The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-04-15


There was only one thing 10 do
either to give up his hopes Of quiet
old age with his sister-or else to slip
on scsse 0f the staidness that mis- aga
and profession had brought hifn.
Il believe / really could enjoy good
time, he said wonderingly as he went
TO bed
Che next afternoon Professor Trim
gle sat in the orchard under lo~-
hanging apple tree He vas 10 Han
nah's fayorite seat. an ancient wing
chair covered with oilcloth Here
Hannah could sit and sew Or read or
sleep entirely protected from draughts
Amos Tringle bad spent lonely
day lie had seen the pretty Desmond
giris-he didn't know how many there
we're. four or FIVE altogether-driye
away in the motor with their hand
some mother: ard there was no sound
Of piano or Of merry voices from the
tennis court over the way
The little volume OF essays dropped
from the professors fingers to the
ground and he closed his eyes drowsi-
ly Swift footsteps crossing the or
chard grass reused him and the sound
Of sweet voice brought him wide
awake
From behind the wing chair came
the most astonishing words.
"Deaie. II you're not asleep won't
you please get this horrid splinter out
OF my fngerg II you are asleep. Miss
Hannah, dear you needn't answer"
added the voice with gurgle Of Celtic
humor.
Professor Tringle cautiously poked
his head around the corner Of the
winged chair and looked into the as
tcnished face Of the most beautiful girl
lie had ever seen.
AS she uttered an embarrassed CRY
he arose TO his tall height and smiled
down into her wonderful blue eyes.
Don't be alarmed he counseled
her. Il am Miss TrIngle's brother
she is in Petawick today Won't you
sit down." He Indicated the chair he
had vacated.
Mono. thank you. Professor Trim
gle. said the girl recovering her
poise y am p7demona Desmond
from across the street. I've a splinter
in my finger, and the servants are SC
about such things that ! Just
ran across TO Miss Hannah. I'm afraid
| disturbed you" with glance at his
book
Not al all, he assured her eagerly,
and If you will permit me. Miss Des-
mond. win remove the splinter Let
me see it.
Desdemona held out pinky-white
forefinger which Amos took In his own
hand. She gave him a needle and a
tiny bottle OF antiseptic solution In
second he had extracted the silver,
wincing with her at the slight pain.
When he applied the antiseptic, he
recorked the bottle and gave it TO her
with the needle. waving aside her
thanks.
Won't you sit down. he asked,
feeling awkwardly that he must seem
very ancient to this girl in the white
MILDLY blouse with red bow at SER
throat and a glimpse of little white
tennis shoes beneath her snowy skirt.
Thanks, | will. IL I'm not interrupt
Ing you,'' she said demurely.
Amos threw himself down on the
bench under the apple tree and after
hat there passed the most delightful
hour he had ever known. Desdemona
Desmond could talk Of things that in
.erested him. Not only was she in 4
.erested in girlish pursuitA but she
was widely read. and her freshness
If view and her charming diffidence
before him. the learned man of letters.
Was the undoing Of Professor Tringle.
When Hannah came home that night
she was obliged to unearth from the
attic some automobile catalogues
which he had tossed aside in scorn the
week before; before his blazing en-
.husiasm her longing for a past youth
.ook new impetus and when week
ater they both came back from New
York in bright red automobile, one
would scarcely have recognized the
Itaid brother and sister in the couple
10 modishly attired in motor gar
nents
The Desmonds were deeply inter
,sted in the especially Desde-
mona. and all the Desmonds rode forth /
n It apd were charmed with it and /
With the or-especially Desde-
mona, And after awhile Hannah grew
o decline a motor ride by moonlight |
While she went to sit with the Des- |
nonds on their gay piazza and Amos
'ringle and Desdemona went through /
h country over perfect roads and
earning the old old story Desde-
mona was not too young to learn it,
nd Amos. who was slipping Off the 1
ears with every hour of this new ex-
erience. was as young as Desdemona
erself.
The day Professor Tringle proposed /
0 Desdemona Desmond. he was wear
ng an old gray sweater and his hat 1
ad been left at home; his thick hair
fas ruffied all over his head and he
1oked SO young and handsome and
rown that Desdemona laughed when
e suggested that he was too old to be
er husband even while his whole hap
mess revolved around her answer.
Dear" she said pwepflv her head