Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-12-06
A SHY YOUNG MAN

reason or another He had never played
with girls at school because his uncle mad
his opinion OF the public schools. He had
never associated with anyone, not having
anyone to associate with-exeept the uncle,
who was not good company. Consequently
he was rather queer and shy, and when his
uncle died and he was sent to a commercial
academy for finishing course be had cor
ners to be rubbed of
That did not erieve his fellow commercial
aeademicians. They really seemed to be
glad Of the opportunity TO rub him. They
not only rubbed but hammered and
clipped and rasped, and they called the
whole process hazing. BY the time
it vas completed 0nderdonk, whica
was the peculiar boys name, had
lost every vestige OF sAyness a.
far as his intercourse with the male
sex was concerned lie fondly imagined
that be would never have to undergo any
more hazing himseli-but that was before
he went out into the social world.
They gave him some sort Of elerkship IN
a bank Billy Feuwick, also an aea-
demician and one Of Ouderdouk elief tor
mentors in the old days was in the bank,
too, and the young men formed a friend
ship. They went out together night and
dissipated mildly at beer gardens and
vaudevilles and On Sundays they rode out
into the country on their wheels, Later
they developed the Photographic craze
simultaneously, and, abandoning that,
plunged madly and hand IN hand into
golf.
1t had been matter Of some difficulty
for Billy Fenwick to induce Onderdonk to
visit him at his home. Once or twice his
refusal had created a slight temporary
sstrangement between them, and Fenwiek
had almost given up the idea. 1t was an
ideal golf course that took him out a last
and then he found that Mrs. Fenwick was
not at all dreadful, but on the contrary
rather pleasant, having 'the sense to let a
fellow alone" He got along capitally with
Fenwck senior, and it was no trouble to
get him to repeat the visit Then one day
Mrs. Fenwick said ii must be horribly lone
ly and uncomfortable for him living at a
boarding house, and there was plenty OF
room, and why not come here? And Billy
urged and the home atmosphere was some
thing to the young man who had never
known real home, and the end Of it WAS
that he went
About month after he was established
and happy Mrs Fenwiek looked up from
letter that she had been reading at the
breakfast table, and said: well, the girls
will be here next week" They all seemed
very much pleased, and 0nderdonk tried to
look pleased, too, but he was troubled. He
had heard that Billy had some sisters at
Wellesley or Nassar or somewhere, but II
had never occurred to him that they might
come home sometime In fact, he had
never given them any thought at all. Later
on he told Billy he would pack his trunk
and go back to the boarding house. Billy
told aim he would do no such thing, and
appealed to his mother. Mrs. Fenwick
said she had hoped that he was comfortable
and liked them as we'll as they liked MIN,
and what could he do when she took that
tone? He stayed.
The girls came. There were two Of them
Julie, who was serious, gentle and digni-
fed, and Leila, who had black eyes, long
lashes and pretty mouth. Onderdonk mo-
tieed that at dinner on one occasion
that he lifted his eyes from his plate. The
black eyes met his and were instantly low
cred in modest confusion, or what Onder-
donk took to be modest confusion Helow-
cred his almost as quickly, and SO did not
see the smile she smiled in response to her
brothers wink
Well she made Onderdonk's life a bur
den to him. For a day or two she let him
alone, and for another day or two she all
lowed him to avoid her After that she
began to haze him She talked directly TO
him at the table. and laughed at his mono
svllabic replies until She choked She sd
dressed him by his Christian name IN the
most shameless manner regardless of bis
g b X