The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-12-18
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Madge Tittleton Finds Her
Heart.
o
N N
o
BY MAUNA coWLEs.
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.D

NcWbpdpST SynulCate.)
n TADGE TlDDLETON was the
MI youngest college widow among
AZ the professors daughters at
Barstow College, and still she had no
heart. 1t was rather studied heart.
lessness, but 1t was just as effective
as that acquired by longer and deeper
experience. 1t was entirely the result
OF the deep advice handed to her by
Trix Floyd, who had, after ten years
OF activity with the classes of Barstow
finally married the fifty.year-old in.
structor in Sanskrit in the rival col.
lege III the next state. TriX told Madge
on the eve OF her own marriage and
just before little blue-eyed. credulous
Madge made her debut at her first
junior ball, the result OF her own eX.
perience.
Don't ever pity a college boy" she
said. college fellows have no hearts
even when Ihey think they have. Sc
get all the fun and candy and present.
cut OF them you can. They may think
they're crushed when you are cruel
but they get over It. | knew they
weren't serious, any of them. II they
had been wouldn't he marrying now"
So Madge had begun her career as
one Of the faculty daughters with some.
thing OF an advantage over the other
girls of her age vino still imagined that
college boys were to be treated with
consideration. She flirted and coaXed
and Tilted them with 4 Tree, light heart
for one year. and before her iIrst
seniors had been graduated she had
consulted the registrars list in the
nrn9innnt'l nffiRn "a 10 ftt1I
the names of the incoming class OF
freshmen SO as to have something OF
an idea of the new material she would
have when the next class arrived.
One of the seniors in her second sea.
son who came nearest to making her
forget TriX Floyd's admonition was
Thatcher Tompkins, rather ungainly in
Lpite OF his fine physique, rather timid
IN spite OF his prowess as captain OF
the Barstow football team. But Madge
did remember, and she enjoyed the
rush" that Tompkins gave her, espe.
cially as he was Tor the time beirg the
hero of tn college. When ner .lder
sister looked reproyingly and suggest.
ed that there was cruelty in her meth.
ed and that, unless she really cared for
Tompkins, she hal no right to lead him
on, Madge looked serious and cOntrite
for only minute. Then she remem.
bered Trix's advice. tossed her little
head and made no good resolutions.
II am just as thirsty rs | can be,
and, dear. how l love Sweets" Mage
would say as she tripped along the
main street Of Barstow town with
Tompkins, and then Tompkins would
feel in his pocket for the required
change, and If il was there he would
beam and lead Madge to the college
confectioncr's shop.
just dote on topaz. don't you?" she
asked one December afternoon when
she was walking With Tompkins
through the main th0gOughfarc OF
Barstcw. They We're in front OF Jew.
elers shop, and Madgc cast her pretty
eyes toward topaz that cleaned amid
motley collection of possible Christ.
mas presents on display in a window
6ecked in holly and mistletOe. 81
think l could be happy forever if had
that pendant. Wouldn't it look Won.