The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-02-27

: Anita had been IN Cartervllle for
: just two months, two long, lonely
. months, during which she grew to hate
every dusty street of the shabby little
. town. 1t was not all shabby of course.
There were a few square white houses
with green blinds
Anita taught English In the Carter
Vile high school and as "teacher' she
enjoyed sort Of social emlnence.
The Culture club had taken her in,
and the minister's wife asked her to
tea, but the young people, the girls her
own age who should have been her
companions looked ut her as6ance.
or course, none of these Carterville
boys and girls would be possible
friends for her anyway. She told her
self this a little vehemently, perhaps,
to still the lonely tugglng at her heart,
At the end Of two months, however,
things began to be different. There
was a young man who boarded at the
Palace hotel nice-lo0ldng young
man with brown eyes and the sort Of
nose one imagines to be aristocratic.
1
dining room and sometimes she lis
tened to his hearty voice when he was
| in the hotel office, talking with other
men.
"What a pity" she thought, "that
man who looks Ike that should be
common, after all. He talks to Jim
Murphy as if he'd known him all his
life, and he uses so much slang !"
Just what the stranger did in Car
teryile, Anita was not sure. His name
--she could not nelp hearing that
was Davis, Carlton Davis.
When there is only one young man
about: when he is very good looking;
when he sits at a table near you in
the hotel dining room every morning
and evening when you are a girl, and
lonesome, it is hard to be bound by the
traditions of the proudest of families.
Once, when she felt that he was look
ing after her as she left the room she
was blinded by sort Of hateful self
consciousness that made her trip
awlwardly. and fall. In an instant he
was on his feet, helping her up.
"Are you hurt?" ne asked.
"Not at all. thank YOU"
She was aware that her tone was
cold, inhospitable. He bowed gravely
and returned to his seat near the VIM
dow.
After that Anita tried to avoid Carl
ton Davis. She refused TO admit to
IoveoiF 4I,o+ 4I,;s t,,on xroo tba ,.oo son
for her early breakfasts. and late din
ners, yet deep in her heart she knew
that she could not bear to sit there,
in silence, so near to him.
One evening when she could bear
the strain of depressed spirits no long
cr without action of some sort, Anita |
set out for brisk walk. It was Just |
supper time for Carteryille; lights |
shone from the unshaGe>d windows, and |
she could see family groups about the |
tables.
The girl scarcely noticed where she |
was walking, the rough, unpavcd |
streets OF the little town were no bet |
ter than the country roads, and Anita |
realized. with a sudden start, that she |
had walked far beyond the last house. |
Tears overwhelmed her suddenly. Is
It not to youth, a genuine grief to be !
denied the pleasures of youth the sim
pie Joys Of friendly living? Moreover, |
there was something else that made
Anita weep, something that tugged at
her heart like a wild longing, sOme-
thing she was p5~yerless to stifle or
control.
Suddenly as she sat there by the
roadside. sobbing. a man approached.
She could see him clearly. She shrank
back against a tree for shelter.
But as she did so a twig snapped
under her feet, and she stumbled. with
n soft little cry. The man stopped
short.
"Who's there?" he called sharply.
It was very strange. but all fear left
Anita the very moment she heard his
voice. OF course, she would be safe
with him. He was a stranger to hSe,
yet she was safe, she knew.
"It's 7, Anita North" she calleA back,
and her voice trembled q bit
]
"What are you doing here aleneT o.
had taken her arm and helped her out
to the road.
"Poor little girl" he said. Gould
you tell me about it?"
She shook her heSl.
"Poor little girll"' he said at laEg.
ST wonder If you are-lonesomeT
She nodded in the dark, and he came
\ step nearer.
$50 am l." he said slowly. 'Lone-
aome for YOU"
After that they walked back TO town
slowly. Srm in arm. They passed light
ed windows. where happy family
groups were gathered about the sup
per tables. but neither of them no
ticed. Or if Anita did so. 1t was but
10 reflect that never, never again need
she envy them. never. never again
would she be lonesome.