The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-04-23
LONELINESS
OF 1T


in iatg. we moved from the countr,
to the city. gayly. happily and witt
never a thought OF care. for, as men
\ toned to Josephine and as Josephir
mentioned to me. the quiet and peace
mentioned to me.
Augustus"
"My lover"
'Augustusl ] had two callers to
day. The strangest women"
Thus my Josephine upon my return
from the marts Of trade in the even
ing Of the first day after we had set
lied in our apartment and had begur
to live the life that we desired, un
seeing and unseen.
The strangest women" repeated
she, my love. and her eyes were large
with bright amaze and her lips quiv
cred. whereby knew that thereby
hung tale THE first one rang
the doorbell in the morning and
asked me II I'd lend her a saucerful
OF salt, She staid an hour, Augustus
and she told me ALL"
"All. my love?"
Augustus, she told me all. Chat is
to say" added Josephine, thought
fully, "all except herself. The second
woman told me that"
"She. too. wished to borrow sau.
cerful Of"
mo, Augustus. She lives in the
apartment above and a handkerchief
which was drying in her kitchen blew
out OF her window and lodged upon
our fire escape. When went for it
/ conld not find It; 1t had blown some
where else. but she said. Never mind
II, then, and she staid an hour. Au-
gustusl know what every one has
for dinner
First floor front: roast beef, spin.
ach and beets; first flood rear: beef
steak, onions and potatoes; second
floor 'front.' leg OF lamb, mint sauce
and broccoli; second floor rear
Whereat / stopped her with ges-
ture Of absolute helpelessness, say
ing
Tell me"
whereat she stopped me, murmur
ing
"sh~
Leaning then orer, she whispered:
Everyone can hear what everyone
says. The walls are thin"
And reyerting to the mystery of ev-
eryone's dinner, she whispered
Il saw them on the dumb waiter"
And leaning over still further. her
eyes large with the news she brought,
she breathed:
II smelIed them cooking, too"
And almost ir a pantomime-
The folks above have corned beef
and cabbage And they go in strong
for cheese!"
Thus lived we in the privacy of our
apartment
augustus"
MY love?"
Augustus! The janitor and his
helper we're in our kitchen all day to-
day. A pipey
Thus said my Josephine in the
evening OF the third day after our ar
rival into the life OF great city.
"a Dipe?" / said.
Leaked" whispered she, my Jo-
sephine. They had to put every
thing out into the hall, and even then
they didn't finish it. They'll be back
again tomorrow"
The next day was Saturday, and
returning early home / helped to en-
tertain the janitor and his assistant,
holding their tools for them, handing
them the oil can and performing other
little Offices. while on a swinging
bridge in front of the house a painter
frightened our woodwork, his gaze
frankly and refiectively meeting ours
whenever we chanced to look at him.
Thus 1ourished we.
But it was in the evening that we
found our greatest measure OF seclu-
sion. rest and quiet. OF the distant
elevated and the nearer surface cars
speak not caring not; of the woman
in the first floor rear (she who loves
her beefsteak and her onlons) / speak
NOT. Notwithstanding the passionately
sad ballads she sings with such a
pliver OF voice that my love bursts
into tears; Of him on the sixth floor
who breathes tender secrets into his
nute speak not; It is the converse
tions that rest US the most; intimate
conversations. personal and private
conversations, floating to us from the
windows of the court or permeating
through the walls, and hearing which
Josephine sometimes looks at me and
smiles. and sometimes looks at me
with new alarm, whispering implor-
inely:
"Augustusl"
To which I make my fond reply as
ever
"My love?'
"Augustusl Be careful to whom
you apeak in these apartments"
And leaving her remark a mystery.
she solved yet others
Augustus!
"My precious one?"
"Augustusl Did you ever hear any.
thing like these sparrows?"
Thus did she solve another mys-
terry, FOR every morning had my sleep
been broken by a chattering hitherto
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