The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-10-03
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Sophie Advertises.
4 nv NARY Willis MILLER.

1915, Dy inc mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.)
n HE was Q vague. indifnite blond,
- with the look Of one born to be
~ imposed upon. Not that she ever
really was, for no one ever paid
6 enough attention to her for that. Her
father was a retired farmer. and she
was the only child Of a second mar.
rage, born when her father and moth.
jer were both advanced In life. They
lived in a little Kentucky town, and
were the kind you call good, substan'
tai people," but never invited any
place.
She did not r,ay with other chill.
dren, and she vent to school just to
study. Every Sunday she went to
Y Sunday school. and by the lime she
twas in high school she US playing
the organ. She had no MUSICAL tai
emit, but she was consciertious, and
+ she had nothing to do but practice.
IA little Kentucky town is the incest
place in the world to liYe when you are
between 16 and 20. There are dances
and moonlight picnics at the springs,
and parties and lots of visitors, but
Sophie merely heard OF these. And
d little town has nothing to make up
for merely hearing. Sophie was not
! even invited to the big teas at which
s nearly every one was included. 1t was
I not that she was Intentionally left out.
but no one ever thought about her.
She didn't really want to go to the
! parties, but she did want to be in.
vited. But Sophie kept on practicing.
"A few times she went to the picture
SHOW with girl who lived next door
who. was In love with boy her moth
er would not let her see. He would
meet them, and walk home with them.
They both ignored Sophie, but she
rather enjoyed 1t anyhow. In time
that diversion ended, and the girl for.
got about her.
/. 4 After she was graduated from
high school, she went to the Cincin.
natl conservatory for the summer
term. Then she came home to teach
music, and because she played the
organ at church she got some pupils
from that congregation. Most Of them
looked upon her as inanimate as the
3 piano they banged upon by the clock.
Z Sophie herself. neither liked nor dis.
liked teaching. 1t simply took the
place Of some Of the practicing.
The year she was 20, her father and
mother both died. For six months she
lived alone, with no one but the old
colored cook to be near her. What
Sophie was thinking during those six
months-or for that matter what she
had been thinking those twenty.nine
years-non one ever considered. But
at the end Of the six months Sophie
7 appeared in a new spring suit. Now
there Is nothing startling in new
spring suit. but this was very early
IN the spring, when only few of the
girls had new suits. and. besides, this
was the first suit that Sophie had ever
had that any one had noticed. 1t
wasn't an extreme suit, and 1t was
dark blue, but 1t had big white col.
lar and style was written all over It.
Also Sophie had her hair curled. and
{ q new hat-and It wasn't little in.
conspicuous hat either.
: a few days later, sh, again wore
the suit, end this time she was wear.
ing a huge corsage Of Ward roses and
vtolets. And every one saw Sophie.
Curiosity plays big part in our
social relations. People who had bare.
" spoken to Sophie now began to talk
TO her. And about her they talked
sseyen more.
Letters came to her, always by spe.
Sc1al delivery. The postmistress told
this. Yes, mans writing. and the
letterheads Of Louisville paper. A
box Of candy came from Louisville
that week, too.
They knew about the letters Sophie
received, but 1t was just as well that
they didn't know about the ones she
: sent. Several weeks before she had
written the first. and hardest one. 1t
was to the advertising manager OF the
Louisville paper, and she sent it be.
I cause she had read some talks on
Advertising" The talk said that you
could get anything you wanted II you
advertise. 1t was most convincing.
Sophie read 1t several times, and
4 each time she was surer that the only
! way she ever would get what she want.
ed was through advertising. Only she
y wasn't sure how to do 1t, so she wrote
to the advert ding manager.
Dear Sir: have read your Talks
ION Advertising and want you to help
Hme. want man, good.looking, well
educated, to come to Enfield to SET
me. am 20 years of age, and neither
pretty nor attractive or l wouldn't
have to advertise. There Is no 'Ob
ject matrimony' to 1t, for honestly
don't want to marry. I do want to be
rushed, sent candy and flowers and
all the rest Of 1t, even II l have to pay
for It all.
I have lived here in Enfield all my
life, and no one has ever noticed me
Il they do at all they simply feel sor
ny for me. What want is to make
them think that some one is interested
IN me. And he must be a man they
will notice and wonder what he sees
d In me. will pay all expenses and
whatever salary seems fair. It will
not be easy for the man, for l am not
ut all interesting.
Il p tefer big man, with dark hair
And o corsage of Ward roses and VIC
lets and Sweetman's candy.
SOPHIE BROWN"
The man who read the letter was
interested. in spite, or perhaps be
: cause, Of the frankness of Sophie's
I statement that she was not at all In
teresting. He had lived in q little
town himself, and he could see the sit
uatton. He was going to take his va
Catton histwo weeks anyhow. and he