The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-09-08
A BROKEN LANCE
ey STELLA AVERY.

Blind-and all due to quarrel will
Frank Edgarton on the verge of tn,
cliff at Roselea. Frank had pressed
Lorry u the edge of the cliff, th,
earth I'D given way and young Gra
ham had fallen 40 feet to the beacf
below. Frank had reeled home, still
intoxicated. to give a garbled account
OF the affair. He had disappeared fol
awhile, but now gossip said he hat
returned to lay siege to Nancy's hear
while Lorry Graham was blindl
After Edith Vantine had impaired
the news to Nancy she moved along
over the putting green; Nancy watched
her with wideopen smarting eyes
How she missed Lorry's tall, white
clad figure swinging across the field
his deep voice, the fire in his glance
when their eyes met And now that
glance was dead-forever.
With choking sob Nancy brushed
away the tears and swung club to
her shoulder She grounded it clum.
ally as Frank Edgarton's voice sound
ed close beside her
Good morning, Nancy. Waiting for
me?"
No" said Nancy carelessly. I'm
Just thinking about Lorry Graham.
They say he is blind"
Edgarton paled under his tan He
was a dark. Ieanjawed man with
onyxblack eyes and hair His brown
| hands fum1led nervously with his
| clubs.
His own fault" he muttered sui
lenly.
What did Tou quarrel about"
asked Nancy Quickly.
"Youp he flashed back.
''Is that the truth, Frank Edgar
ton?' Nancy looked him full in the
eyes.
On my honor!" he declaimed trag-
ically, his glance shifting.
The girl laughed contemptuously
Don't swear by something you
haven't gotl' she ic.orted, and turned
her back upon him. 4 pity you!"
They say pity is akin to--a tenderer
feeling!" he insinuated.
Its sometimes close to contempt"
was Nancy's last retort, as she saun.
tered back to the clubhouse.
She sank down in corner where
high-backed settle hid her from chat
ting groups of people. Voices reached
her now and then. Once the clear
tones Of Mrs Amory came to her, hold
ing her captive in her seat, an unwil-
ling eavesdropper Z
'Lorry Graham is not only blind, but
he is poor as WE'LL" said Mrs. Amory.
ITS hard nck!"
"Poor!" echoed mans voice.
What has happened to him? |
thought he was as safe as Gibraltar"
MY husband told me this morning
that Lorry was bankrupt; that's all
know about it. Isn't it dreadful, on
top OF his blindness? Certainly,
troubles never do come singly."
Nancy slipped out of the nearest
door, her heart in a tumult. Lorry
Graham not only blind, but poor as
WE'LL
She crossed the lawn and entered
the estate owned by the Grahams.
Under wide-spreading maple she dis
covered Lorry reclining in a ham.
mock chair and leaning over its back
was his sister Mabel
Mabel saw Nancy coming, put fin
ger to her lips and tiptoed out of ear
shot of the man under the maple tree
Go to him. dear" whispered Mabel
Hes awfully down and he would
rather see you than anyone else"
Nancy squeezed Mabers hand and /
the latter went toward the house.
Nancy approached the lone figure un.
der the tree, her heart in a tumult of
fear and pity
That you. Mab?s asked Lorry's deep
voice as she came up to the back OF
his chair Before her voice was steady |
enough TO risk an answer he went on:
As | was telling you, Nab. Edgarton
was drunk-plain drunk. and he made |
a sneering remark about Nancy | re-
scnted 1t. of course, and he threw him
self against me and bowled me over
Rather humiliating when a chap was |
trying to break lance for the lady
OF his heart"
Nancy's hands slipped down until
they covered Lorry's bandaged eyes.
Who is it? Where is Mabel?" he !
demanded sharply
IT is Nancy" she whispered
tremulously.
Then YOU heard what said you
4 know--everything my brave
knight" auayered Nancy. kReeling be.
side him. You were breaking lance
Tor me. oh. Lorry. you can see-you
arc not blind at all.' she cried in a
panic
For he snatched or the disfiguring
Dandage and his wide-open and love-lit
syes were beaming upon her with all
heir old-time alteration. only multi
Piled a hundredfold
why. sof course ! can see, he
aughed tenderly ''who said / had
gone blinde" l,
Edith Vantine said -" Nancv's
roice turned traitor at this point. She
I'D her crimsoned face against Lorry's
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