The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-02-05
GLORY OF DAWN
By MARY W. FORD.

now came twilight. bringing with II =
certain peaccfulness TO the tired and
weary. n
10 Lila Belle the girl.wlfe OF Law.
yer Belle. Il was growing darker every
minute In that sick room. She fan.
cled she henrd someone calling and
heekonlng for her TO come-then she
heard u splash OF water and agaln the
soft voice called. She wanted 10 GO
10. for life was slowly but surely ebb.
Ing out OF Lila Bellies body.
"Albert-promlse me. dear-please.
before | GO"
"But Lila you can't go--we need
you. baby and l." aud he bowed his
head In agony over the wasted figure
Oh the bed.
claspIng her tiny white arm around
his neck. she whispered softly. "prom.
isc me. Albert-promlse me"
Ill PROMISE" came from the man
In broken tones.
The glrl.wife smiled and closed her
eyes rs though In peace with God aud
the world. AZ the close OF this day
twilight brought with II peace 10 the
glrl-wlfc but pain to the husband yet.
there was that peacefulness 80 din
cult TO define.
Four years later Albert Belle and his
daughter. Lila. now nearing her hfih
year. were travelling through the White
mountains and It was his one hope
That his little daughter would get
Sgong and happy that he brought her
up To Mount Washington. Surely The
mountain mir would help to put color
In those lily-white cheeks. But Lila
was not happy or eontcnted. She WAS
longing for-well that was Lila's Sc
cret locked away In her heart and not
daring to tell daddy about IL.
"Dadda. who Is that pretty lady sit
ting down there with the other LADY,"
Lawyer Belle smiled.
THAT'S singular. my little girl. !,
too. was wondering who she was
as she sad, dadda i-she looks likes
she's going To cry"
"Yes. dear she does look very sad
and tired.' her father answered. At
that moment Ann Joyce espied little
Lila and smiled on her.
Mother, what dear little child
Look" and both Ann and her mother
smiled on the little girl.
Impulslvcly and without consulting
daddy MS was customary, Lila broke
away from her father and ran 10 Ann.
IL was just asking dadda If you was
awful sad, lady-is you-scuse, me
should say are you--dadda don't like
me to say is you-he says IT ls-it Is
and evidently Lila had forgotten, for
she could 20 no further.
"Yes. dear. understand; II isn't
good form. but why do you think ! am
sad. dearY
''Well, spected you was and-and
do you get pains here, toof' and Lila
pointed to her heart. II get some
pains there when I'm sad and want
and want"
"And want what, chldf" but Lila
refused to say any more on the sub
ject.
Il trust my little girl has not in
truded," and Lawyer Belle smiled
kindly Mt Ann and her mother.
mot at ALL" replied Ann. II only
wish | could see more Of her-may
n"
And Albert Belle as he looked into
Ann Joyee's sweet trusting face knew
he could trust his child in her keep
ing. IF she will not annoy you," he
said
Mother is not wen and we are
strangers here at the hotel, and am
sure we should be delighted to have
the child with us little while each
day If you haven't any objections
The next morning found Lila and
her father chatting away with Ann
and her mother. II dreamed of you
last night" Lila cried. "Oh! | was SO
happy and"
They all waited but Lila would say
no more.
The following day AIMS mother
died. The girl was wild with grief.
Lila's father attWded to practically
everything and tried to soothe and
calm the stricken girl. The body was
shipped to AIMS home. 1t was Law
yer Belle who attended to the funeral
arrangements-every
you cYnnot stay in this house any
longer, Miss Joyce-please listen to
me-if your mother had lived she
would say the same thing. Come as a
companion to Lila-she needs you and
loves you--we'll 60 back to the noun
tain-those mountains that make one
feel so near to Him that sends us con-
ISOLATION with our sorrow"
Back on the mountain the three
sat together on the veranda of the
hotel and watched the sun go down.
Lila was thinking seriously, Ann was
longing and the man was thinking OF
n promise given to one on deathbed.
Lila went to bed, but Lawyer Belle re-
mained up allI night, saw the cold gray
dawn ushered in. and then came the
glory of the dawn--the sunrise. With
the glory of the sunrise came his de-
cision and he looked IT'D into the beau
tifu sky and the sun as 1t shed its
rays all over the earth and cried soft
iin 1 nrn frnnn To Ennn fhnI