The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-12-13
155e
Kindly Heart
WA&D
tcApyright. ls1s. by the Western Newa-
paper Union)
By JESSIE E. sHERwIN

There goes fine woman, Martin.
Shed make a good wife for somebody" J."
Saul Espy and Martin Bross were
conversng when the lady designated
by the former passed down the road.
Martin looked after her with a certain
fond and longing expression in his
eyes, but he sighed deeply.
yes, she's a very superior lady"
he acceded / have often thought how
she would grace and deserve pleas
ant home, but good fortune has not
come her way. She just manages to
eke out living for herself and her
little child, Winlfred. AS to myself,
you know father left the property here
only and that is badly mortgaged."
Queer about that, Martin. Yon
know your father certainly had some
money and securities before he died,
for borrowed and paid him $4,000 on
mortgage"
well, towards the last he acted
very strangely, as you know, and seems
to have lost what he had"
Saul Espy passed on his way ana
house where he had been born 1t had
been a lonely home TO him. His moth
er had died when he was child and
at twenty-five he had found himself
saddled with a badly rundown little
farm, heavily encumbered His near
est neighbor, Mrs, Mary Reeves, a wild
ow and her little child were about all
10, u
Reeves was about his own age and
they had become true friends
Martin went into the house to pause,
listen and smile A whirring sound
directed him to corner of the kitchen
where a mouse caught in trap was
speeding round and round in the tread
mill wheel attached to the cage.
Most people would drown you, lit
tie fellow" observed Martin taking up
the cage and cycling indulgently the
sleek little frightened captive within,
"but haven't the heart to. There you
are--now run for it,"
The kindly Martin carried the trap
to the open doorway and shook out the
tiny prisoner, who at once scampered
for cover There was a slight scream
and Mrs. Reeves stood ten feet away
shaking her finger playfully.
rs that the way you greet a neigh
Dor bent on bringing you a fresh pan
of biscuits?" she cried
"Why, are you that timid?" smiled
Martin, taking the mild scolding genl-
ally 1T was the smallest mouse pos
sble and if you lad looked into its in
pocent, pleading eyes as 1 did you
would have let it go, too"
ITO come back into the house and
bother you again." retorted Mrs.
Reeves, "WelI, l suppose you can't
help being tender-hearted. It's the talk
Of the town that you sat up nursing
old Carlo two nights before he died?" !
"What neglect the faithful guardian |
of the home, almost as old as myself?'
spoke Martin stanchly. "As to the
mouse tribe Mrs. Reeves, one night |
when l was playing my flute two of |
them came creeping cautiously across
the floor and stood there almost human |
until l ceased playing"
Martin accepted the covered dish |
proffered. "Wait until | get a cake of |
honey for you" he said, and as Mrs. |
Reeves departed he stood gazing after
her with quickened CLEAN in his eyes.
He stopped outside his pretty neigh
boris gate the next morning and nod
ded cheerily to Mrs. Reeves and little
Winfred. II shall be gone all day and
over night at Riverton,r he said Il
wonder if you would take the key to
the house and step over and feed my
canarieSY
"And let out any stray mouse there
may be in the trap?" intimated Mrs.
Reeves, with twinkling eyes.
Yes that too, if you please" replied
Martin.
He got back home the next after
noon to find desnltory crowd view
ing a heap of ruins.
1T burned down yesterday" lisped
little Winifred "and mama says you
are to come over to our house till you
build a new one
1T was your friends the mice who
are accountable for the fire." the wild
ow declared. 'When / went into the
house l found a box Of matches scat
tered all around. l gathered up all /
could. but the mice probably carried
some away to their nests and ignited
them.
Did you ever see that before, Mr.
Bross" She had led the way to the
sitting room. There lying on the floor
was a blackened old tin box
"Why" exclaimed Martin, 'Tts the
old bread box that my father used to
keep his papers in. haven't seen it
since he died"
"No, for he mad it hidden away in
in the attic and / found it among the
ashes after the fire. Mr.. Bross, the
only one I've told is your lawyer IT'S
full of gold. He says it must be the
missing fortune your father hid away
and it holds over five thousand dol
lars in gold and silver"
"Then the mice have proven my best
friends !" cried Martin rouSpd ottt of |