The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-09-09
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
"a DIFFERENT MAN
BY CARA HOLT.


! copyright 1916, by the Mcclure
r Newspaper Syndicate.)
81 ETTIE MoRToN's two short vis-
It's to New York with her parents
- had shown her only the New
York of hotels and department stores.
When she went there alone to study
social service she discovered many
phases Of life Of which she knew
nothing.
One night she sat far into the night
reading a book called Greed and
Grind. This book had been in the
means Of causing many changes In the
factory management where girls had
been overworked in bad air and un.
safe surroundings. 1t made Lettie
feel that she must do something to
help girls whose daily WORK held them
in q vice stronger than the social
customs Of Marshville had held her,
80 she began to study their problems.
She went to lectures and open forum
discussions and even to corrt rooms
to hear trials. She felt warm SYM
patty for the girls whose lives were
so starved, and It nettled her to
thing that while those conditions hao
.SAAoSSA
life in sleepy old Marshville.
With the enthusiasm of a new con.
vert, she entered into the question
with more zeal than judgment. One
afternoon, when an open meeting In
Union Square was over, she sat still
atfer the crowd scattered and looked
about her. In dark blue suit and
tailored hat, her neatness and fresh.
ness were In strong contrast to the
women who had conducted the meet.
ing or their followers who had made
up the audience.
On bench near iler sat young
man she had seen ut nearly all such
meetings she had attended. He was
always in the crowd, but apparently
not Of 1t, and she had come to think
Of him as the different man. He was
perhaps thirty, with dark eyes and
hair, and usually wore gray clothes
and soft hat. He seemed to study
the audience rather than the speak.
ers, and achievement was indicated by
his whole bearing.
Deep in speculation about the diff.
Serent man, Lettie did not notice that
another sort Of man had sat down
On the same bench with her. Her
thoughts went back to Marshville,
where the asters in her mothers gar.
den would now be all abloom. She felt
It would be good to be at home again,
but when the different man got up
and walked away she felt that life in
Marshville would be banker than ev.
,er now that she had seen him.
y She felt keenly that she didn't fit
anywhere. She didn't want to 60 back
to Marshfvlle to- live, but she did not
yet see what part Of the great soc;o.
Illogical problem she could solve. In
her Impotence she unconscious1y
stamped her foot and frowned. AS
she turned her eyes from the slowly
departing figures of the different
man she met the confidently familiar
smile Of the man who had sat down
beside her. He was a fat and florid
blond, dressed in q loud suit OF brown
tweed.
Never mind, grille, he said with
geering smile. He's gone, but I'm
here, and wouldn't 1t be fair bar
gain to take ME In his place.
Lettte turned pale and. with her
chin In the air. quickly arose without
taking any apparent notice Of the
spee1er. She could not bear to think
OF her predicament becoming known
even to the children nearby who were
noisily enjoying their roller skates.
She started away in a fast walk and
was surprised to see that the different
man had turned and was valki:g to-
ward her. She failed to see that a
wobbly beginner on roller skates was
siclose behind her. and the next mo.
5ment her feet were knocked from IN.