The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-04-27
THE GIRL OPPOSITE
by BEVERLY sLAUsoN.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. EIsHla al1zlsl

DtlUTb the IuliiOi III tuC uPPSi iooih
Of his closed house, and it was strange
how all the interests of the mature
mans life narrowed to those of the
boy OF long ago.
Pictures flashed across his mental
vision, and he saw himself again. a
little boy, standing before that same
window and holding his fathers hand.
"Why mustn't play with the little
girl across the street," he asked his
father.
But IL was long before he learned
that the man across the street was
famous atheist lecturer. and stunned In
horror by the narrow society of the
title place. whose ostracism extended
to the loyal wife and the little girl.
Later the little boy had gone to
school. a boarding school in distant
city. There the interests OF school
days drove the thought of the little
girl out of his mind.
So completely, in fact. that. when
le returned. he did not at first rec
,gnize the young girl of fourteen
whose face he saw at the window
opposite.
who are those people across the
.oad?" he asked his mother. with an
interest whose cause he was careful
% conceal.
"The same" she answered. THAT
IA Danyers. the abominable atheist
lecturer. John. hope that you will
aave nothing to do with any of them
1t any time"
Time passed. John Travers went to
college. Now the whirl of life had
taught him up. and only the most
slustve memories remained of the girl
It the window. Yet, when he came
rome with his degree, he found him
,elf looking across the narrow street
It young woman who watched him
from her window. And this time
here was look Of recognition upon
aer face, though she made no sign
If greeting. and neither spoke.
Then John Travers went into the
world of business Eight years had
passed, and he had fought hard dur
ng those years. He had made a name
:or himself in the financial world; at
hirty he was rising power in the
street. II was no wonder that his
enemies grew numerous as his power
grew stronger.
And as the years went by Travers
began to realize that he was obtaining
sIngularly little out OF life. At thirty
1e seemed already an old man In ex-
perlence. Life brought him no hap
piness. He did not understand the
,ause OF this. but he realized that he
lad somehow missed something which
all his wealth could not supply.
Then came the panic. and the fight
,or survival Everybody was leagued
against Travers to pub him down. For
whole week. during which time he
hardly slept John fought. Then the
pack had him down, and his fortune.
swollen to millions, crumbled to moth
ng in a single day.
SO he had gone home to the little
village. to the house which he had
Inherited after his parents death. but
never occupied.
At last he had resolved to end 1t,
70 plunge out of the life that had
brought him nothing into one which
could at least offer nothing worse to
aim. And. after long thought, he had
irawn from his pocket the revolver
which he had always carried since the
beginning OF his debacle.
A knock at the door startled him,
md he thrust the weapon away and
opened the door. He gasped to see,
before him, the girl at the window
opposite.
She came into the room impulsively.
"Mr. Travers," she began, 81 know
bou will resent this intrusion, but we
are old neighbors. My name Is Mar
Iorie Danvers, and often used to see
you when we were children. ! live
opposite--I have lived there alone
since my parents died two years ago.
And | heard you were back and In
trouble.
You know how people gossip in
this little place. We heard you we're
alone here and had not left the house.
We were all afraid some harm had
come to you. So went to the door
and knocked, and when you did not
answer / came up. Is there anything
can do for your"
Her eyes fell upon the revolver
muzzle. protruding from the book
case in which he had hidden It, She
looked at 1t and at him wildly.
You were not--not thinking OF
that?p she cried.
yes" he answered. Il was. But
you have cured me now. Miss Dan
vers, have lived selfish life, solely
for myself and have had little pleas
ure out of 1t. But now | have come
home, and-and | want life TO begin
to mean something to me. Do you
know how often | have thought Of
your"
"IIow strange!" she said. Il have
thought SO often OF the little boy
used to see and might never know
And TO think that after these years