The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-12-27

Time When old LedS temper ndu one /
Of its most violent explosions He
ordered the young man of the place
and swore BY all his fighting ances-
tors that if he ever set foot on the |
premises again he would I'll him SO
full OF lead that he would not noat
in brine.
Those who knew intimated the old
mans opposition was not by any
means solely due to his hate for Hud-
son. Helen's mother had left her
$4,000 which was to be used by her
father until she married or attained
the age Of 30.
She lacked eight years Of being 80,
But whatever the cause Of his op-
position, Helen knew, and Ben knew,
and everybody else knew that 1t was
a mighty dangerous proposition to 60
up against zed Bilbro's word. II he
said he would shoot, shoot he would,
no matter If he hung for It within
"a hours.
Therefore Ben, who, by the way,
was a very excellent and prosperous
young man, wisely stayed off the
premises; and Helen went unaccom-
panied, if sadly, about her work.
Her face grew thinner, her cheeks
paler; and there was a far-away look
in her eyes that would have touched
the heart Of anyone but a stingy old
curmudgeon who wanted to hang on
to the use Of her $5,00O
But one Friday afternoon as she
stood listlessIy by the west window
suddenly her eyes frightened and the
color came back to her cheeks Zed
looked out just in time to catch the
last wave Of Ben's handkerchief as he
rode by.
The next Friday Helen was at the
window at the some time. and again
Ben rode by and waved his handker-
chief.
Although there was no response
from Helen save in her eyes and
cheeks, zed sprang up angrily and
jerked the window blind down in
front of her.
Quietly she moved to another win
dow. Again he jerked the blind
Then without word she walked on
on the porch and sat down in rock
err Whereupon Ben gave the hand
kerchief an extra swing around hi
head and tossed 1t triumphantly int
the air.
zeds face grew apoplectic and HI
looked longingly at his Wincheste
which hung over the door, but b
he could not very well shoot a maj
down on the public highway for mere
ly waving his handkerchief.
After that the Friday afternoon So
Lutte became the weekly event for th
girl, whose cheeks once more got bac
their pink and her step regained it
old-time elasticity as she went SIM
ing about her work.
But all the time Zeds impoter
wrath smoldered under repression
growing hotter and hotter until b
was in constant danger of explosion
Now, young lady, / want you
remember one thing" he said one NJ
day evening. There amt to be an
elopin' round here. When you mari
youu be married right here in tn
house. II you ever run away to g
, married, I'll kin him just as shol
as I'm a foot high"
Helen merely replied; Eyes, fathe
, I'll remember" and went on abor
; her work.
That made him boil all the NOR
for he had hoped for an excuse
D pour out upon her the vials Of b
I. wrath which were too full to be COZ
Portable
About II o'clock Wednesday mig
Zed awoke with the feeling tn
something had gone wrong.
He hastily got into his clothes al
Z went to Helen's room.
She was gone.
: He went down the stairs three ste
= al time and got his rife When
hand was upon the door-knob
= stopped. There were voices.
went to the window and looked O
: II was fine June night, and /
moon smiled on grass and roses a
Z. leaves.
There they we're. in the shadow
the grape arbcr They were sitti
on the bench, and even in the shad
he could see the young mans a
was about her
A fit of anger swept zed until /
moonlight looked like blood.
Out Of the door, across the por
and halfway across the yard
] dashed before they noticed him.
They sprang to their feet. He
screamed and started toward her
ther. but the young man ntood
ground deiiantIy-
Crazy with anger, zed jumped
e one side, SO the girl was out Of ran
threw up his rife, and fred tw
o square at the young mans chest
\, He fell forward on his face, Il
less.