The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-03-14
BERTHE swIMs
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

BeeclmOnI. MIS-. Hdrulug-ftalueS,L Lne
sculptor, is doing group for some
| thing or other and is going to give
the proceeds to the dog hospital.
Something like that. anyway. Engi-
neer an interview with the lady. Take
a camera. There, get along now!"
Bert's rebellion boiled over in the
| corridor.
What's all this about?" inquired a
feminine voice, behind him.
Bert turned smiling to the girl
They went down to the street to.
gether Say, BERTHE, I'm leaving"
"Why?"
She laughed little slyly. "Oh, I'm
like the little boy in the poem
I've got the hives
And new straw hat,
And I'm goin back home
Where my beau lives at
He stopped as though bullet had
put a hole in vital spot Il con,
graduate you, Molly he managed to
get out. hadn't an idea you were
engaged
''Well--I'm not exactly! guess
shouldn't have said that. But mother
is making an awful fuss about my do
ing newspaper work and insists upon
my going home and marrying a man
she's picked for me-
"And your
She sighed I'm going to look him
over. If he suits my fancy | may"
A hour later, the young man found
himself unIoaded at the entrance gate
to the Harding-Haines place. He had
preferred walking the quarter mile tc
the house to get few pictures of the
grounds.
He had passed group of elms, a
wonderful shrubbery, and an Italian
garden, and was approaching a per
COLA, when he spied swimming pool
cool, marble lined and inviting. He
looked around. Things were quiet, ex
cept for a woodpecker hammering
near, and somewhere in the distance
the dull hum OF a grass mower.
He was hot and dusty and ever
since his talk with Molly there had
been a queer feeling in his head. The
solitude OF the place spelled safety
Why not take a plunge? So in few
minutes he was in the bath, his clothes
ana camera slowed away beneath
hydrangea.
The water was soothingly refresh
Ing and he swan slowly around, keep
ing close to the shadow of overhang
ing shrubs. And then--as he neared
the place from which he had started
he heard voice, woman's, quit,
close:
Here, jenkins, put the tea wagor
by this stone bench. I'll wait here fol
Miss Mary"
Bert thought of his clothes, not five
feet from the bench, and danger of dis
covery became imminent when the
same person remarked: When yor
go back, Jenkins, send Green to me
These shrubs are entirely too thick
They need thinning around the water
You may 60"
Bert shivered The water became
IO4u &c luC GiludLiOu 6ACW WdthA
Jenkins retreated and the voice spoke
no more, but Bert knew that madam
probably Mrs. Harding-Haines herself
was seated so near that he could have
touched her.
Then Mary arrived. A car came
rapidly up the drive and stopped. Now
was the accepted time and Bert was
about to make a grab for his clothes
when Green appeared upon the op
posite side of the pool. There was
nothing for it but to drop quickly bach
into the water under cover of the
bushes.
But in the instant something had
happened. Bert had seen the girl. His
heart nearly stopped beating, fol
Mary" was his Molly.
But harkl Madam was talking An
unwilling eavesdropper, Bert couldn't
help hearing.
Mary now that you have had your
own way and earned your own bread
for year and lived a real life, as you
call it. l want you to consider what
cdH. NHtn gOu were Qull0 Ilill, dilu
certain young man also was quite
small. his mother and l betrothed
you two. I've never mentioned it for
several reasons. Partly because !
changed my mind. as his family lost
every cent of their money But his
mother was my best friend and think
I've done wrong in waiting. If pro,
duce him, won't you try to like him?H
DO | know him? What is his name,
mother"
'Bertram Van Buren,"
Mother"
Just then Green's quick eye noticed
a splash. and he exclaimed excitedly:
Madam, there's a man in the water.
II you and Miss Mary will please go
away. I'll call Jenkins and pull him
OUT"
Mrs. Harding Haines rose quickly.
sHeavensl Come along to the house,
Mary III call up the police instantly
But Molly. recovered of one shock.
was to have another She had spied