The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-10-13
BYRON
BY LOUISE M. ADDISON.

Elinor Worth, rushing downstairs In
answer to the furiously ringing door
bell, found her chum and next-door
neighbor. Alice Gloring, in wild state
of excitement
Hes comingl" painted Alice, thrust
Ing a slip of yellow paper into Elinor's
hands.
"Byron?" breathed Elinor, quite
awed.
Byron Isn't It wonderful? Elnor,
you'll just adore him, If l were not
engaged myself Pd-he's such a dear !"
Ellnor did not doubt 1t. For two
years she had heard praises of Allce's
wonderful cousin. For two years she
had listened to the recital of his many
perfectons, the tales of his heroic
deeds; of his kindness, his generosity,
his good looks, until in her youthful
imagination he had become god.
Even his name appealed to her roman
tic fancy. A man named Byron, she
felt, could never be commonplace.
"We'll introduce you tomorrow after
church." promised Alice.
And as her friend had predicted, the
Z iowing day being Sunday, Elinor
Y IS introduced after church. Mrs.
c oring performed the ceremony with
a little futter of pleasure. She was
fond of Ellnor, and matchmaking was
her hobby.
my nephew, Byron, dear Elinor, Just
returned from service. Byron, darling,
Allce's best friend, Miss Worth"
Elinor lifted her eyes. She tried TO
say something pleasing and polite, but
her tongue refused to obey her Some
thing was wrong with the world. The
sunshine became hateful, the songs of
the birds mocking chorus. For BY
ron, the Byron of her Imagination, the
poetic creature of her maiden fan
cies. had taken unto himself wings and
fled; and in his place stood an odous,
longlimbed, quite un-Byronic creature
with sandy hair, light blue eyes, wide
mouth and nondescript nose.
isn't he just too sweet?" murmured
Alice in Elinors ear.
Elinor flushed, not so much at Alice's
words as at the sudden twinkle In By
ron's eyes.
The days wore on. Elinor survived
the shock she had received. She met
Byron frequently and even learned to
like him. That gay twinkle in his eyes
seemed to relieve his painnesS. But
she felt that Fate had played a cruel
joke on her, nevertheless, and that she
would not be the same again. The real
Byron could never attain truly BY
ronic place in her Imagination But he
had been in service and it was her
duty to be kind to him, so she helped
Alice entertain him She walked with
him, talked with him, drove with him
and felt herself very magnanimous in
doing 1t.
A few weeks after his arrival a
French army officer came to see Byron.
The girls were curious as to the object
of his visit, for Byron foretold nothing,
merely smiling with that eXasperatng
twinkle in his eyes. And the surprise
of the ladies was great when the young
Frenchman pinned a medal on ByrOn's
chest as mark of favor from the
French government for unparalleled
bravery and fortitude on the field of
battle and for chivalry and kindness to
French widows and orphans.
That night, when Byron Invited Ell
inor out for a walk, she was strangely
shy 1t had come over her suddenly
that Byron was a parsonage
"Elinor," said he, after they had
walked few minutes in silence, don't
you think you could like me little,
though | am not all that you had
hoped for?"
"All I-hoped for?" stammered Eli
nor.
"Yes. You see, know my aunt and
Alice have way of raving over peo-
Pile and | could tell they'd given you
wrong impression of me. Also, my
name has been a stumbling block all
my life | don't know what my parents
had against me when they named me
Byron. 1t isn't so bad with men, but
girls have had a habit of judging you
by name. Confess, now, didn't you
rather expect to meet shaggy-haired
poet. instead of plain John Jones?'
"Wbo has been decorated by the
French government" said Elinor, soft
Iy, land who never said a word about
1t, though he knew the decoration was
coming!"
"Oh. as for that"
"As for that" said EinOr, 81 realize
that poets could never have won the
war for us, and that I'm a very foolish
person"
"If you'll forgive my being un-By-
ronic." said Byron, with his humorous
twinkle, "I'll forgive your being foolish.
In fact, I'm pretty well pleased with
you as you are"
Elinor stopped and made him an old
fashioned curtsy.
"The sentiments mutual" she said.
said"
Which pleased the un-Byronic Byron
very much.
Land Clearing Shown in Pictures.