The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-12-30
A WIG N THE WIND
sy cATHaRlsE cRAsmER.

-ss for being On friendly terms with
1 Mr. Gray, know Of 10 reason Why I
shouldn't Be friendly with him. for he
= zs truly gentleman IS any nan /
know"
Grace gave the opsn car more speed
and drop Of rain II Mrs. Allison
Dodgs's face cut shorI her reply TO
her nieceis spirited speech The
clouds dzrkensd. the wind became
stronger. and that first drop OF rain
vas followed By other scattered drops.
The rock road was nOw in sight.
4 hurried glance over her shoulder
showed Grace covered car approach
ing from behind About half q mile
after they struck the rock road TREY
came 70 blacksmith shop and gener-
Al store inst as the rain began TO
come dOEn IN driving sheets. With
out waiting for permission, Grace ran
her car under the shed. and few min
utes later the covered car drew I'd on
the sheltered side of the shop. 1t
proved 10 be iitney in which Ashby
Gray had started back to the CITY.
Seeing Mrg- Allison-Dodge in digmay
and her niece vainly trying to soothe
her. Ashby Gray defied the rain and
dashed from the jitney to the shed,
Offering any assistance possible.
In her agitation to see whether the
storm promised to abate. Mrs. Allison
Dodge lifted her veil to peer at the
clouds. A sudden twisting wind swept !
veil and hat and even the soft white |
hair from her head She cried out and
grabbed wildly at the moving mass of |
chiffon and lace and hair, but the wind /
was stubborn and the veil became
tangled, and the lady renowned for
her soft white hair and lovely skin
stood revealed with tiny pigtaiI of
gray hair in which q streak OF faded |
brown still showed.
Grace stood as astounded as Ashbv
Gray, for size had not known that her
aunt wore a wig. Except for one dis
Greet hairdresser there was perhaps
no one who suspected that the gradual
whitening process through which her
hair had passed was but the adoption
OF series of wigs, each one whittier
than its predecessor. After a speech
less interval which seemed ages to all
three, Grace managed to help adjust
the mass Of head covering.
Aunt Clara" began Grace, a mo-
ment afterward, "Mr. Gray says it will
take an hour to run back to town with
the roads as wet as they are, and
don't you think you'd better let him
take you on in his covered car now
and let me come on later when the
rain stops?"
Something told Mrs. cAllison-Dodge
that this was no time. to, harbor pref
udice against wouldbe suitors for her [
niece's hand. Besides, and most OF {
all, she wanted to get home and have |
In masseuse and that discreet hair :
dresser, and several other people to [
repair hsr in time for the evening.
She was half inclined to assent to
iray's suggestion that, she ride home ]
In the closed jitney. [
Hurry up, Ashby," called Gray's ,
from the jitney, i've got I
.wo assignments waiting for me in !
own" {
But the name of Ashby had struck |
pleasantly on Mrs. Allison-Dodges I
iristocratic ear. I
did he call you Ashby? thought I
'our name was Gray She looked in
luiringly at Gray as Grace buttoned
he final button on the rain coat she I
lad taken from her own shoulders to
,laee upon her aunt. =
"Ashby Gray" corrected Gray, and I
~ way Of further explanation, added: 4
Ashby was my mothers maiden 4
lame." Z
You don't mean that your mother =
vas Amy Ashby who married DIR. Well =
ngton Gray, the Boston clergyman" :
YES" smiled Gray, as the lady's !.
manner melted into effusiveness
Five minutes later Mrs. Allison '
lodge was speeding alone toward the y
ity to be let out at the fashionable =
llhambra from an ordinary jitney It +
occurred to Grace that Ashby Z.
light have given up important work 4.
D remain there with her. q.
II feel that I've no right to accept ..
uch sacrifice from you, Mr.. Gray, =.
nd IL it's important for you to be
ack in town soon, don't let's wait an =
ther minute on account of the rain. | =
hant mind how wet / get, for | r
aven't any rheumatism. and she +
let his smiling eyes with frankly
mused smile, Il haven't any wig"
you don't have to tell me that he r
aid laughingly, as he looked admir- \
Ugly at the bronze-colored mass of
air which the dampness had dark.
ned from bright copper color and
ad kinked each loose lock into a
ght curl.
Poor Aunt Clara; she'd never hint.
wig, and what is more. she never
i'll. I'm glad she made friends with
)u before leaving, for now she will N
'el that her secret is in the hands OF
lends only, and" Grace hesitated
nd Ashby added: "And therefore
lite SAFE"
- n