The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-03-28
THE CHANGE
BY CATHERINE cRANMER.

But think what you're shutting
yourself away from, Nell" remon,
strated her married sister. Mrs. vii
kins.
Please don't dwell on that" Nells
tone indicated finality.
Meaning. OF course, q marriage
with Perry Morton?"
Yes; l mean just that and nothing
more"
yet il you are really absorbed in
this work of decorating houses, think
what an opportunity that old Morton
country place offers, and you could
choose any sort of town house you'd
want, with no limit to what you could
spend on furnishings" Mrs. wilkins
set aside her unfinished cup of tea
with an impatient sigh.
Get thee behind me, Mammon,"
laughed Nell
"Oh, have II your own way, as you
always have things" said her sister.
Nell, there's no use picturing Per-
ry Morton as monster just because
you don't happen to fancy him"
NO, he isn't monster at all, Sis:
he's merely an easy-going, line-of-
/ least-resistance sort, and his program
for life could be filled cut twenty years
in advance. But, look at the clockl
It's time to pack the tools with which
I'm to hew out my own little des-
tiny" And Nell took the nearest
route up stairs by way OF the back
stairway.
When she came down all ready for
the train, maid handed her Perry
Morton's card, with this message
written on it: "Goodby, Nell. Luck
to you. II l bob up now and then
please try to regard me as a good
omen"
When she arrived that night at her
tiny one-room mand-kitchenette apart
ment she found huge box of pink
and white roses. A few moments
later, telegram was delivered to her.
IT contained this message: "Omen
number one. May the rose-colored
days outnumber the colorless ones two
to one Perry"
Nell worked hard. During her first
months she had occasional notes from
Perry Morton, but since he had gone
out to a western ranch he had sent
her but one note and it contained lit
tie more than his address. One day,
soon after she had taken contract
for furnishing some apartments she
was exploring about in a furniture
shop when she was effusively greeted
by a.young bride from her home city. ,
"Oh, Nell! What lovely surprisel"
exclaimed the bride mo one would
suspect you were involved in mys-
terry"
Mystery? Why, Adelaide, what
can you mean?" asked Nell.
Just this" said the bride, with
teasing smile, everybody at home
wonders about the mystery of your
going off to work and Perry Morton's
subsequent affair with Mrs. Mapes,
widow of his college pal and, lastly,
abHit Perry's sudden departure for
the wild west. We can't figure out
where you got peeved at Perry's fond
ness for the widow or whether he
went to the wilds to forget you or to
forget the widow"
Il see nothing mysterious. It
sounds Just plain silly to me-" laughed
Nell. She noticed on her table a
magazine addressed to her. 1t was
mailed at the publishers in New
York, and. looking through it, she
found blue pencil mark in the index
at this item: Subsequent Changes of
Program, A Story, by P. M. Orton."
It was the story Of a young mans
awakening to his own unimportance
by hearing the girl he loved speak
lightly of him. While it told of no
remarkable achievements attained by
the man, it showed how his mental
attitude toward life had undergone
such change that life must hence
forth mean something deep to him.
All the next day Nell had that
story in her mind, and a hundred |
times she wondered whether the name
"P. M. Orton" was a contraction of |
Perry Morton's name, or merely a CO.
incidence but as often she put the |
thought from her and tried to be in |
different about it. When she reached
home that evening she found tele-
gram from Perry with only this SEN
tence: The last omen but one, and I
1t will follow shortly"
Half an hour later, Perry appeared
at her door.
Nell, dear" he began recklessly, as
soon as their first greeting was over,
have l bungled things? But | want
I'd to know, and l couldn't tell you
hat day overheard you tell your
sister Twas an easy-going, fine ofleast-
resistance product of my environment,
whose life program had all been
printed in advance, and so on"
oh, Perry, please don't" began
Veil.
"Oh, yes, Nell, that was the making
" me. Right that minute l saw my
ielf in new light that fairly hurt
ny eyes with its clearness, and set
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