The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1913-06-16

sy ROB mcHEYNE

The sloping vineyards along On-
tario were lightly yelled In the mista
Of Indian summer In the air was that
langurous warmth that steals into
the veins and lulls the brain to dreams
and Renaissance. The giant cataract
could be heard faintly drowsy, dis
iant hum Of monotony-a sound that
seemed 10 pervade everything and
reach the bewildered brain, strangely
associated with the heavy odor Of
grapes. full ripe: the rich clusters
hanging everywhere.
It is only BY some such psychology
cal analysis, whether scientific or not,
that an explanation can be found for
the startling fact that Fanchette, go
ing home from the days picking. al
lowed Ponpon the Jester. the clown,
the great laughing registering Ponpon,
to imprint upon her pretty. upturned,
scralet lips, a kiss, thinking all the
while it was Antoine
And such a kiss A group Of gay
young girls turned at the sound, only
to see the demure Fanchette. bhshing
to be sure, but smiling in serene un-
consciousness OF the fact that Il was
Ponpon who had slipped up behind her
and tipped her chin back. as Antoine
sometimes did. when he vas not too
serious.
80 that is the way when Antoine
is not herel" And she turned back
to wait for Antoine
When he came up Ponpon was hang
ing over him. casting all manner OF
iibes at him.
you have excellent taste, Antoine.
swear her little chin Is as soft as
ze breast OF le perdrix." He burst
into loud guifaw. Here is La Orig
non he had given the dark-eyed girl
this nickname because she was tall as
a maypole, and It had stuck because
she was pretty as one-"she viii tell
you; she saw Fanchette kiss me-"
Yes, and ! think it is outrageous
Of her"
Ponpon was not prepared for this,
as he had no Idea anyone had seen
him. and had called La Grignon into
It only to tease Antoine. So he quick
~ ran of to join another group. But
Antoine was silent and his companion
had no chance to poison his mind
against her rival
Fanehette entered the yine-covered
cottage and kissed her mother with
the happiest OF faces
eAh. my little Mignon, | see you
have made up your QuaTvel Of last
night with Antoine"
Yes. mamma. he slipped up behind
me as / was walking home-O, nam
ma, It was SO good of him. ] know
/ was in the wrong last night and l
shall tell him SO when he comes TO-
night"
But Antoine did not come. The
next day Fanchette noticed differ
ence in the way the girls treated her
Day after day Of the balmy Indian
summer passed away and Fanchette,
no longer in doubt Of the worlds in
justice went about her work with sad
little heart. What had she done? Poor
Fanchette She knew nothing Of the
world as yet. She could not under
stand
One day. late in October, she was
sitting on the stone wall. her eyes of
across the valley and her thoughts in
far-off GascoDy, when Ponpon came
upon her.
poor Fanchettel" he said banter.
ingly. "she Is ze last of her illustrious
race and it makes her to mourn.
Come. let me kiss away that sad look. "
81 hate you! hate you! hate
everybody" she burst forth.
"Fanchette! Dear little Fanchette.
This is serious. Tell Ponpon-g
Fanchette only shook her head and
wlnked the tears back. For long
time the good hearted fellow who had
worked all the mischief regarded her
In silence. then. unwilling TO leave
without q word said:
You viii save Ponpon a dance TO-
nighty"
The girl shook her head.
"Fanchette! Do not be 50 ill-tem-
perede
I'm-Tm not going" sobbed poor
Fanchette.
Not going? Not going to the beee
party that the boss gives us. Why
there viii be dances, and games, and
iack'o-lanterns. Not going to the hal
lowe'en party? Fanchettel Fanehette!
II yoa do not hold the water in your
mouth you can never get married"
But tho girl wouldn't smile and pool
Ponpon went away sad of heart. "Bu
she shall 60. he said, and with the
aid of Fanchette's mother he finally
persuaded her to 20 at the last min
ute.
OF course her appearance. aud witt
Ponpon. set the busy tongues wag
ging; and her tall rival hit upon I
merry plan that all the girls applaud
ed. They would send poor timid Fan
chette into the great empty barr
:, where where they had hxed up thu
big swing like ghost swaying bacl