The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1917-03-03
DORCAs' BAY LILIES
BY ISABEL FROST.

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A large tub, half-sunken In thu
earth. with myrtle and wandering Jew
rambling over Il, STOOD or in the from
garden. Spider lilies and nasturtiumi
grew in their season around II, but y
the tub itself were planted only dag
lilies.
They bloomed late. Dorcns used
to watch and walt for them the year
round. Somewhere she had read that
they were the asphodels Of the gar
denS OF heaven, and surely their per
fume confirmed 1t. 1t seemed the es'
sence of all the lilies.
II made her think of all the things
she had ever longed for and missed
all the little ungratfed hopes of her
grlhood. 1t swept away the years of
nursing her bed-rldden mother, then
her father. and keeping house for her
brother Luke at the old home, She
was thlrty-ave now, "gone by" as the
saying was out In the country. Yet
to those who loved her Dorcas was
like one Of her own fall lilies that
bloomed late and sweetest of all In the
garden.
She was out early one morning.
And as she leaned over the lilies, Doc
tor Fellows buggy stopped at the gate.
"Heard the news, Miss Wlmbledon?"
he called. "Cary's sold his farm and
he's going West"
Dorcas bent her head over the tub
Of lilies.
"Im so glad for him." she said.
Hes always wanted to get away, ever
since he was a boy"
They had been sweethearts once,
back in Dorcas' girlhood. And then,
when Cary had asked her to be bis
wife, she had laughed at him.
"Tie myself down to a lifetime Of
housework right over there? Don't
you suppose I'm tired of looking out
at this valley every day of the year,
Cary Roberts? I'm going away TO
study and make something Of myself.
You can stick here If you want to,
but I'm going"
She had meant IT, too; meant 1t
with the belief back In her heart tlFat
he would never stay behind, that he
would follow her. And instead, they
had both lived on there, with her
words between them.
And now, at last, the barrier had
fallen for Cary. He had sold out and
was going away. She saw Luke and
the hired men coming slowly down
from the hill pastures where they had
been stacking cornstaIls, and realized
she was delaying dinner. When the2
came up to the house she was in the
kitchen, and Luke. after one glance
at The half-set table, grumbled. She
heard him go outdoors again, but paid
no attention until she went TO the door
TO call him, 10 minutes later He had
been cutting out some dead canes from
the bushes along the side of the walk
and pulling up dried flower stems.
But all Doreas saw was an emptied
tub tossed over the pallRg fence and
scattered earth with some day lilies
on the ground.
"Why--Luke--" she faltered. "What
are you doing to my lilies|
Il needed the tub" said Luke curt
". "DiHner ready"
She knew Luke's action was due to
pure sullen spite, boyish, in way,
because she had been late with din
ncr. Yet 1t seemed to typify every
thing, all the years of crushed ro-
nance and sentiment, and the lack
/ Of them in her brothers nature. She
turned without word, and went back
TO the kitchen. And later in the after
noon, alone in the house, she sat aip-
stairs in her own room that looked
across The river, watching Cary's red
chimneys and making up her mind.
1t wasn't too late. She packed rapid
ly dragging down an old-fashioned,
round-topped trunk out of the attic,
and filling it with her hest things. She
would 80 away, too
Suddenly she heard knock at the
side door. Hoping 1t was no woman
1 nelEnhofs slle KAN uuNh tAS AANN'
stairs lightly, and found Cary stand
ing there.
Hello, Dorcas," he said, with a
hoyish ring In his tone. Heard the
news, aln't your I've sold out, and
i've come for you. Took long time
to do 1t, but I'm here."
"Why, Cary Roberts !" Dorcas said
biting her under lip and backing away
from him. after all these years?"
1T amt too late, is It? l had to
stick to my price, and I've got it, three
thousand. seven in cash, Dorcas And
I've got some put by in the bank, be-
sides what the stock will bring. You
amt going to stand back now, and say
no, are your