The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-09-30
HIS FARMERETTE
Ry NELLlE A. DELANEY.
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tlc CITY 10 WOfk ON tne IaflQ. MT.
Colby found male help impossible to
secure, so at last he gave up and adj
Vertised for farmerettes.
Martha brushed back the Jet black
hair from her forehead, put on fresh
blue glngham dress, white, stinly
starched apron, and before she could
get TO the kitchen Il loud pealing Of
the door bell announced the arrival
of the new farm hands. She opened
the door ncrvOusly, and there stood
four fashionably dressed girls. Laugh
ing and chatting merrlly, they followed
the now more than ever nervous
Martha.
In the dining room Tom Colby, born
farmer, showed plainly that life on
farm had not made him any different
from the rest of the sterner sex. He
gazed admiringly at each pretty girl,
and Martha could not remember when
he had talked so much, but instead Of
the uneasy feeling leaving her il grew
more apparent, and she tried In vain
TO hide the red hands, rough from
heavy work
Married at sixteen, then ten years of
hard work to help pay off the mort
gage on the little farm, made Martha
feel more like forty than twenty-six.
Before the first meal was over Mar
tina was experiencing q feeling abso-
lutely new ia her. She was thinking
of the long evenings when Tom, after
hard days work, would 20 to sleep
In his easy chair, then the long lone
some evening must be passed in ST.
lence. Tonight he was wide awake,
and after supper, through the open
window Martha watched him eagerly
show the four girls the different places
on the farm. She turned from the
window, and the ugly pain that had
started at supper increased with great
rapidity, nor could she explain fits
meaning, for Martha was experiencing
jealousy for the first time in her life.
She hated the four rOsy-cheeked girls
with their city ways; she hated the
~ ears entirely covering them, and
SIZE felt that she almost hated her be-
loved Tom.
AS the days wore on Martha became
more silent and miserable. One day
she got up courage to ask Tom what
he thought of the farmerettes, and he
expressed himself in one word.
peaches" Then ii was true she told
herself, Tom was slowly slipping away
from her, and walking into the next
room the Big brown eyes filed with
tears.
"Why the tears, girlie?' a musical
voice sounded behind her. The blood
rushed to Martha's cheeks as the pret-
test of the four farmcrettes ap-
preached her II forgot my powder
puff" she added by way of explanation
for coming back from the field.
Martha's first impulse was to run
away; instead, womanlike, she burst
into tears, and let the girl she hated
lead her to the chair and coax from
her the reason why she wept. Putting
her arm around Martha, she whis-
pcred; Little country girl, you are
jealous without cause; why, you are
five times as pretty as any city girl.
But as we are going back TO the city
tonight, let's prove that fact to your
husband. lie is going to drive us to
the station, but before we 20 we win
fix you up a littlc-Only," she added,
1--WE can't put any more roses in
those cheeks" After much whispered
planning, they separated.
That night as Tom Colby sat in the
wagon waiting for the four girls TO ap-
pear, it seemed to him it took them
long time to bid Martha good-by They
finally appeared, and Tom drove them
to the station He did not wait for
The train; somehow, tonight he lOnged
10 pass u pleasant evening alone with
MS wife; he had made up his mind
hero was just one little farmerette
n the world for him, and that was
Martha.
AS he drove into the yard, he was a
title surprised that Martha did not
come to meet him, as was her custom.
Throwing the reins to the hired man,
le hurried into the Kitchen. The sup
ler dishes were still in the pan, and
he table had not been cleared.
A feeling of fear came over Tom. and
he hurried into the bedroom There ON
he floor in Il crumpled heap was the
amiliar blue gingham dress. slight
lolse in the parlor turned his atten-
Ion there, and pushing open the door
lie beheld Martha in blue silk dress,
White shoes and stockings, and worst
4 all, the beautiful black hair was
'ulled tightly over two pink ears.
Tom stared for some minutes in 81
ence, then Martha asked sweetly: do
look so strange in pretty clothes,
7om? Don't look as good as the four
'Why, Martha, girl" Tom replied
lowly, there's just one farmerette in
his world for me, and that's my Mar
ha, but it took four city girls to wake
he up to that fact, but" he added,
-istfully, Il like you best in the blue
with your hair done the other
'ay."
The following week a little stenog-