The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-03-29
WEEDS
si
sy LOUISE OLIVER.

as absorbed as he looked, but then il
is just likely that he wasn't.
Crack The ball went far-and--
wide OF the green. landing in bunker
which spelled disaster. Gary stood
and watched its descent, compressed
his lips and picked up his bag.
Eldred, on her diminutive porch,
giggIed. She couldn't help it in spite
o. her "reminiscences.
She was pretty. twenty-five, and
drawing teacher in enough big brick
city schools to scare her to death.
Gary was hcmely. thirty and superin.
tendent OF those same schools. More.
over, it was the superintendent, not
the schools. that scared Eldred. Not
his ugliness dear he, no,
But he ridiculed art and laughed at
Eldred's pictures on the 'bIackboards.
which stiff little fingers tried 80 hard
to reproduce
Then, the last day in June, when the
thermometer was ninety-five near the
water cooler and his desk was stacked
head high with papers to be disposed
or that day and the two telephones
were ringing hendishly every other
minute and his neuralgia started to
dig out his right eye and everything
went wrong and everybody was tor,
ture, then Eldred Reamore had
breezed In and asked about some cray.
on supplies for the coming year
Saints could have endured less-and
Gary went to church only every other
Sunday He told her several things
he thought of. Her art was silly her
work useless, her aim purposeless and
her ambition not worthy of her. He
spoke OF dicky birds, frog ponds. and
finally in a fine frenzy Of rage, he
had mentioned something about the
damned weeds she, made the kids
draw
Eldred drew sharp breath. "Wha;
could be more foolish she asked her,
self than for full-grown man to
chase little ball around for miles
every day? And yet he says that my
work is silly" Her eyes flashed.
Through tiny isinglass window she
could see her enemy in the distance
trying to dig his ball out Of a sand
ditch. The next shot landed him in
the water moat around the green
"Oh, how very,nvery funny" she
cried. i've heard him talk golf in the
most awesome terms. If some of those
people in town could only see him
nox,n Che ctonY,ad a netr,.o o1, .,,;+t a
sudden idea.
Billy Hawkins, eartoonist for the
Daily News had made this remark be-
fore he went away ON his yacation
I'm off for two weeks. If you see any
thing good, send it in, particularly if
you can get anything on anyone.
Somebody prominent, you know"
Eldred put the tea things away and
got out her sketch book.
A week later Gary Osworth opened
his mail on the porch Of the club.
house before going out to play. On
the front page of the Daily News he
spied six sketches, and this legend in
large type "Our Superintendent at
Golf"
There he was, ridiculous in all sorts
of contortions.
The line below the cartoon read
thus. "Mr. Osworth dislikes anything
that is frivolous and useless and that
does not strengthen the mind
He threw the paper down savagely. |
Then he went out to his> game and
va ta1 &c . a.,
and the ball when he could hit it.
And the ball, going wild upon one
occasion, swerved to the left, out
through the leaves of an oak tree and !
hit young lady who had stepped out !
of her cottage to gather goldenrod.
Gary Osworth didn't see the ball hit
Eldred, but he went in search of it and
found her lying unconscious on the
ground, her arm still around a huge
mass of yellow goldenrod. The ball
that had done the damage was lying
near. His heart stood still
~ He carried her inside, laid her upon
a couch and hunted for water. But
she started to breathe, which was all
that was necessary to start his own
heart to pumping again. He turned
and his eye caught the open page of
sketch book--a cartoon of himself
playing golf. And Eldred opened her
eyes to see her enemy gazing blankly
at it. How petty her revenge wasl
What a mean thing she had done to
this big, wholesome mani
She sat up instantly. I'm sorryl"
she said simply
He turned and smiled. "You needn't
be. I'm glad you did it. feel better
some way. ought to be shot for say
ing what | did that day and then try
ing to murder you now"
You might get my goldenrod"
He came in with his arms full.
THANK you. 1t seems funny to see
your carrying 'weeds'l"
He reddened. Won't you try to for
get what said? Il you only knew
low adore it now-since | saw you
ying with your arms full of it, He
stopped suddenly.