The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-09-11
3THE STRANGE GIRL.
BY MILDRED WHITE.

ne women guests were N|"Nti'S va
the Neranda of ClaremOnt house as the
strange girl" approached.
"The Strange Girl" IS the name they
gave the little creature, gossiplng
among themselves concerning the af-
fairs of folks who patronized this
exclusive Woodsde inn. Nan hum
ming softly, and unmoved If aware OF
their hostility, changed her intention
of passing among them and made her
way in her checked glnghan frock to
a rear door. She carried hamper In
her arms and-waved aside friendly
attendant who would have relieved her
of the burden. Mrs. Van Vourt leaned
exctedly toward her neighbor.
at is my opinion" she said, that
the girl is working out her board
here-a rural relative or something OF
the sort of Manager Hastings. else why
should she be allowed to eat att the
guest tables in the great dining roomf
Il will tell you something" she said.
"Ths morning as | went out early TO
the garage with my husband--we were
going away in his car-there, back in
the barnyard was your strange girl in
her short gingham dress, feeding the
chickens"
'Reallyl" Mrs. Van Vourt exclaimed.
"Chickensw laughed Madame Rensaler
Il must go and tell Homer" Miss Van
vourt said gleefuly, and was off. A
nU man, who had been silently smok-
Ing a cigar around the bend of the We
randa, arose wrathfully. How they
picked her TO pieces the gentle, shy
creature who Slipped in and out
through all their display so unobtru-
sively.
"Tends to her own darned little bust
ness. if it is feeding chickens" he NUT
tered, and strobe hastily past the rock
ing chairs and across the lawn.
'Such an Interesting personality !"
Mrs. Van Vourt whispered as he
passed decidedly western, of course,
but picturesque"
ITS his money, my dear, that Is pic
turesque," Madame Rensaler dryly re-
marked. They say this Jim Brent
has made his millions"
The westerner reached the barn.
yard as the strange girl, Nan, was
bending over two white hens hungrily
engaged in disposing of their dinner
she had loosened the tIght-pinned
braids fromsher head, and they fell re-
belliously waving, red gold, to her
waist. Startled, her soft eyes glanced
up at him.
"Say," Jim Brent said awkwardly,
"Iet me do that for you while you go
in and get on thatMhite dress for din
ner. The bells going to ring in min
ute"
The girl smiled.
"Why, that's nice of you" she said,
but | can't trust Blddies feeding, or
Jerrys, to another person. You see
she caressed the white fowls-"they
are about all have to love. / brought
them with me-"
Brought them" gasped jim; from
your home farm?'
Nan arose, strengthening her ging
ham skirts.
a haven't any home or folks" she
said wistfully.
He waited later until the strange
girl was properly seated at her own
place in the great dining room. Then
Jim Brent crossed the floor and paused
with a bow of Difference before her.
Il WONDER" he asked IF you'd let
me sit here with you. am lonely and
toward the fashionable assembled
throng-''they don't tit, some way.
Hastings will tell you that l am all
right"
"And | wish," Jim Brent was saying
to Nan the following morning, that
you'd let me carry your hamper for
you to-wherever you are going
Wherever you go every day you work
too hard. You looked white and tired
yesterday when you returned, and
your gingham dress was all torn
"Nan-little girl"-big Jim gulped-"l
wish you'd stop it all and come away
with me. love you, Nan"
The strange girl lifted responsive
white hen into the hamper. Then she
closed its straw lid.
"Jim," she said quietly, "you may
carry the hamper today, if you like,
and come with me-"
Recklessly she unpinned the bright
braids from about her head and LET
them fall to her waist, as together the
two crossed the Claremont lawn.
did YOU ever! cried Mrs Var
vourt Actually going marketing
with her" Madame Ronsaler said.
81 am taking you," Nan told the
westerner as they walked, ito our
moving picture camp just over the
ridge. We are doing a dear farm pic
ture there. Jim. l am 'Mollie of Mir
Valley and an old white hen is about!
the only friend have-that is. at first.
| blossom out wonderfully toward the
end of the play. The billboards say
that here l am Nanette Willis at her
best"
In the center of the woodland path
Jim stood still.
"You." he said unbelievinglN Man
cite Withstand ] never guessed.
Used to follow your scenes just to see
you smile. And I-dared to ask you
10 ba nv ,.-ffa (xraat Gosh ~ ha oddeI