The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-10-21
Big Il"
Little you"
@<a
BY
THERESA MAY BOGART
Copyright, 1919. by tks western News
paper union)

BlulF was, CONSCIOUSLY. IlNN huh DNNH
good friends and verging on something
nearer and dearer when the tide came
in the affairs Of Clifton. lie drlfted
with the current, took his good for
tune as fully deserved and<blossomed
out into the spendthrift and autocrat
complete.
Isabel was disappointed in person
she had really liked. AS Il humble,
plodding clerk in an abstract Office,
Clifton had been modest, moderate and
contented. An advertisement III news
paper designating half a dozen towns,
where the Central Manufacturing com
pany was desirous of establishing
branches, caught the eye of Clifton,
one day. He answered 1t, proving
that he knew the BelIeville district
thoroughly, gave good references and
was forthwith appointed official repre-
sentative of the company at salary
Of three thousand dollars per year and
commissions
I'm like a partner in the firm he
vauntingly announced. 'Haye my own
stenographer use Of m automobile,
hire and fire and work easy and pay
good" The Central Manufacturing
company specialized in a mineral fer
tilizer and cement. Clifton was sup
piled with several tons of booklets, cir
culars and stationery His set task
was to educate the district up to the
use of the special brands put out by
the company and gradually build up
permanent trade.
"It ought to be easy" commented
Il local gossip, you being acquainted
with every man In the county,
Easy as falling off log" replied
Clifton in a self-suflicient way, and
purchased his fourth new suit.
The day that the local newspaper
grandiloquently referred to the fact
that "our ambitious young townsman"
had allowed himself to accept an inn
portnnt position, its columns also CON
tained an item to the effect that Miss
Beatrice Merton was one Of the heirs
to the estate Of relative IN another
county. During the initial days of his
rise in the world Clifton had contln-
ned his bi-weekly visits to the Blair
home Alrea,Fy Isabel had noticed and
deplored the flange in him. He had
become boagtful, almost blatant She
was poor and worked in bank as an
underpaid typist.
Beatrice Merton now came in for
full attention. Isabel attributed this
disloyal choice by Clifton to the abil-
ity of Beatrice to dress well and her
fortune.
One day as Clifton was seated in
his office on tilted swivel chair, his
elegantly encased feet on the desk ana
big cigar there entered a
young man who presented card bear
ing the. name of the company, and un-
der it: rArthur Barry, Travelling Au-
ditor."
II am inspecting the new branches"
he announced.
Clifton expanded. He began telling
of how he was popularizing himself
and the company by giving series
of banquets and the like. His cigar
bills showed that he was no niggard.
His jaunts about the county, though
indicated that he was keep
ing in touch with affairs. II was all
and his quiet-mannered call
er did not resent in words the palpa-
BILE intimation that 'I' was probably
the most valuable agent the company
had ever employed, and 'You' a mere
cog in the big machine and a mere
quantity.
Mr.. Arthur Barry, as he designated
himself, made neither comment nor
He examined the books
and took an automobile trip over the
Isabel had heard of him, had
seen him on the street, and was a
good deal surprised as she reached
home from her banking duties one
afternoon to find him awaiting her
"I have ventured to intrude upon
YOU, Miss Blair" he said, because l
have some letters and reports to be
written for headquarters / cannot find
my public typist here, and, f you can
spare me a couple of evening !, the com
pensatOn will be LIBERAL I wish to
say, however, that the work must be
'egarded as strictly confidential"
1t was so confidential that Isabel al
most gasped after dictation the first
,vening. A wise and observant young
nan this handsome, well-bred stranger
must be, for the ruthless, rigid man
Ter in which he showed up the hap
hazard, hit-Or-miss business tactics of
rlifton was drastic in the extreme.
RE second evening wound up with a
elegram to headquarters. 1t said;
Send on a substitute for the great.
.st egotist and most incompetent agent
n our employ And the "our'r was
explained by the fact that the tele-
ram was signed "Volney lThearle,"
Who quietly told Isabel that he was
he junior controlling element in the
CENTRAL Manufacturing company.
He waited until the substitute ar
lived. which consumed week. Ii was
leasantly spent, however for calling
t the Blair home had become a habit.
nd the blOssoming friendship pre-