The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-09-17

dow as he smoked Ills after breakfast
cigas. IN an ossh Nindow asfoss TIE
s;tsR ,Ehnrs i,,<e Stdde1iy appsafsa.
Sue tahb bht1hestln hsf hada knd
sue loJked ali aroihd fof uhil to
hRns 1t on While she was l5oklus f6r
the nail Smlthefs was looking az her.
lie saw vision of loreliaess. aasa
lbyut twenty. and whtle the bird vas
hopping about on is perch smHhers
lsart was hopping about IN his bosom.
Eyen before the gill had disappeared
IN search Of hammer and nail he
realized that be WAS close 10 that state
termed "goneneso'
The girl began operations with the
hammer with great show Of conf.
dence. la her innocence she supposed
that n nail could be driven Into brick
as easily as Into hunk OF putty. ard
she paid ror her innocence by pound
ing her hnger. When che uttered
cute howl OF pain aad dropped the
hammer to the sidewalk within an
inch Of pedestrian's bead and then
stuffed the leuised digit into her mouth
90 suck away the pain the bachelor
faii1y groaned In sympathy. After
moment she disappeared, int hls heart
went with her The idea came 10 him
to run across the street. introdrce him
self and po,,r out his syn.pathrs. but
after combing his mustache and put
ting ON his hat he decided not TO.
However he set lfimself 70 watch
Tor her reappearance. and, though 1t
was three loag hours before be caught
sight Of her again with a white rag
around her lngcr. he dll not feel thar
he had wat'ed his Zine. She lo0ke.s
across az him. ard nc thought he eaw
longing FOR sympathy IN her face.
lie therefore waved his lmnd. ltwaa
IN no sense m net of Irritation on liia
part His sSmpathies went With The
wave. II WAS the snmc as II He said.
Poor llttle orphan girl. but ! pity
you" The girl drew back, ana smith
ers biew her kiss. Not the slightest
idea OF iirting entered his mi,h lie
was simply conveying ny signs what
he couldn't put into words and yell
across the street Never mind. iltle
girl you'll he happy yet"
That afternoon the girl and the fln-
ger aud the rag walked out together.
SO did Smithers and his sympathetic
heart. After being charmed with a
view Of the young lady's back they
passed her and were still more eharm-
ed with view OF her face. That face
was ethereal, tender affcctlonate. IL
had the longing look that comes 10 the
face Of girl left all alone In the
world aud two weeks behind ON her
rent TO a hard hearted landlady. Smith
ers might have found excuse to raise
his hat and say something abort the
weather. but q peanut man pushed his
cart against his knees aud sent him
sprnwling. and all romance was driven
ont Of his soul for the next three or
four minutes.
That same evening as Smithers SAT-
by his window smoking the same
brand aud wondering how much he
would have 10 pay waiter In 4 res.
tnurant to write an ode entitled The
Sore Fingered Angel the girl appeared
at her easement She sat down and
looked up at the starry heavens ahd
leaned her sore nnger OH the sill 70
rest H. She didn't see Smithers AT
frst. but when he thought be detected
tears Ia her eyes and quiyefing or
her chin he thrust hilnself forward 70
let her know that there was al LEAST
one human being IN this world who
felt for her.
The same rag and the same finger
and the same girl walked out next
day. Smlthers was on the watch. and
he walked oIt too Nothing was fur
ther from his tspaghts than ''mashing"
or flirting. That was something be
had never done IN his life After fol-
lowing the girl four or Eve blocks and
thinking up Just what words OF sym.
paibY TO address her with be over
hauled her and raised bis hat and
was about to get on his little speech
when a big. lusty fellow without the
least romance In his soul took him
By the scrun OF the neck and ad-
dressed him for n moment IN words
Of feryid eloqucnce while ihe girl
with the sore finger stood 10y With "A
iiNhNNNA hhN fAIifRANHt lRNN WI
face. Her expectations were reallzed
that Is. Mr. Smlihers WIS shaken tilt
his teeth bit his tongue, Then he waA
made 90 perform strange antics with
his heels while his legs would klnk up
and then straighen ont again in Won
derful way Before the big man was
through With hlm his collar and tie
were torn on, his coat ripped hetond
repair and his hair badly mussed uls
He could not aflerward swear that he
was nlso kicked and cuffed, but he
FELT reasonably sure Of H. What hurt
him more than The kicks aud cuffs. II
he got them WIS tue pleased aud
corlplaceut look on the girls face dur
lng the continuous performance aud
the words OF the big man when he
hWl finished toying.
"There. you weazened faced. lop
shouldered son Of gun. II yon ever
dare 10 look at my wife again III
break your neck like a pipesteng'
Rut Smithers looked again. The
''sirl" had come closer. aud he saw
that she WIS woman OF forty. with
freckles on her face aud two moles on
ftsm chin unI fl..f ft.ra ,.soa a.. i...it