The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-09-15
CHADWICK, CHAUFFEUR
ANONYMOUS.


Aunt Betty. who is not really an
aunt at all. but oaly q very dear
friend Of mothers. has made her
home with US for over twenty years
She has been with us ever since she
lost her little boy and her husband in
q forest fre in Canada. We were very
.ond Of her in spite of her queer ways
I One OF her ideas was that some day
her son would come back, alive and
strong, and that he would marry Doro.
thy She kept the half Of a coin that
had been hers since her courtship
days The other half had been tied
round the neck OF her husband. who
had vanished In the smoke. She would
fetch II out OF its hiding place every
little while and fondIe it. saying: MY
husband | shall never see again. but
my son will come and bring the other
half Of this coin to Dorothy. just as
his father brought 1t to me-"
Dorothy. who is my sister, took II
all in good part. and never let Aunt
Betty catch her smiling at me when
her future husband was mentioned. i
certainly was surprised when she tooh
it Into her head-but ] am going toe
fast
One would have thought that Chad
wick was the last Of people TO cause
any disturbance in our quiet. well-or
dered life He was an ideal chauf
feur. Until he came we we're always
at the mercy OF our chauffeur. When
Chadwick came. however, everything
Went smoothly, especially the car
Chadwick was a clean. outstanding
American of far above the average
intelligence. Dorothy liked him. she
said. because he had a perfectly
straight nose.
Either the nose or the fascination
for motoring made Dorothy sadl,
neglect her horses for the sake Of the
automobile. None of US thought any
thing Of it until one day Dorothy said
she was going to see the Johnsons
who lived about twenty miles away
and went of with Chadwick in the
automobile. About half an hour later
Aunt Betty made up her mind that she
would like to go 10 the Johnsons' also
! borrowed Tony Spencer's machine
and took her along. About ten miles
from home we came up with our owr
car standing empty in the road
pulled up and jumped out to find |
what was the matter and came on a
scene | shall never forget until my dy
ing day Dorothy and Chadwick were |
both seated on the ground He had |
his arm around her waist. and she had /
luncheon basket in her lap. She
was just putting piece OF chicken
into his mouth, and they were laugh. \
ing about it. Think Of it, A daugh.
ter of the American republic; my own
little sister Dorothy. feeding her
chauffeur on chicken in the public
highway--or nearly,
Good heayensi" cried.
They both looked up, and then. see.
irg who it was they scrambled te
their feet.
Mercy sakcsr cried Aunt Betty,
who had followed me. After that
there was a silence which Dorothy
was the first to break Il don't care"
she said y love him." And with
that she fell sobbing on Aunt Betty's
motherly breast. | was wild witt
rage.
What right have you to touch
her, to so much as look at herr"
asked Chadwick "You-a greasy me
chanic with your hands and clothes
Shiny with the oil of machines. What
sort of home could you give her!
A stucco dwelling In a back street,
with the neighbors children Chamber
ing over the front porch neigh.
bors weekly wash tapping in the
backward" He heard me out without
fiinching. though could see every
word ! uttered hurt. When stopped
for breath. he began to speak.
My God Miss Henderson, You
don't have to tell me that But what
are we to do7 We Icye each other.
swear. tc YOU meant no harm. |
swear to you on the thing | hold most
sacred lie was tugging at his neck
IS he spoke. and then he drew from
inderthis SHIRT the half of coin ex
actiy like Aunt Bettys
Where did you get that?" screamed
Aunt Betty Dorothy and | stood
,pen-mouihed
I've had il since / was boy. My
ather put 1t round my reck just be
ore he died J remember his saying,
Go, take the old token 10 your moth
r. lad ! have heqn trying to find
ny mother nyer since
Ny son. my SON. cried Aunt Bet
y, and she tainted in his arms.
! shall never forget the expression
n my mothers face when ! brought
,hadwick down to dinner with me