The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-12-29
THE BEST MAN WINS
Hy SUSAN E. cLAoETT.

am AFRAID many bricks are laid TO m
credit. for my intentions are alway
good but fall OF accomplishment.
mean to write. but somehow never dc
This time you must forgive me. for
am most unhappy. And my unhappI
ness came from out clear sky. Sine,
then ! have sounded the depths. Fa
ther is obdurate. Mother sides with
him.
1T is nothing but plg-headed obstI
macy In father. Anyone looking AT
Howard would know he is a gentle,
man. He certainly is good to look at
ana, OF course, think the sun rises
and sets In him. But father will not
listen when | tell him we are engaged.
He merely says: when you care for a
man, Jane, you can marry him as soon
as he asks you, but so long as l live
a make-believe one shall never have
YOU
July l0th-I thought my letter had
reached you but have just found 1t in
my portfolio. When l wrote a month
ago | thought myself encompassed by
misery, but my feelings were as moth
ing to what they have been the past
few days.
Father told me l must break Off
my engagement; that l should not see
Howard again. / stormed. He mere
ly said, Jane. put on your hat and take
drive with your mother aud me-
That was all.
y told myself wouldn't. But
had never disobeyed father In my life
and we started on that drive. II was
long one. 1t took us three days TO
reach this place; a little farm at the
end of nowhere, thirty miles from the
nearest railroad station There is no
post Office, no telephone. no carl
July 20th-Pauline, dear it is a
comfort to chat with you, even If my
letter has to wait forever and forever
to reach the office. do get so hungry
for home news. Mother has written
once, but not a word from dad, which
shows plainly that I am still In dis
grace. Today Peter told me he might |
go to the station for mail. If he didn't !
he thought Dan Isham would take my
lettera Whoever Is Dan IshamP
haven't seen a man. except Peter. since
father let me here. wonder If he
Is as old and wrinkIed as Peter"
July 21st-He came before had
finished my letter. Just an ordinary,
farmer sort Of person. He has nice
eyes. saw that, although he turned
them away at once. l wonder what he
thought OF me?
august 10th-I am seeing a good
leal Of Dan Isham. He lives on the
1ext Place wherever that is.
He Isn't a bit like Howard, but he
Inows whore to find the lovelest wood
lowers and this morning showed me
he cutcsl little open-lnouthed baby ii
'irds; nlocking birds, he said they
we're. II
August 24th-Dan came this morn
ng and asked me to walk to Kings
'reek with him. l don't know what
ot into me, but l felt l must talk of
Toward. / told of our engagement,
nd how determined father Is that 1t
hall be broken off, but that | was de-
to marry him when came Of
&c.
And when will that be-? he asked.
our appearance this morning sug-
ests nothing so much as that Of a
retty spoiled child of twelve
Spoiled childr gasped. / could
)t control my voice, so turned my
lck on him. AS I did so l caught
ght of something that turned me cold
lth fright Coming toward us with
wered head was a great black bull. II
with shuddering sob caught l.
I'D of Dan and hid my face against :
$ shoulder.
" Why, childr Then the low nut. =,
of that awful animal made him
IN suddenly. win you believe me,
uline, Dan Isham laughed, but he n
Int let me go. He put his hand un- B
r my chin and made me look at him.
hat he saw in my eyes l do not a
ow. What / saw in his made me
ain hide my face against that old.
led blue shirt. Even through NV
n I was glad father had told How n
Chandler should not marry him. N
I did not mind Dams laughing.
re was such comfort In feeling his
MS about me, but for propriety's =
e ! tried to slip from them, when n
said: -
Jane, that steer is one of Peters
team, and is as gentle as a lamb.
lly ! am thankful he put in an ap-
rance just now, for have been
ldering ever since you began talk M
of Chandler, how long would have 2
Vait before you found out you loved
Instead. For you do love me. There -
10 question about my feeling for
l surrendered the first time l -
YOU
When we at last reached the house
M should we find but father, and G
shook Dams hand as If he had u
wn him all his life. 1t seems Dan
studied law in the office and had I
associated more or less with dad y
since. ! don't know why l had
# met him. 1t just happened SO,
ppose. N