The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-08-01

Why, no Joe; n you wlzh TO quit
fcmight its all night You can ar
range 70 90 any time you Ike. But
i'za sorry- In sorry 10 lose you ard
In aFTy I can't pay yoa more money,
bzt I've tod yoa how thi1gs stand =
zhs nsn shook hands and Joe Isft
t1s 0fes.
he bc0ght an evening paper and
( ciinbed the stairs Of the eIe7assd.
Seated in the train, be lisslessly BE-.
gar 70 read q short story. II was the
story q q man of foTty-hvs, tired OF
the city and broke, who had Ieft town
one day. and after travelling many
miles had hired out az = farmland, and
IA > short time rented a farm, mar
ried. made money and learned 70 de-
spise the city and all its works in the
happiness and contentment of ths
life be was living
Ths ben rang, and Marion ran to
the dOor. fastening q cur button in q
fresh waist a. she went Marion was
a stenogrspher downtown, working for
boss who suited his conyenIence
about debating his letters; 90 quite
often. Az happened tonight. che was
late reaching home and had barely
tirns 10 finish a cold dinner zfter the
rest Of tho family and hastily changed
her drsss.
Joe had teleDhoned her a few d.
before that he wanted to ~. fsr
that evening.
Although he never hsa sa,a ~
Marion thought sh< hed ! pretty clear
idea Of What rs feelings were toward
her.
lnSts<4d Of Joe at the door. az she
Exp >cte1. she met a messenger boy,
ITO handed her note. Opening II
I Ia the hall she read.
Dear Marion: decided a few mo
rnents ago not to come 10 zee you. but
/ thought would rather write. am
going % thuck it--ieaving town to-
night ~ eleven. haven't any clear
notion Of where / am going or what
am going 70 do. ] only know for GER
tain that must get away. have had
hopes for many months--hopes OF
Tnica | dare not teli-but II isn't
any uae, I've worked three years on
thia Job and I'm not getting anywhere.
! hardly make enough to support my
self, and when asked the boss for
raise be wanted to know why he
should pay me more when he could get
any number OF men to work for what
l get. Besides, he said, tha business
wouldn't warrant H. I resigned my
position yesterday and am taking a
train for some place in the woods up
north. ] wanted to say good-by to
you, but win let this be my good-by.
JOE"
Marion sat a long time with the let
ter in her lap beneath her folded hands.
She had not known until now how
much she cared or what hopes and
dreams had been hers for many
months. Joe evidently considered him.
self a failure-a quitter-and was
willing TO ackroT ledge It to her. His
good-by he seemed to mean should be
fnal-expressing no wish to see or
hear from her again.
Joe pushed up the shade in his
berth In the early morning light and
looked out on world Of white Deep
forests lined the track and the trees
speeding by were covered with a wet
snow that gave them the appearance
of great white umbrellas. AS he lay
In his berth watching the moving
landscape, he heard the porter say
through the curtain: Your stations
next, sah"
When Joe had purchased his ticket
the night before he had told the agent
he wished 70 go to some small place
up IN the woods, he did not care
where.
After a breakfast in the one hotel
IN the place. he learned from the land,
lord Of a cabin In the woods about
seven miles from the town that could
be bought or rented. The owner lived
in the town and Joe rented the place
without bpthering to look at II and
hired a man 10 drive him out to t.
The next morning he started out 70
look over the place and found II as
the owner had represented. There
were about thirty acres Of clear land
back in the woods and the whole farm
looked 80 good he decided to try anG
buy It and stay there
That night, as he sat by his FIRE
in the cabin he Yrote letter TO
Marion. He began by telling her that
whom he left her he never expected
to see her again unless he felt he had
made himself worthy enough to ask
her TO be his wife. and he was too
discouraged at the time even to hope
for that But now. he wrote. he be |
lieved he saw a chance here n she I
would come and help him. He pic
tured the life they might live together
there and asked her II she could give
up her home in the city. her friends
and her work and come TO him.
Marion stepped on the car on a cold.
murky night and walked the long
block TO her home. She was more
tired than usual. for It had been a
trying de- and there had been many
Letters to write long after evervhodv