The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-05-11
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
An Awakened Conscience.
BY ARTHUR WALLACE &PEAcH.

IAN awakened conscience.
by ARTHUR WALLACE &PEAcH.
Copyright, 1915 by the Mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.)
The convention during tho afternoon
had been a, busy one, and the men we're
glad TO gather for a comfortable smoke
and chat In one of the smoking rooms
OF 1.-THE hotels. They were mining en-
sgtners and had come from different
parts OF the West. Naturally. while
the cigars were going, stories began to
appear OF experience that ranged from
the. tragic to the %ludlcrous. Finally,
they swung, under the guidance OF the
spokesman OF the group, Granger by
tname, to a consideration Of what might
4 be called the meanest act they had
ever witnessed. After various exper.
iences had been rotated, a man who
was known to be a friend Of Granger
spoke:
I'm not going to tell you that l
< have Witnessed Il mighty mean act per-
sonaily, but ! Gun tell you that | know
all, about that act and what the man
must be who committed Il.
Suppose you picture yourself driy-
ing up n. winding road In New England,
up among tho Hills, and coming to a
lane that leads to a house set some
distance back. 1t is almost twilight,
!, and as you approach you1see a figure at
the entrance. Driving nearer, you find
tho figure is that OF a girl. And then,
suppose you recognize her as the girl
who had been waiting there at dusk
for ten years for a chap who had lev
ertreturned.
t.That is what | experienced one car.
glyleyening last year. was going there
|Ito see a man Of the name OF Epson.
who owned a small right In a stream
that we were planning to dam. There
Ifheard the whole story.
"ISfound Upson to be a grim sort Of
fellow. in a way. aud yet friendly
enough after he thawed out, and that
night after the rest had retired, he
andsI ismoked a pipe together. In the
midst OF, our conversation, happened
I osthink OF the young woman at the
entrance, and I asked him about her.
She had been present at the supper
table. She was slight Of stature. sweet
pf,face and gentle Of manner, but there
was something about her that appealed
to me asno woman or man ever had
an air Of resignation Just touched with
hope: Iswas puzzled by her and l want.
ed to penetrate the mystery.
"upson smoked in silence for come
time. Then he said slowly: We'll. to
tell the truth, / don't like to talk about
IL. But 1t will do no harm.
".Ten years ago, l had quito a little
money, and | was looking around to
invest 1t. and wrote in to a Boston
firm l wanted 10 put the money to as
good use as possible. Well, It was not
long after / had written that a young
fellow came from the city and ex-
planned a proposition to me. He seem
cd to be a fine sort Of chap in every
way. We enjoyed him and liked him,
and made him at home. The boys took
Ahim Off for a fishing trip, hunted with
him a little and all the time he was
talking to me about the proposition.
".Well, I felt for 1t. But | wasn't
the only ono who fell. That girl seem.
ed to find in him Just tho manAto love
! didn't blame her-he was attractive.
She was we'll educated and had stayed
by us old folks because she loved us
that isSher reason for most every.
thing she does. She was-and is
sunny Of temper and gentle Of disposi.
stion. J., Of course. saw how things
. were going, but l let them go OH. They
y were together a good deal, and many
times alone, and the upshot OF it was
she came to me one night in this
very room, with him following close
behind her. and told me they were
engaged.
".She was SO happy that her happi'
ness went all throughfthe house. Even
O. sour. old hired man Of mine began
TO smile-a remarkable change In him.
In fact, l used 10 think it was as II a
sunbeam with a voice had landed in
the place. Naturally, Of course. we
were all cheered UP, and we saw ev.
j erything bright ahead.
S"stThey made preparations for the
wedding and the wedding day. He
talked it as much as II not more than
! she did.
Zone day he departed, taking my
money and her love. l shall never for
Eget their parting-but ! am trying to
forget, and I had better not bring it up
u agatn. Anyway, she drove him to the
/ station, and camc back a little sad
dened,. but happy inside and filled with
music still.
3 Everything moved on smoothly
until 4 could SEQ her beginning to BIO
troubled. Finally, | got the truth. He
3 had not written. My suspicious were
aroused, and ! wrote to the company.
"'Thc information / got vas like a
4 bomb In our quiet home. 1t seems he
had left the employ of the company to
20 West, had vanished so far as they
{ were concerned, and had never re.
ported tho money | had given him. He
had cashed the check all right, but he
i had kept the money.
"tI. felt badly enough for ! saw old
& ase near. and only hard work ahead.
Z ] tried to find him, but this Is a great
country, and the West and East are
large enough for a man to hide In II
the one who is hunting him has not
( money and patience to continue the
search. He dropped out Of existence
sifas far as / was concerned.
"tShe recovered from the shock, for
she comes OF stern stuff; but tho girl
still believes that he will return. l
suppose there are such things In the
world, but l never believed 1t before.
the faith that outlasts the years. She
Z believes he will return and explain
what has happened. We have never
n been nh1e 10 shake her faith in him,