The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-02-27


Yes, a little"
$50 am l. Which way are you 60
ing?"
I'm standing still.'
Going to stand still very long?"
"Pefhsps not"
Let's 90 somewhere"
She looked slightly startled.
"Where?"
Lets walk"
He took her arm and led her across
State and down Randolph,
do you eat?1 he asked
Sometimes"
And drink?7
HNo-yes--
"Shall we 60 IN here?" he asked at
the entrance Of a well-known cafe.
She drew her arm away. No. she
said quickly. That's too-too pub
lic"
mo, 1t isn't There won't be many
here at this hour"
She hesitated for a moment. Then
as he persistentIy drew her arm she
followed him.
In the farthest corner Of the room
they sat down at little table. AS
he handed her coat to the waiter he
noticed the tailor's name inside it and
remembered it as the same man who
made his sisters clothes.
In the light Of the restaurant he
looked at her curiously She threw
her head back slightly and met his
look without shrinking. Her eyes
we're blue, very dark and bright. Her
hair dropped softly over her forehead
and ears, and against its blackness her
skin looked as white as a child's. Her
cheeks and lips we're crimson, but it
was the color Of excitement not paint.
The only touch Of artihciality about
her was the poise Of her head, which
threw into prominence the beautifully
curved lips and dimpled chin. She
seemed young. and yet not so very
young.
Twenty" he thought Twenty-four
-six-thirty twenty-five IT twenty
two | give It up"
What shall we have?' he said
picking up the bill Of fare. 4 don't
know your taste in drinks-yet,"
The half angry. wholly embarrassed
look in her eyes puzzled him. He
wrote an order and handed it to The
waiter. Then he sat looking at hen
and wondering. The usual free and
easy personalities ne knew would be
resented. IN spite Of the manner oi
their meeting he felt a restraint. Shs
gave him no conversational assistance
+, A few commonplace remarks were
made and answered.
The waiter brought the order an(
left them. She ate little and onll
tasted her wine.
Tell me, he said suddenly, settinl
down his glass and leaning forward Of
his elbows. Tell me what it means.
She drew long breath, as If thl
nervous tension had unexpectedly re
= laxed, and looked straight into hi
s friendly, quizzioal eyes, all the reck
lessness gone from her own.
!. 1T means" she said slowly and de
? liberately. that am very, very foo
S ish girl
{ You know that don't your sh
went on. You want to know why
d am so foolish? Well, ri tell YOU
e 'T write stories. Not very goo
s stories-I can't sell them. But / wan
y to do great things, l live in sma
d city about 100 miles from here. NJ
d father is wealthy and Is very good t
me. but I have lived the narrow If
Of a girl In a small place who neye
has had to make an effort for hersel
Ny stories are crude and immaturl
3 but I love them. have thought tha
If | could 60 away from home to th
8 city and live either In the slums or I
4 real whir of excitement perhar
I should develop and broaden and b
able to do something IN the world {
letters. But my family would nevg
permit that and ! had to stay at hom
IN a few months | am to be ma
rled. The man Is one Of the best me
on earth and l shall be happy wit
him. But In that new life will |
drowned all the old ambition. sha
write no more.
Il came to the city TO do my we
ding shopping. Ny mother came VII
me, but she was called home this al
ernoon. Tonight the strangest II
pulse came over me. ! wanted to
Just once a Wild. mad thing. wants
one real experience to write-iuht Of
before settling down foreve9-the e
a. perience that was to form the plot
hs the last story / should ever writ
ey That Is how it happened that you M
ne me on street corner at midnight
ng +And has 1t been oil you expected
q. ne