The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-11-22
THE DREAM SONG
BY MILDRED WHITE.
NOpyrlght, 1918. western Newspaper union.l

come titliu PATIENT WHO Wdlteu IN
the doorway. But presently she was
back again, telephones and bu2zcrs
seeming to call her on every side And
one could not know that the girl who
responded so tirelessly and cheerfully
was longing in her very soul to he
away from it all-away from the re-
cital of aches and pains, from the
hurry and noise of the business world.
AS il borne on drifting breeze
came Il sweet memory of grandmoth-
ers home in a country town, Her child
iSh vacations had been spent there,
and Elizabeth had never forgotten the
magic JOY of those times. Some time
She had hoped to so back TO brighten,
perhaps, her grandmother'S declining
years, but word came that grandmoth-
cr had passed beyond that need. So
the old homestead would be deS0late
r-forsaken.
( Elizabeth supposed that the sale Of
the property would barely cover n
wcll-remembered mortgage, after nee
pssary debts were paid. But today as
She returned from encouraging the
timid patient a long envelope lay face
upward ON the doctors desk 1t was
addressed to herself and when Eliza
beth had perused its intricate word
ing she found this same old property
20 be hers absolutely by grandmothcr's
viii.
There had'been extra money, 1t ap-
peared, TO meet those other demands.
Elizabeth, her dark eyes widening be-
meath the gold.brown hair, stared mt
the written document and moved Inn
pulsiyely toward the doctors private
office.
"You must let me 60" she told him
when he had read the paper. 81 want
to SEQ what l can do with grandmoth-
crs old place"
"Rase chickens and live by your
selfy" laughingly queried the physi-
clan who had been her fathers
friend.
"Oh-do you think that / could?'
she asked.
Later when she passed down the VIII
lage street inquiring elances followed
her graceful figure. But Elizabeth was
All unaware. She was living again in
fancy the happy days in that square
Old house at the end of the road.
But as she passed inside, regarding
all those familiar objects which were
now her own, into the girls heart
came IL passion of longing for posses
sion, to live here. to have a real
home. Some one would give her com
panionship surely if she could but
keep the old place up.
GLOW could that be donc?' she
asked herself YEARLY, sinking into the
soft depths of one Of grandmother's
chairs. The dreams and longngs of
that confident girlhood came poignant
ly back in the atmosphere OF grand
mothers home-the great house re-
paired and beautiful, the garden won
derful to see with sun-dial and foun-
tain-as they used TO be-and in
grandm0ther's drawing room, herself,
seated before the piano playing, COM
posing the harmonies that had never
quite ceased singing themselves
through all her busy years.
In the background Of the very young
Elizabcth's fancies a mans figure had
hovered. Must not every happy maid
en- have her lover? Elizabeth now had
forgotten the lover! All at once her
typlng fingers were eager, insistent to
touch the piano keys. So in the shad-
ows doated "Song without Words"
the unspokcn dream, perhaps, which
had lain hidden so long in her heart
Through the diamond panes the sun
turned the musicians hair to a golden
halo. on and on she played. When
her music had reached Its last vibrant
note the man arose and unhesitatingly
passed into the room.
"Repeat that last passage" he com
and Elizabeth, glancing about
absently as though still under a spell,
Obeyed.
When she turned around upon the
piano stool the strange man stood over
her searching her face excitedly.
''Your own compositions" ne asked.
"Why yes" Elizabeth replied won
dering.
The mans tone was still abrupt. !
iWhat viii you take for it?'
"I am afraid" Elizabeth replied,
that l do not understand your mean- |
ing, or" She added, "who you are"
The man laughed and his low laugh
ter had a pleasing sound. "You must |
overlook my intrusion and my abrupt |
request" he said. Enthusiasm and the |
Joy of discovery carried me away. The |
name of Lawrence Barry may not be |
unknown to you. Today 1 have been |
visiting the town of my birth. Soon l |
return for my concert tour. In vain l |
have searched for new melodies, sweet |
haunting, tunes to the themes I love. |
Each writer disappOints; his music is
But yours tonight-Ahi |
yours -" The great singer smiled.
'lf YOU would but sell that last eX-
luiSte fancy to me" he said. "You /
might name an extravagant price"
Elizabeth stood before him. she was 4