The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-12-01
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Giving Thanks Together
BY CATHERINE cRGMMeR
(CopyrIght, 1OlG, by the McClure

-'S'"P1PII AOS Il4AGdlCJ
E6T rs A shame not to share this
good dinner with some one" said
Lydia, who had loved to cook
from the days when she baked mud
pies in the sun until the nights when
she made fudge in chatting dish. 1t
was partly because of her taste for
cooking and partly because OF her
distaste for boarding house life that
she gladly awaited herself of a suite
in the first One.tenaut apartment house
erected in ber city. Her living room
with its tiny fireplace was nankcd on
end by Il bathroom and Il bed closet,
and on the other by Il complete and
compact kitchenett"
On Thanksgiving day Lydia fitted
from room 10 room singing gay snatch.
cs Of song, Her trim little figure was
lost in tho lOoscncss of Il Iong.slccyCt
white apron with which her former
landlady had endowed her when she
set out on this housekeeping venture.
Her auburn hair was not about her
flushed ia ard her blue eyes werc
bright with enthusiasm rs she con.
cOctcd tempting dishes Tor her Thanks.
giving dinner.
The plump chicken browning in the
tiny oven was small and the culver
ing mold OF cranberry jelly just turn.
cd out was small yet there was much
more Of each than Lydia alone could
cat, healthy ana hungry as she was.
This thought came TO her as she was
arranging pieces OF toast for aspara.
gus and with the thought came hos.
pitable longing to share her good din.
nj MI l..
thy and hungry. The girls who were
her Co-workers in the public library
either had homes in the city or had
gone to their homes outside the city
for the Thanksgiving holiday, and be.
sides them she had made few acquain.
tanceH In the city go she could think
OF no one to invite.
She reflected that there must be
many lonely people III that city who
would gladly share with her the dainty
meal that was now almost ready 10
serve. Then she thought OF the young
man who lived alone in the suite
across the hall from hers and Of whom
she had caught occasional glimpses
through his open door as he bent spec.
tacled eyes low over u drawing board.
She found her self wondering, wheth.
err her studious neighbor was an ar.
fist. She thought he looked too bust.
ness.like and practical for that.
Lydia smiled and bluShed as she
recalled the episode the evening be-
fore when her spilled cranberries had
crunched under the good-sized feet
OF this young man, who had come
strtding from his apartment while she
was STOPPING In the narrow corridor to
replace the scattered berries in the
paper bag that had turned turtle when
she inserted her latChkey. There had
been stammered apologies from both,
and although the young man had help.
ed to recover the berries, he had re-
entered his apartment so abruptly that
Lydia was puzzled to know whether
ne was dispensed or embarrassed by
the incident.
Just when Lydia's chicken reached
the right degree Of browness the young
man IN the suite across the hall com.
pIete! the mixing OF tho last lines i'll
the plans he was to enter in the prize
competition for Il design for new
public building. His deep sigh of sat.
listed relief at the finished task was
followed almost Immediately BY the
thought that he was very hungry He,
100, had Il fancy for COO.lng and had
taken the apartment that ho might
have, in addition to uninterrupted CD
portunity tor study. the privilege OF
preparing coffee and eggs just to suit
his breakfast taste.
"A cold, driZzling raffin made the
outdoors so uninV., ng that the young
man decided to nave a broiled bacon