West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-08-05


fGncies. Once she let Mr.. Skidder
read to her three acts OF his great
(unpublisheG comedy. Its No Kid;
or. The Heir OF the Subway"
There was rejoicing among the gen.
tlemen roomers whenever Miss Lesson
had time 10 sit on the steps FOR an
hour or two. But Miss Iongnecker
the tall blond who taught In a publIc
school and said "well. reallyrs TO
everything you said, sat on the top
step and shifted. And Miss Dorm, who
shot at the moving ducks mt Cone ,
every Sunday and worked I'm n depart.
ment store. sat on the bottom step
and snifred. Miss Leeson sat on the
middle step. and the men would quick.
ly group around her.
Especially Mr.. Skldder who had cast
her In his mind for the star part In
private. romantic Cunspokenl drama
In real life. And especially MIR. Hoo.
yer. who was forty-6ve. fnt. fush aud
foolish. And especially very young MIR
Evans, who set up hollow cough to
induce her to ask him TO leave or Gig.
arettes. The men voted her "the fun.
niest and jolllest ever" but the snIffs
on the top step and the lower step
were implacable.
pray you let the drama halt while
Chorus stalks to the footlights and
drops an epicedlan tear upon the fat.
ness OF Mr.. Hoover. Tune the pipes
to the tragedy OF tallow. the bane OF
bulk. the calamity OF corpulence. Tried
out. Falstafr might have rendered
more real romance TO the ton than
would have Romeo's rlckety ribs to
the ounce. A loyer may sigh, but he
must not pun. To the train OF Momus
are the fat men remanded. In vain
beats the faithfulest heart above a
hfty-two Inch belt. Avaunt. Hoover!
Hoover. forty-hve, flush and foolish.
might carry or Helen herself Hoover.
forty-five. flush. foolish and fat. Is meat
for perdition. There was never a
chance for you, Hoover.
AS Mrs. Parker's roomers sat thus
one summers evening Miss I.eeson
looked up into the armament and
cried, with her gay little laugh:
why. there's Billy Jacksoni can
see him from down here too"
All looked up, some at the windows
OF skyscrapers. some casting about for
an airship. Jackson guided.
TITS that star" explained Miss Lee
son, pointing with II tiny finger. Not
the big one that twinkles-the steady
blue one near II. I can see IL every
night through my skylight. named
1t Billy Jackson"
HWall ranIlvtu oafH Affaa n
II didn't know you were an astrono-
mer, Miss Lesson"
"Oh. yes" said the small star gazer;
IL know as much as any OF them about
the style or sleeves they're going TO
wear next fall in Mars"
We'll. reallyw said Miss Longnecker.
The star you refer TO Is Gamma, OF
the constellation Cassiopela. 1t Is
nearly OF the second magnitude. and
Its meridian passage is
oh" said the very young Mr..
Evans. II think Billy Jackson Is a
much better name for it."
Same here" said Mr.. Hoover, loud
ly breathing defiance to Miss Long
necker. II think Miss Leeson has
just as much right to name stars as
any OF those old astrologers had"
We'll, reallyW said Miss Longnecker.
II wonder whether It's n shooting
star" remarked Miss Dorm. IL hit
nine ducks and a rabbit out Of ten
In the gallery at Coney Sunday"
"He doesn't show up very well from
down here" said Miss Lesson. You
ought to see him from my room. You
know. you can see sesrs even In the
daytime from the bottom OF well.
At night my room is like the shaft OF
coal mine. and It makes Billy Jack
son look like the big diamond pin that
Night fastens her klmono with"
There came a time after that when
Miss Leeson brought no formidable pa
pers home to copy. And when she
went out in the morning, instead Of
working, she went from Office to Office
and let her heart melt away ia the
drip OF cold refusals transmitted
through insolent Office boys This vent
on.
There came an evening when she
wearily climbed Mrs. Parker's stoop
at the hour when she always returned
from her dinner at the restaurant But
sue uhu nNu no 0lnneT.
As she stepped into the hail Mr..
Hoover met her and seized his chance.
He asked her to marry him, and his
fatness lowered above her like an ava
lancbe. she lodged and caught the
balustrade. He tried for her hand, and
she raised It and smote him weakly
In the face. Step by step she went
mp, dragging herself by the railing
She passed Mr. Skidder's door as ne
was Ted-lnking a stage direction for
Myrtle Delorme (Siiss Leeson) In his
(nnaccepted) comedy. to "pirouetts
across stage from L to the side OF the
count" Up the carpeted ladder she
erawled at last and opened the door
OF the skyllght room.
Yhe was too weak 20 light the lamp
or 70 undress. She fell upon the iron
cot. her fragile body scarcely hollow.
Ing the worn springs. And 10 that
Erebus Of n room she slowly raised
her heavy eyeids and smiled
For Billy Jackson was shining down
on her, calm and bright and constant
through the skyllght. There was no
world about her. She was sunk IN
pit OF blackness. with but that small
square Of pallid light framing the star
that she had 50 whlmslcally and. oh.
so Intellectually named Miss Long.
necker must be rlght-it was Gamma.
Of the constellation Cassiopeia. and not
Billy Jackson. And yet she could not
let Il be Gamma.
As she lay on her back she tried
twice 20 raise her arm. The third
time she got two thin fingers TO her
llna nd hlnNu a Llnn nttI ~ ahn Nh.