The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-01-25

WOl
AS Policeman Barney Flynn differs
little--at least, in one reSpect-from
the average man OF limited means, the
approach Of Christmas found him
troubled, not to say pessimistic He
neard tho customary talk about Christ
mas; he Aaw the Christmas advertise
ments in the papers and the Christmas
goods In tile shop windows: he read
the accounts Of Christmas plans for
feeding Or otherwise remembering the
poor, and the only effect II had on him
was to make him jingle the lucky
half dollar he carried In his pocket,
and shake HIS head dolefully.
"Tis TIL da-ay iv th' rich" he said
TO himself "'Tls III time whin ye
wa-ant twinty thousand dollars f'r to
do tn Fright thing be all tn good
people ye know. 'Tis tn da-ay " give
an ta-ake. an II xe can't give ye're
ashamed f'r to ta-aRe. an there ye are.
T was difrrlnt in tn Oh days whin
was la-ad. but now livery wan
who ha-ands ye out a two-bit sca-arf
ixnects fr to ha-ave as good or bet
ther ba-ack from We, an til ray-sult
II we all 90 br.roke gIyin' things that's
" no gr-reat use to amy wan. but tn
shtorekeepers that sells thim. Tis
~ me to shtaIl tn good woman be
little ta-alk iv har-rd times befoor she
spinds th' rInt money buyin' r-red ties
an six-fr-a-nickel see-gars be III
box"
With this obif% In view Policeman
Flynn entered upon a systematic cam
paign 70 discourage Christmas shop
ps y. and he die II with his usual Dip
lomatic ability.
''Ye can't fmprlss a thing on tn
mind " woman be sayin' 1t wanst
an lettin' It 20 at that" he told him
self "Ye must ding-dang 1t into her
head without lettin' her know what
ye're doln'"
So he began to drop incidental re-
marks about poverty and hard times,
with casual suggestion from time to
time to the effect that there would be
no Christmas IN that house. Later,
whenever the moment seemed propi-
glous, he aired his Christmas views
more at length, and even illustrated
them with occasional stories. All In
all. he congratulated himself that he
was accomplishing his purpose with
exceptional cieyerness and strategy
Think " m bargain days that fol-
lies Chris-musl" he remarked one day
at breakfast TITS tn wa-ay Nv tn
world. Whin ye ha-ave no money
III lads IN tn shtores is thryin' II
TO ha-and things out to ye at nss than
ha-alf III cost to ma-ake thin Ohol
they're sma-art min. those feliies. All
th year we're sayin' to thin that they
nIyer thruly sell an9ythin' at lls:
than cost, an tn day afther Chris-mui
they come back AZ ye an say: Wei
prove 70 ye now that we can do tha
very thing be oTerin tn goods at Iisl
than cost whin ye're not In shape r
20 buy Thin tell ye. Mary. III wis
wan is tn felly that plans f'r to ta-ak'
thin up whin they ma-ake Ia bluf.
The logic Of this seemed unanswer
able to Policeman Flynn. and few
days later he supplemented II by re
mindlng her that the year befors sh
was near dead r thinkin' " tn thing
ye c'u'd ha-ave an comparin' thin
with th' things ye did ha-ave. all be
cause " III ba-ad habit " goln br-rok
wanst year" Next. after a reason
able interval. he told her about Cullen
one Of the men at the station.
"rh' only throubIe with Cullen" h
said, was that his hea-art was so bI
an ray spenslVe that he c'u'dn't buttol
his visit over It whiniver amy wal
or annythin appealed to Il. He ha
4 good head, too but Z was nawthin
beside ~ his hear-rt. HIS head wa
always givin him tn fright tip, bu
bis hear-rt w'u'dnt Fave him listen I
IT. That's why th byes at tn statlo
has f'r to dodge him reg'iar afthe
Chris'mus. He come to me on II
fwInty-sivlnth da-ay " last Day-cim
harl ducked aim on tn twintsAslxtl
known tn kind " la-ad he was. bu
ne cornered me on tn twInty-sivlnt
-an he says to me, be says. Barney
be says. I la-aye up to III house, h
says. a br-right green nick-tie. an
red nlcktie. an a polky dot nlcktl'
an two pipes. an box ~ see-gar
an op-gold pair " susplnders, al
some shippers. an fut-rist.' he says
an the good woman DO be havin'
sort iy a dolly thing. an a silk pitt
coat, an some shtockins with pal'
blue clocks on thin. an a pink shir-rf
waist, an a little statoo " Vanus +
70 put on tn kitchen shelf. an
wather-caraffy, an new taypot-' b
says, an II, ehIldher has r-re
eca-arf, an shled, an q pair
slsa-ates. an. d toy gun. an little pi
Ehfol Sagon. N some blocks. an