The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-09-21

j was in the gable room that we
foinc tour bewildering moon table
our dear, dingy shaky-legged moon
table!
Take any piece 81 furniture you
fancy from the rooms above" sweet
Aunt Persis had graciously said, and
Millicent and had spent the livelong.
dreary September afternoon in a soul
satisfying revel among treasures Of
Sheraton and Clippendale, and Hep
pelwhite.
A moon table! Our hearts desirei
Our dearest dreaml
My great-aunt Persis was waiting,
very erect and dignifed in her carved
oak chair. Did you find anything that
pleased you, dear children?" she
asked.
The moon table. Oh, the moon
tablet we cried in unison.
My great-aunts fingers trembled
ever SO slightly as she lifted the tea
pot Owens table" said she, slowly,
my little brother Ovens moon
table"
Can You really part with it?" we
ventured. breathlessly,
4 should not like It to 60 out Of
the family" said Aunt Persis, but
am willing that any Of my dear neph-
ews or nieces should have It;
and to please you, Neville and Mill-
cent | will give it with especial
pleasure"
we will put it in the book room,
said Millicent.
"Assuredly, in the book ROOM"
agreed. Aunt Persis. this is magnifi-
Gently generous Of youlp
Owens table, went on Aunt Per-
sis, unheeding our expressions Of graf
itude and delight. Pretty little Owen
=. your little granduncle, Neville. :.
He was just ten years old the very day
he died. ). If you weary of the table,
Neville and Millicent. my dears, you
can send IL back, remember"
Weary Of the moon tablet Aunt
Persist"
He was a still. old-fashioned child
my little brother Owen" continued
Aunt Persis. Fond of books and
inusic-very fond Of music. He
had a sweet, high voice, and his little
fingers touched the piano keys so
lovingly He found our grandmother
old spinnet up in some dark attic cor
ner and dragged it down to the gable
room. And, oh, the hours and hours
he would sit at the moon table making
notes! Queer little notes. with
such crooked stems, and bulging, out
of-sbape heads There are ink
stains on the mahogany now. I've
never washed them of"
I'VE never will, either" promised
Millieent.
And If you weary Of the table and
wish 10 send it back to the gable room
and select a chair or a mirror, or any
thing else instead, remember to pacl
1t very carefully. Wrap 1t up vel
with burlap, and use plenty Of straw.
have given it away five times.
Given it away five timesl"
Yes. Neville and Millicent."
And it has been returnedi"
Always returned"
Callers were announced and the moor
table subject was closed.
We gave the moon table the place 0
honor in the most artistic corner 0
the book room We busted It diligent
ly several times a day, we kept bowl
Of flowers always upon 1t, and we rt
ligiously cherished the ink-stains tina
COMMUNICATED little Ovens musice
aspirations. True to my grandaunt'
predictions, baby Fay, our three-yeai
old daughter, liked the table. Odd
enough, It seemed to possess for her
subtle charm, mysterious alluremenN
and much of her time was spent /
standing beside It, patting it lovingly
caressing the spidery legs, and ira,
ing the inlaid design over and owe
again with her wee forehnger. 1fiw
missed her for a little while, she wa
always sure to be found in the boo
room, close to the moon table. Ofte
she would walk round and round 1t. e.
amining It with the gravest attention
and apparently looking for SOM
thing
What is Il, baby ~ / asked. "Whs
is Fay looking for?"
'Dwawer," said Fay.
"Drawer?"
"Es, dwawer Baby want dwawer
This table has no drawer, my pet
said |.
"Es, dwawer," persisted Fay boy
dwawer.
What boy's?"
Moon table boys.
"Oh. what nonsense, baby!"
laughed, rumpling her chestnut curl
Not long after this we heard "a
humming a strange little air. An eli
sive minor thing, with a haunting m
tif, and a fascinating rhythm, vii
just hint Of syncopation. Neither h.
mother nor / had ever heard it
fore.
What are you singing, Fay?"