The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-04-16
Daily Short Story
ON COMMON GROUND.

oy wary y. Arnott-
The distance between the two had
suddenly widened.
Father says 1 ought to marry a
man"
Charlie Biddle glared resentfuiiy
INTO ne muunous gray eyes OF Betty
saunders. He turned sharply away.
too indignant for words.
she spoke again with a slightly con
cliiatory tone In her soft contralto
IL you would control your temper
and let me fnish-"
On. IRE away" he replied doggcd-
". digging the toe OF his heavy mo
t2rlng boot into the soft spring sod.
You can't say much worse than you
have already thrown at me-"
we'll was going 20 say that faith
~ says j ought TO marry a man with
some settled prospects in lise-some-
a-some sort OF business Won know
On. he does. docs he7" Charles
tone was calculated enough TO show
Betty that his Indignation was genu-
me. IL was not the kind she was in
me hablt OF dispelling with one OF
her usual coaXing remarks
She spoke more quickly as IL dc.
sirols OF getting painful scene over.
1es-some dignined sort If bust
- see" Charlie bowed graveIy.
betty tet ike weeping at her sweet
mart : unbending manner IL was
his happy-go-lucky disposition that
had hrst captured her fancy and later
won the whole OF her heart
les. she continued, trying brave
~ 70 swallow her discontinue. faith
s,.. .1'h rs that a young man ought to
start his career long before he is
your age. He does not even know
Nhether or not you lean toward a
profession or business"
charlie gave utterance 10 an pjacu.
isuon % displeasure not in the least
complimentary TO Betty's father.
You need not Rrunt ONT ,btres
asAlhst my father that you are afraid
10 say TO me-" Betty narpd al him
Win nashing eyes. MY father Is A
successful man, and he surely ought
20 KNOW something about the charao-
mans future,"
Did father say how old he was be.
lore he made his MARK"
Not exactly. but he said he never
spent his time motoring and riskinr
ms meek in lying machines"
I pointcdly
( The sarcasm In Charles tone mad.
! dened BETTY. Perhaps her anger was
I directed more at her father than her
/ sweetheart. but IL was the latter who
| got IL.
!
against my father" she flashed. cor
| course. he was too poor to have the
Injuries you indulge in. but YOU would
not nave them either IL you had not
inherited money for them. He saws
the fast life you live. dashing through
the clouds and tearing like mad
through country lanes in your racing
car. not only is conducive to bad NOR
ais but UNITS you for domestic hab-
its"
! Charlie pondered moment. then
spoke with q elaboration that fore.
told the coming OF something both un.
pleasant and hard to say-yet neces-
sary.
Since you have presented me with
so fragrant bouquet from your IA.
Tiers mind ] will return the compli-
ment BY giving YOU one from my
mothers fertile brain"
Betty glanced swiftly al him and
met his non-committal smile with a
touch of fear in her heart Charlie
continued evenly, though his effort to
lremain calm brought a sullen white
ness To his face. Betty was very dear
world
You have several times question.
cd mo as TO why my mother has never
called upon YOU
1 lie paused as n about to reient.
then gathered fresh courage from the
elevated attitude OF Betty's little nose
at mention OF his mother
My mother did not want 10 foster
az intimacy between us because she
S'sapproyes heartily Of you as wife
for me"
. The direct and unexpected attack
quite took Betty's breath. She STAN.
mered faint svlla bile. but her nose
went few points higher. The beau
tful. priced solitaire on her FINGER
was being pulled Off slowly b. her
right hand.
Yes" Charlie went on. my mother
"a noted for her good sense and dis
termination and has warned mo
against the ultra-modern girl Of
which she considers YOU startling
7 assure you" said Betty. with
whitening contempt. that your moth.
.er need have no further fear from
this quarter" Two bright spot ;
burned I'm Betty's cheeks. but in her
heart were tears. She turned to 20.
"Nait-there are still few bios.
SONS 20 add Charlie did not see the
tears of vexation IN his sweetheart 4
eyes. ONLY the haughtinefs Of her
head appealed 10 him.
= am not afraid 10 hear your opln,