The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-04-25
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Morale Of Lord Ollie.
BY lola FORESTER.
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
Newspaner Sydicate.O

Newspaper aydicate.)
We have been accustomed to hear
| Ollie speak OF the Countess in. well.
not exactly friendly or comradely or
familiar terms. but as II he knew her
pretty we'll. For instance. he would
say when the mail was brought in.
another letter from the Countess.
Now, Ill get it for not writing Quite
as II It mattered to the Countess
whether he wrote or not. think we
all vaguely resented his tone for her
sake. rel while We knew absolutely
nothing about her.
He had come to the old-fashioned
boarding house on West Fifty.fifth
street In the summer time. From his
tone and words We gathered that he
was a a of peace and would not go
to war. that the Countess d~isapproved
of his sentiments. and that his elder
brother was fighting somewhere In
! France. I.
He was a slim. dark, nice sort Of
chap. with big. speculative, humorous
blue eyes behind eyeglasses. Until
Jessica came to stay with US, he hao
| matters his own way in all argument
down In the diningroom. The rest OF
us were too hungry and weary 10 com
bat world peace or anything elsc.
But Jessica was different. Fresh
from the West she was. and thorough.
~ prepared for war at any moment.
She was in the nurses training. wait
ing for her chance TO go abroad in
Red Cross work. Not that she ap.
proved of war, but she did believe in
! the nations who were big enough to
see the vision OF the future combining
and forcing disarmament on the bar.
barian ones, as she called them.
Ollie was all for social evolution,
and tho two Of them would sit aud
let their dinners grow cold while they
thrasllad the wars Of the nations over
and over again. His name. by the way
was Oliver Grosvenor. Sometimes his
mail came to Mr.. Oliver. Grosvenor and
sometimes to Lord Oliver Francis
| Grosvenor. but VIC called him Ollie.
a boarding home is a curious COM
monwealth. To save your life you
can't help knowing every other body's
business. We used to run across the
two Of them sitting out on the little
green wooden bench in the bit Of a
front yard talking after dinner, finish.
ing up their argument. And some
times. in order to cool off. they would
have to stroll up TO Columbus circle,
and over into the park, where spring
was dancing with fauns and dryads.
We could see plainly the way they
were vending, just into the same old
path OF romance all youth treads some
time.
Then came another letter from the
Countess, the first one since Jessica
had como to stay. Oliver found It un.
der his napkin as usual. glanced at II
whimsically. said H. was another let
ter from tho Countess and that bod
get It. for not writing.
And Jessica, being a woman prompt.
~ asked who the Countess was.
Wheroupon Ollie answered simply:
my mother"
She eyed him from n different as
poet from that moment, At first, with
suspicion as II he might be poking fun
at her. You sec, Jessica came from
a small town in South Dakota and she
was twenty.one. She had always had
to work for her living ever since she
could remember. There were five
youngsters entered In the family Bible
after her own name and the last ono
had been the end Of her mother. After
that, It had always been work for her.
Now, with most OF them half grown.
she had slipped away to follow her
own star even TO the ~battleields and
try to realize some Of life's tumult and
mystery,
Oddly enough, the Countess seemed
part OF what she was seeking. But
she wondered. just as we all had, If
Ollie we're telling the truth. We had
been content to let the matter rest
where 1t was, afraid Ollte's pleasant
myth might vanish II the searchlight
of truth ever lit it up.
Jessica waited until she had him to
herself on the green garden bench.
There was a moon looking very pale
and wan. Elusive enough to please all
fond lovers. Only Jessica was not in
a loving mood. She was, as usual.
combative and p~ernlekety as it were,
and she approached the subject of OIL
lies connection with the English no,