In her lonesome,
narrow, provincial life the girl had
an opportunity TO see life as she
had dreamed IT, Il was not sup
posed to be a pleasure trip for her
oh, not at all. Grandma Graceland
had heard that the Springs held
wonderful curative properties for her
rheumatism and straightway had hied
herself Undertaking Marie along to
as a sort Of necessary evil.
But Marie was not a servant in any
sense OF the word. and nobody would
have resented an inslnuation 10 that
effect more than her aristocratic old
grandmother, who treated her as such
In their personal relations. but who
would have fayed alive any person
without the Graceland family who
dared put a slight upon one Of the
royal family" And so Marie plunged
into the great world and saw II at
close range-for the Springs was not
exclusively a health resort. More peo-
pie. perhaps. came for pleasure and
recreation than for the curative prop
critics q the waters.
Well. ultimately. Fred Hapgood.
tired OF all things and at the Springs
for a rest and a change. met this
curious damsel-and with the true
scent OF the thoroughbred detected
the great things which lay hidden
within her. Where others saw her ir-
regular features he saw the the es-
sential vitality nashing from her eyes.
Where others saw her pallid complex
ion he saw the seductive lines OF her
lithesome figure. Where others saw
her shock OF red hair he saw her
ardent, imaginative. gsrlish soul. Her
very ignorance and innocence attract
ed him and II pleased his humor TO
pay deft and scientific court to this
budding BIT Of femininity.
To her II was as incense sent by
the gods. Never had she had court
paid her even by the callow youths
OF the village-she was not the type
20 attract the average youth and her
nature was such as 10 repel rather
than TO gain admirers. But when
this polished gentleman bowed over
her hand and used all the arts OF the
man Of the world she responded with
an ardor which nearly carried him
on his feet II was a new experience
20 him as well as to her. and Il in.
terested him more than he supposed
Il possible 10 be interested in any
woman affair-at his time Of life and
his stage Of experience.
Being so unique an experience, he
pursued II the more industrlously,
and Il was not many days before the
most ardent love scenes we're being
enacted in the quiet groves and dells
about the Springs.
Il was an epoch In her career when
one moonlit evening he threw his
arms about her and drew her to him
with all his strength while his eyes
looked down into hers and spoke vol
umes without hesitation she twined
her arms about his neck and raised
her scarlet lips TO bis. In the mo-
ment OF that passionate kiss all her
dreams. all her hopes. all the fancies
Of her imagination were realized
and she passed from girlhood to wom-
anhood.
There were but a few days Of this
delirious Joy for her. however. and
then the old. old story was reenacted.
Hapgood was called back to the city
on business. He went away-and
faded from her life There we're a
few letters. It is true. but Of a most
non-committal sort and growing more
cold and informal on his part as
they grew more infreQuent
At last she understood and then she
realized that the great passion Of her
life had come to her and had passed
by. She knew that while to her 1t
had been the great thing Of all her
life. IL had been TO him but a holiday
sport She knew that she had been
20 him a mere pastime. and. ah the
pity OF II. she knew that faith in
mankind had passed from her life.
Now even II the true knight came she
could not respond That which she
had all her life wished for the most