The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-11-23
THE OLD HOUSE
BY JACK LAYTON.
copyrIght, 10ls. western Newspaper UnionJ

years ago she had been the enyied
daughter of one of the towns wealth.
lest men, when the gray stone house
was an imposing residence to be point +
cd out with pride. But now the bushes
in the dingy garden were dust covered
and the twinkling lights Of the tene-
ment windows seemed TO be laughing
down at the queer old house below. !
Linda, living on when her people had
ali gone, seemed to take as years
passed, the air of the lonely house,
reserved, living within herself. And
though Linda was no longer young, yeti
was she still not old enough to put
aside the dreams Of youth; and per-
haps had she not been like the house
between the tenements - removed
from life about her-Linda's dreams
might h"ye come true.
At first sentiment would not allow
her to part from the home she had
always known, then selling had be-
come an impossiblity. For one dar-
ing moment Linda had thought OF
renting her rooms TO make homes fer
DuNluGSS MOultny MlltNi At ANetHt NNNAN
bring companionship beneath the 81
lent roof But her long sheltered na-t
ture shrank from the intrusion. There
was still no actual need, so the idea
was abandoned.
Before the CRATE fire beneath the
white marble mantel, Linda sat, pos
sessed of an aching longing for the
things that were gone. Then her Idle
gaze fell upon the marker of book
which she had taken from the table.
"a recipe for happiness" she read.
"Do something for somebody quick
Linda smiled II sounded very sim
pie, to do something for somebody but
her best intentioned effort usually
ended in disappointing failure. Girls
from the tenements to whom she had
made herself acquainted and whom
She had invited in for social evenings
appeared to find evenings in Linda's
home anything but social, eXcusing
themselves at an early hour, and
never returning.
From the shadowy veranda now
came persistent mewing wall.
"A lost Kitten" murmured Linda,
'perhaps it may help to do some
thing for a lost kitten" so she opened
The heavy front door to let the crc''-
ture in. It was a grateful white kit
ten, hunger was forgotten in the JOY
of nesting with contented purrings in
Linda's lap. Then suddenly at the
front door came wild knocking, pound
ing as with two impatient fists.
When the little woman again opened
the door child stepped into the room,
a beautiful bit Of a girl with tangled
golden curls.
"Give me-" she demanded, my kitten.
followed it over here. saw you
take it in from the veranda. Give my
kitten back"
"Of course, dear" Linda agreed,
maybe you didn't mean to keep it,"
she amended, "but every one over 'at
the tenement tries to steal my Flufiie
away FIuff's all I've got since Daddy
went to war" Linda knelt before the
fire gathering child and kitten into
her arms.
"You live over there?" she asked.
@Who takes care of your
Mrs. McGee promised Daddy that
she'd look after me" the precocious one
replied. 'but mostly I'm alone. 'Cept
every night when Mr.. Cameron comes
to see me. lie promised Daddy he
would. You know Mr.. Cameron
Linda shook her head. Hes the
minister" the child confided, "down
at the mission. Daddy likes Mr.. Cam
eron. He was<good to my mother be-
fore she died and he's good TO me.
He is good to everybody. But |
couldn't live in Mr.. Cameron's house
when Daddy went away, because it's
Just two rooms you see, back of the
mission. The old lady who cooks for
: Mr.. Cameron don't like children. If
he had a wife it would be different
he told Daddy So"
The child withdrew from Linda's
clasp, her longing eyes wandered re-
gretfuly about the cozy room. I'm
sorry I've got to 60" she said. ITS
so-nice and pretty here and you---
you're nice and pretty too
Linda flushed with strange pleasure
{ in the childish compliment. She
laughed a happy little laugh straight
back from her girlish years. "Why
can't you stay, dearY she asked
"Its the time Mr.. Cameron always
comes to see me,' the child told her
81 tapped" pleasant voice ne9r by
said. "but you did not hear. And
as the door was open, and could see
my little charge within, you may par
don my intrusion"
'Why here is Mr. Cameron, come
: for me. now the child cried gleefully.
Let us stay a While, in this pretty
room with the pretty lady"
/ SO while the clock licked and mo-
ments few miraculously, the old room
seemed to regain n glow of joy from
the past, with the man and the wom-
an the child and the Kitten sitting be-
fore its fire. And the earnest man,
whose kindly eyes read human nature
well, spoke Of the needs Of this mOih-
erless child, while Linda. flushing a
little, showed to him the text Of her
book mark, and assured him of her