The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-05-16

for which people always laugh SO at a
voman-she was falling headlong IN
lore with a man her junior:-twelve
years. 10 be exact. And when she was
fifty--which would not be for a long.
long time. she told herself-her hus-
band would be just thirty.eight.
James spoke near the end OF a sum.
mer OF outdoor recreation which had
made him neglect his business and re.
duced her wardrobe to one evening
frock and house dress or two. And
when he did speak, she put her two
little hands into his and let him gath.
er her right 10 that throbblng' young
heart OF his.
Genevieve felt guilty about not hav-
ing Jennie TO the wedding, which took
place in October. But Jennie had Wis.
tied friends In, the west all. vacation,
and had lost week OF the opening, so
she was working very hard, her teach.
or saids So .Geneyieve just wrote and
told her: and Jennie was little hurt
and felt that mamnf5 mad acted rather
rashlxs'witEout ;iSrsdAIng her. and
Wrote and told lier,sd. s1Jennie was a
capable young wonah.S9
James was yery5bs fpyat the time.
Even when sheasn6k f.iir down.
Genevieve was St1iieBAf BIZ. and that
is a test which NJ nFR past thirty
likes TO meet. unless lef huz band is a,
perfectly welltrained husband, and
used to her anyway. ra
About Christmas Jennie came home
for the holidays. Jennie was now
seventeen: and when she was intro
duoed to her stepfather.. her new, step
father nearly had fit. She was as
tall as he, and looked old enough to be
married herself.
When this happens in stories, It is
only up to the point fthe young man
being engaged TO the mother OF the
grownup daughter Then his father.
who has known the mother In his
youth. always comes along and rescues
his boy at the cost OF an illusion Or
twn. But James was not in the, aqscli.
able stage. he was married.
That Christmas a college friend OF
Generieve came TO call on her: and he
was stout and bald and had tall son
With him who was in business with his
father or course, father had married
very young. =. ,f,}rtj 4
Then Genevieye had litter from a
girl friend of her youth.
sDear Genevieve," wrote Kate, 81 am
to be in your city soon and would SO
love to see you I'm your home
% or course, Kate was invited to see
,.Genevleve In her home. Kate was a
bit older than Genevleve. ito s.bsgln
with, and she weighed two, .hppdEed.
James. in his anguish Of soul ,gEopned
that she was hundred ard weighed
three. But one must make allow
ances.
Kate was introduced to James, and
she looked down at him-he was so
ridiculously young anyway--and then
she said. "Why, Genevieve. what u
nice boy he is! Just about my WI.
yum's age"-though, goodness knows.
Wilyum was FIVE years younger And
then she said. 81 am Just going to give
him kigs for WilyIIm's sake" And
she did.
But James ard Genevieye were mar.
ried. And after a while Jennie had
dear. little sister; and she was very
ve.ed about. It
.iNowI9iin, this household there are
ItwoNy oung people. haioI69 person and
a1babyr But somehow Hney are not
Enatdd'inronerly.l JAMES does not fall
in l6ves|lth Jennie. HE'S nice man.
and 'lieis sick ofSfallinspin love any.
way! And Jennie does not become the
victim Of secret passion for her
step.papa; bectuse Jennie is; nice
girl. and, besides, as things stand.
falling in love looks 4 mighty poor
business to Jennie. But to say that
they do not feel the incongruity of
their positions would be a dreadful
story.
However, any incongruity that those
two young things feel is Joke. the
merest piffle and persifage to what
Geneyieve feels.
And the other day, when she was
out walking with her oldest daughter
and her youngest daughter, both
whom are beautiful, they met a.
party OF ladies'. one Of whom excIaim.
ed in IN audible voice. "The little girl
looks far more like her grandmother
than her mother, doesn't she2rf
Copyright. by Associated Literary Press.)
Invited to a Shakedown.
Beddingford is a good man not to