The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1917-08-22

VA M m m M M IN m m MM y
It was the Kind Of day young lover
dream about The late afternoon sui
cast Etreamers OF gold on the simmer
ing river; from the porch Of the mas
sive hotel driffpd the sound of sof
music Myrtle Thorpe her chin cuppe,
IN her hands. looked with unseeinl
eyes across the Reter.
Il can never marry you now" sh,
SD llstlessly.
The rather good-looking man sitting
beside her opened his eyes with un
affected surprise. The scar on his left
cheek grew iivid.
"WhyT he asked.
Because you're a coward"
The girl spoke evenly. as II she were
commenting on the weather. but there
was a nnality 70 her words which
/ hrooked no argument. There was
something about the set Of her mouth
and the smooth curve Of her chin
which told Ned Randolph that further
words would be useless. Nevertheless.
he refused 70 accept dismissal without
an attempt 70 justify himself.
why am a cowardT" he per.
sisted.
You know the answer as well as I
do, she said shortly.
But can't swim"
THAT doesn't make any difference.
You might have tried to do something
But there wasn't anything could
DO"
The girl dropped her hands in her
lap and turned searching eyes toward
the man beside her.
~Do You think that II had bsen a
man and someone was drowning not
twenty-five yards away. I would have
run to the dock and would have tried
to get IN a boatf No. / would have
jumped into the water and swan out
to him"
Myrtle. you're unreasonable.
couldn't have done any good In the
water
IT was the most humiliating ex-
perience I've ever known" the girl
continued "There you stood on the
beach, with half the hotel looking on.
yelling for help as II you were a child.
Why didn't you ~ somethingg
u did the only thing possible.
called for help and then went to the
rescue In a boat"
"Yes, and before you got half the
way. Jim Turner ran down from the
porch and swan out to the man who
was drowning. Now everybody says
he's hero and you're a coward"
"And do you think so, too7"
YES" There was a hopeless final
ity 70 her answer.
Bravery doesn't always consist in |
doing something that IS rash and fool
ish." he said.
"YOu don't know how much II would /
have meant to me II you had proved
yourself hero" she said. "My family
have always counted heroism as the
one best thing in life. Five Of my an
cestors were IN the Revolutionary war,
and my two brothers are down at Fort
Myer."
aAnd you think that I ought 10 en-
Hst7"
Yes"
ut wouldn't do any good" HT
awhyY T
Because I'm physically unfit"
you're surely big enough" She
rose suddenly to her feet. 1T won't
do any good TO talk about 1t" she con-
tnued. I'll couldn't help wondering
why haven't you done something
about the war, and now know.
You're afraid"
I'm sorry you should think that"
be answered. maybe sometime you'll '
Ind that you are wrong" Z
I'm glad that found out about you
before II was too late" the girl went
N, ignoring his words. Il was fool
sh TO consent to marry you. anyway.
We've only known each other for a
'ew weeks, and you haven't told me
single thing about yourself except that
fou'ye been to Europe for two years
md have come back to rest from busl-
Tess. You didn't even tell me what
sind Of business II was"
rs II oil over, then
eyes, It's all over"
For a moment Ned Randolph stood
Undecided. as If debating further ex-
llanation. Then. without a word, he
urned and made his way to the porch
+ the hotel After he had gone Myr- !
le sank down upon the sand, her head
n her hands. For long time she lay
ulet, and then she discovered a small
rnament lying In the sand where Ned C
ad been standing. She picked II up
nd Al mined 1t curiously. It was
'ietoria Cross. and on its back was in
crbed the name Of Theodore Ran
olph She found Ned sitting in the y
ar corner Of the veranda. Her face
rmson. she went to him directly.
Gliding out the insignia of honor ii
IL found this on the sand" she
aid softly. rs II yours7"
yes" be answered. IT'S mine"
"Why didn't you tell met"
II was going to this morning. But $
hen you called me coward. I deoid- s1
! 10 let you judge for yourself, and ST
) I didn't say anything" dc
and were you a soldier In Francew sh
Eyes, ia the second year OF the war !,