The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-06-15


"Get a dozen recordsi" yelled Rus
sell after the departing man; "youn
need every one Of EN-"
In ten minutes Lord was back again,
breathless and enthusiastic.
In less than no time a blank record
was ID place, and Russell stood, ready
to set Il Ia motion.
"All ready old man" he said;
stand up near and smile at the lady
now begin
Suddenly all Freddys eagerness, en-
thusiasm and selfconfdenee forsook
him. His Jaw dropped and he gazed
at his friend halrlessly.
Good heavens, Tom" be cried,
blankly, what shall ! say"
say? Well. III be hamstrungl
Have / got to propose for your
Freddy few mad
mo, you haven't" be raped out;
and il you'll Just leave me to myself
few minutes I'll do my own propos-
ing!"
Left alone. young Lord approachedN
the phonograph with a return Of all
his self-confdence He reached for
the lever and opened his mouth. It
stayed open.
eJehosephatl" he exclaimed, at last.
His cuffs came ripping on Then be
lighted a cigar and, Topping down in
chair, gave himself Up to medita-
ton.
An hour later the door Of Russelrs
sitting room opened and Freddy en-
tered, subdued and chastened in
spirit.
Tom was again at his drawing
board.
How many Of those records did you
spoil?" he demanded.
Lord sank deiectedly into chair.
"T-tenl" he answered family.
Russell snorted
That tenth record was a peach"
continued Freddy, disconsolately. 4
was getting on fine with a. when the
thing went wrong somehow, and-and
Il swore at itl Then gave 1t up
y could have told you At the very
first that you'd have 70 write It out
and read II into the machine, COM
forted Tom.
Freddy seized a pencil and drew
the tablet toward him He chewed the
lead a moment and then flung the pen
Gil down.
"Oh. come. now" be said. stubborn
". Il can't write things-neyer wrote
a letter in my life, not even TO my
mother Always sent kilograms. don't
you know"
Its taken a long time to reach the ,
point, but / knew It would come 70
this" said Russell desperately. Then
he commenced writing.
he covered several pages with the
bold, angular writing OF a draughts-
man and tossed them across TO Fred
erick.
The young man read Il through
carefully, with knitted brows, then
raised his head
1T sounds wooden" be complained.
Russell stared a moment
It's that or nothing" be remarked
curtly.
Wen. you don't need to be nasty
about It, said Freddy. looking hurt.
The following afternoon Frederick
Lord presented himself at the home OF
Miss McAlden at FIVE o'clock the
blood pounding In hts ears and his
heart doing stunts inside him.
He had previously sent the precious
record by messenger, with a nog1
stating that he was sending her q new
shubert record. never heard IN pub
lie, and requesting her TO crafty a
whim Of his BY going to the music
room alone and listening to the record
quite by herself He would call at
five o'clock to ask her opinion OF it.
The maid ushered him into the n
brary. where he found slender. dark.
eyed girl euried up In a big easy chair.
gazing dreamlngly into the open FIRE.
She rose quickly as he came toward
her and waited. looking very shy and
adorable. until he reached her side
They looked at each other a mo-
ment
"Did-dld you mean IT, you bold
man?' she whispered, coyly after a
time.
Freddy's head commenced to swell.
Mean itl" he repeated proudly.
Am ! man to DO a thing Of this sort
FOR IA ioke7"
Five minutes later Mary Alice lifted
her head from the broad manly bosom
Of the self-satished Mr. Lord.
How did you ever happen to think
Of it!7 she said, toying with the flower
In his button-hole. Il always knew
you were dreadfully clever. she con.
tinued, gazing upward with fond.
proud eyes; but I never dreamed YOU
had such acuteness. such-such origin
ality, Frederick Oh / think It was
tho sweetest proposal a girl ever re-
eeiyed,"
Freddy threw his chest out
Yes" he boasted shamelessly. ut
vas an entirely new and original ideA
for a proposal-rm going to have Il
patented"