The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-04-03
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
S~choolma'am Daisy.
HY JANE OSBORN.
-tCopyrlght. 1916. BIZ MCCLURE New
paper syndicate.)

/ r. H.P GAkSAU ~ AAA@AkSA1 EN aH.. ~.
Daisy Dodge was standing in q
frame of sunshine in the doorway of
the little eight-sided school at Dab.
neyville vigorously ringing the large
hand bell that called the children, lit
tie and big, back to the afternoon SEES.
sion.
Here's another letter for you, Miss
Dodge" piped one of the older girls.
1t was Gussie Love, daughter Of the
general storekeeper, who also acted
as postmaster. And my father says
he thinks something's up. There were
four yesterday and two this morning.
And the piping voice trailed on into
a self.conscious gtggle.
But Daisy, the school teacher at the
door, turned crimson. She took the
letter with repulsion, tucked it within
the folds OF her simple bodice and
went to her desk in the center Of the
school room, around which were
ranged the various grades OF the eight
sided school.
Gussie Love fingered after school.
"Say, Miss Dodge" she fa1tered; at.
ter the others had left the school,
house. was your letter nice? You
amt. going to :get married and leave
US, are you! i.act,
AS soon as Gussie had gone, first
making sure there were no prying
eyes 1.-THE windows, Daisy began to
read her letter.
Dear Miss" it began in large, dis
tinct boyish writing, I'm not much
OF a letter writer, and l haven't ever
started writing to a young lady be:
fore, but 1t is SO lonesome out here
in the lumber camp that I thought l
would begin Just to keep from getting
SO dreadful1y blue. Perhaps you have
never seen a lumber camp. If you
have, YOU know why feel as I do. The
men who are married are all right,
for they have their little shacks, al
ways nice and comfortable and soci-
able, but we fellows that aren't SO
lucky have to take things as we get
them. j am sending a snapshot that
shows Just what I look like. When
you answer this letter, as I hope you
will soon, please send me picture OF
yourself. always did like brown
eyed girls the best. With best wish
es, Thomas William Jones.
"P. ST. forgot to say that I am
boss off hundred men in the lumber
work and / own ten thousand acres
OF unworked lumber land that I am
going to begin cutting when I have
saved enough to- begtn-perhaps next
winter" 544
For just a moment, Daisy's eyes lin
gered with interest on the snapshot
photograph that showed the writer
of the letter in his Characteristic cos
tune Of the lumbermnn at his work
She tucked the picture back in the
envelope when she realized taht she
was allowing herself to admire the
broad shoulders. straight figure and
welI-proportioned features OF the
stranger
Then she took the key from the
pocket Of her plain school dress. open
ed a desk drawer and carefully took
out ten letters that she had received
within the last two weeks. They
were written to every sort OF hand
writing, from the unframed .scrawl
OF a retired sailor who had written
a letter of proposal from a little sea-
faring community in Canada to.l the
fine, copybook writing of a CORE
spondent who styled himself. an ex-
lied marquis of France, and also pro-
fessed to wish nothing more than to
marry the little school teacher.
Why these letters? Why these pro.
posals? And would more come the
next day and the next? What would
people think. How could she stop
the letters that kept coming?
For half an houriDaisy sat and pom
dered. Then she drewIth last letter
that Of. Thomas William Jones'
from her pocketSa and ,reread II. Then
she studied the picture Of the writer
that the letter enclosed. After this.
she wrote letter that she hoped
might clear upEthe mystery and re-
store her peace Of mind.
1t was to this Thomas William
Jones, and In IL she told phim frankly
what had happened and she asked
him, as sthes gentleman which his let.
Tiers showed him to be, to help her
to solve the problem.
The letter, she received in reply
was brief and to- the point: ~ am
ashamed o fEmyself for having writ
ten the sort ,of3letter I did, butSIswas
very lonely tandssincey Ilett homesfye
pears ago I have been cut on from
friends; and,,so ,sISthoughtSy you
swantedSto hnds some one 20 write to-
Ms 1sS SS3sssS
ThsnJhsfexplainsd thattks had read