The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-06-02
BACK TO LIFE
~ LAURA xskssN


face ranch life with him tnkf only one
woman "A q hundred strikes happiness
under smch conditions
Pack yoar truuk. kid. he said kind
". pafting the hriEhs head that lay de
sscgealy On the roHnd arms It's Ent
on your nerves There's Just one thing
TO DO and that's 70 set back to eivflira-
ticu. IN try 70 fellow. Efxi
~Yonu follow ur C1me tire yei
Io~ head. The hlus syss lightsd with
hope. "0h, John.r she cried. DO you
mean its's
He nodded first hsifhesrtediy. then
more vigorously and convinctngly-
See.~ she cried. ciutching the door
Dmb. -can you blame me. What girl
brought MP 10 dances and music and
theafers could drop to this without
going half mad
He went 10 her quietly Soothingly,
he patied her arm. gradually drawing
her away as he did H.
4 know he said gently. And
cone, Now you're going to Pack.
We see what can be done"
Back to life,r she caught him up
The following morning he drove her
to the station.
~Good-by,~ he sang out as the train
pulled away.
He stood long time looking after
II. Then. whistling a tune that had
strange bitches in 1t. he sprang into
his wagon and turned Demons head
homeward.
When he reached the ranch he flung
the reins over the mares back and
strobe into the house. No doubt one
OF the boys would attend 10 the horse
He went straight 70 the little room al
the back of the house which had been
Pearls.
Cod" be whispered. bring her
back, Bring her back"
For. all at once. he knew that unless
he had hopes OF her coming back be
could not go on. He had thought he
could grit his teeth and work. Now
he knew that he couldn't.
The only way he could get himself
to 60 out with the boys and work was
to tell himself that her first letter
would bring news OF her coming back
And so he lived. in hope, until the
letter came. One OF his boys deliv-
cred it to him two nights later. as he
sat smoking ON the back step, watch
ing the red ball of the sun drop behind
the prairie.
With eager hands, he took II. His
fingers trembled as he tore II open. He
bent. shoulders contracted. His eyes
were like fires.
Darling Johnnie" he read. Il can
hardly wait till you sell the old place
and come East"
He dropped the letter He covered
his eyes with his shirt sleeves. His
! shoulders heaved. He was sobbing as
he had sobbed when little boy
But gradually he got back the cour
age to go on: "Oh, Johnnie darling this
is the only place to livei | have been
in a dream Of happiness since | re-
turned or course | could not be so
happy II didn't know you were com
| ing soon. Goodness How have
danced, and teaed. and played the
! pianola,"
! After all he did not 60 on. He could
not. He knew what the rest of the
letter was like. Hearing commotion
in the corral, he got up and pushed his
| steps toward It, He dared not sit and
think.
And it was with welcome that he
saw an obstreperous broncho tearing
round and round the corral, defying
authority.
Don't go In" cried the men In hor-
toward the wild beast
John laughed. Here. for a moment.
he could forget his pain. He headed
off the animal, cornered it. Then reck-
lessly. step by step. he neared it.
When he came to he was lying in
bed with a doctor bending over him
One movement told him that his leg
was broken. He lay back, closing his
eyes ia pain.
Dimly. he saw figures flying about
waiting on him. He WAS conscious OF
some one puttering over the fire. An
other Of the boys Strengthened his pill
low. Still another asked him If there
was anything he wanted.
There's not letter." he asked
But through the long day none came
Quietly. he lay on his bed with his
eyes wandering out over the plain.
The darkness fell at last. Pitch-black-
hess came
Johnnie. darling," he was saying to
himself. as she used to say IT, "Oh.
Johnnie, darling"
Or was some one else saying It? Sud
denly it seemed to him that voice in
the pftch-blackness about him was say
ing It. He propped himself up on his
elbow. Yes. there 1t was again:
Johnnie, darlingi"
And his. own lips were closed He
sat up straight now.
PEARL" he cried. In the threatening
voice Of child who. If disappointed.
will 90 into wild. inconsolable, hysteri.
cal crying.