The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-02-14

Look here, Wells, rasped the man
aging editor, wheeling about in his
easy chair and surveying me sternly,
your work Is getting rotten, absolute
ly rotten. What you need Is vaca-
ton. Take It. Get out and don't show
your face around here for two weeks.
Thus it came about that the next
day found me lolling comfortably on a
settee, in shady part Of the park
My five years work on the newspaper
had given me wide acquaintanceshir
within the city. Consequently, among
the passers-by. there were many
whose faces were familiar.
Presently two familiar figures came
within my field Of vision. They were
a pair of girls whom had encoun
tered many times in my search fol
news, named respectively Mag" and
Liz"
Being trife familiar with theil
especial brand Of graft, / decided tc
watch and see with what success they
should operate it. So / lit my pipe
and waited expectantly, nor did have
long to wait.
Suddenly there came a wild shrek
and, in a moment, people were rushing
pell nell toward the spot where a mo.
ment ago | had sighted this gifted
pair
smiled sardOnlcally and sat still.
for had seen the little play and its
inevitable denouement enacted many
times. Mag the smaller one. had
Just keeled over in fair imitation Of
an epileptic fit while her sister Liz
lent her aid by wringing her hands
and proclaiming in heaStrending ac-
cents. 70, me sister She's dyin'.
She's dyin'."
OF course the whole exhibition
would not take over i've minutes and.
as a finale, some sympathetic bystand-
er would pass around the hat for the
afflicted one. ! yawned, as the little
circle disintegrate5. and wondered
whether | ought to report Liz" and
her confrere to the police or give her
a dime and ask for a story. Fate de-
cided the question for me.
The crowd had miraculously disap-
peared, having evidently forgotten
Mag and her troubles, while the
precious pair wandered slowly along
in my direction. keeping a shifty eye
out meanwhile for a possible police
man.
] pulled my hat down over my eyes
and pretended to sleep. Presently /
was rewarded by whining voice
please, mister. help a poor girl that's
got fits
| sat up and pushed back my hat.
why, hello, Liz" | said casually, ''at
the old game ! see. Why don't you
try something new?"
The girl, in whose hard and care
worn face there was not trace Of
fear, stared at me defiantly.
"Wot if we is?' she said sullenly.
folks like us has got to live some
way and the old gags Is the best any
how. ] tried new one las week, and
it was all to the bum." Here she
stopped and looked at me suspiciously.
Go on Liz" said / good naturedly,
I'm not working this week and III
give my word Of honor not to peach on
you. Sit down and tell me about it."
The hunted look left the girls face
and she glanced at me gratefully as
she sat down.
Tanks. Mr.. Wells. she said. Il
taut you want no piker. Well, It was
like dis. Some O. de fly cops got wise
to our game an dey told us to quit 1t
or get pinched, so we quit an KEEP in
de house fer while. Tings to eat
got kinder scarce aronn' tn joint SO.
one night, says to Mag I'm goin' to
duck out an see what's doin'' an
took hike down to the Bow'ry.
Il wuz sneakin' along when, all of a
sudden, ! runs into Marble Mary Just
out from a tree months trip to til
islam. Mary she hooks into me an
wen ! tells her me bad luck, she puts
me wise to new lay that she says is
a peach an a winner On de way home
I lays me plans to try it out mex day.
Now dis is a kind Of a particular Job
so | calls on all me frien's fer help.
"One lends me a swell lid she's
swiped somewhere, another hands me
dress fer Mag an finally. we're bot
fixed up like duehesses and ready fer
parade.
Den I gets out a new shiny hand
bag. dat copped from somebody or
other. and ] packs it full o. paper until
it looked like tn property Of Mrs. Van
Astor
wild dat In me mitt, me and Mag
hits de pike fer down town. We
wuzn't amin fer no cheap Joint.
neither, but fer Wanacooper's, tn
swellest place in town. Course, we
didn't know w'ether we could get in
or not, but faint heart ain't produc-
tive of anything to eat an anyhow we
couldn't do no more than get trowed
out,
"Well luck was wild rs, fer dey -
d big sale goin' on an tn bubble a a
carriages was lined up Ter hal ,n,,S ~