The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1913-01-17
ONCE KEPT IA DAIRY
BY KENNETH JONES.

phef as ano turned toward Che book
keeper and scrutinlzed him carefully
before opening her desk for the day.
'Dtd you ever keep q diary?0 asked
the bookkeeper by way Of reply.
Ob, you poor mani" exclaimed the
httle stenographer, understandingly.
Some one found it, of course"
He nodded and sighed.
"Of course, / might try to comfort
you By saying we all learn by expert
ence and there's nothing that time
doesn't heal and such things. but 1
won't It's all Just so much rubbish
to the person you try to comfort So
Ill Just admit that it's a perfectly aw-
ful scrape, can see that some one
has found It who oughtnt to know /"
NY kid brother" explained the
bookkeeper, laconically.
What! AS bad as that?" exclaim-
cd the little stCnographer, Mortified.
TITS one | kept quite while ago
and I'D forgotten it." began the book
keeper, Frightening up at the prospect
Of unburdening his mind and gaining
sympathy. Il noticed for two or three
days that Bill was grinning at me in
a mysterious way and this morning he
made known the secret. He found
It In an old coat pocket up in my
closet. ] used the pocket as a hiding
place, and haven't had that coat out
In ages to 90 through the pockets.
You see," he went on, II kept that
diary when I had an awful case Of un-
dying love for a girl, and, of course,
It's all about her. When | see her
coming now I make bee line for the
next corner and turn the other way.
Why, ] never even want to meet any
one with her first name. But lay
present feelings didn't influence what
! wrote in that diary--not bit!
when 1t happened was ashamed
Of going with any girl and kept it
all a secret, telling the folks at home
that ! was going to be out with some
Of the fellows when I went to see her.
And as the diary wasn't dated--for l
considered that unnecessary-there's
no proof that the whole thing isn't of
present standing!
"Bill called me aside today and
whispered audibly, so the whole fam
lily head: Have you written in
your diary this morning. When 1
looked my surprise-for, Of course, the
truth didn't dawn on me for a sec.
ond-he laughed and pulled out the lit
tie red leather book That brought
It all back with lightning speed. Then
he darted out Of the door before /
could get hold Of him.
eThe family began to make inquir-
les. Soon Bill put his head in at the
window and said he wanted to speak
TO me minute When / refused he
called out: oh, well. III just read
a page from this little red book to
amnSe the family So he began to
shout some silly trash about Mildred
lrushed out hurriedly to buy him Off.
But he won't be bought off. That
is, not once for all He demanded 81
this morning, because his roller skates
need TO be put into condition. I've
always thought 10 cents too much for
him. so you can imagine that the dol.
lar came hardl But he wouldn't part
with the book. and although begged
MIN all morning until left to give il
to me he simply thought up schemes
for levying blackmail.
I don't dare thrash him ana take
away the book, because he's quoted
SO much of it from memory that !
know he's got It all by heart, and he'd
repeat 1t with interest If givon half a
chance If lie did of course. I couldn't
disproye it. without showing the orig.
inali
And to think it was about MIldredl
Why, she's putty-faced and has the
disposition Of q poodle, and she hasn't
any more style than a bag Of pota.
toes. and-oh, she's absolutely the
limit. Bill would go and read tho
whole thing to her in a minute If he
took the notion I don't know how
I'm going to exist I'm totally in his
power, and It means ball games even
when have previous engagements
L means taking him along in the owe.
nings if he wants to eol II means q
thousand trials that viii make death
a blessed thing to contemplate!
Why on earth do people make
such fools of themselves2 What coed
did it do me TO keep that horrible
diary anyway? never read it over
and it makes me hot to think of the
good summer hours I wasted writina
the stuff Just to amuse Bilit"
"But why don't you let him do his
worstg asked the little stenographer
It'll only make Mildred know YOU did
care once-and she knows you dom
now And you don't care if your fam
ily knows that you've got over YOU
foolishnese!"
Yes, bitterly responded the book
keeper and Bill would hesitate only
about five minutes before he'd take 4
over to Grace, and. then"
OH The little stenographer shool
her mead. Perhaps you'd better hur
~ and elope with Grace" she sue
gested as she began cleaning the kew.
Of her Notwithstanding Dali,
News.