The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-12-19

had the usual dig.
Tell you what. DAILY" he said.
There's only one life. With your new
income ! don't see what's to prevent
your marrying. I'm going to take the
plunge into happiness next week my.
sell, and l suppose your income is
about three times as big as mine"
Brad was unusually taclturn the re.
mainder OF the luncheon and left the
table without tasting his dessert. He
left his companion and lounged into
tho library out OF sheer self-defense.
The first book his hand fell upon was
Rooseyelts autobiography. He open.
ed 1t and read the first lines his eyes
rested on.
THE greatest privilege and
greatest duty for any man is to be
happily married, and no form OF sue.
cess or service for either man or wo.
man can be accepted as a substitute
l." Brad rose to his full six feet two
closed the book and threw II violently
to the table.
Always thought Brad was an ad.
mirer Of the colonels," a member re.
marked. Guess he's changed his poll
tics"
Brad DAILY hurried back to his OF.
flee building and pushed his way into
a crowded elevator For some rea.
son, perhaps because she had the kind
OF tawny hair that few man can help
noticing, his eyes fell on a slight fig
ure OF woman in the elevator beside
him. She seemed out OF place in the
busy office building. and Brad noticed
that she breathed with agitation. Ten
minutes later the same young woman
had managed to get by the various
stenographers, secretaries, office boys
and telephone operator who usually
barred folk without from Brad's pri.
vatc office, and stood before the big
man.
IT'S almost Christmas" she said
rather timidly to begin with, and Brad
found himself ushering her to a chair
at his side. You see, | have had to
go to work. and, because didn't know
how to do anything else, | took up
shopping. Now l am going to busy
men in the downtown Offices and get.
ting them to let me do their Christ
mas shopping for them. 1t saves them
the time and the worry and I get the
commissions. l am sure you haven't
bought your wife's present yet. or
your mothers present. and do with
you would let me get them for you
Have you bought them?"
mo" admitted Brad.
Now, what do you think your moth.
er would like?"
81 know" muttered Brad, "bIt It's
something l can't get
Before five minutes had passed Brad
realized that the copper.hair2d girl
had gone; that somehow in his co.,
fI2I0n and through her own o. .A,;'ng
he had left the buying Of his "W.fc's
present" 10 lel own choosing. INV
LOuiG ne tell her. he asked him-clf.
that he was the kind of a dub of n
fellow that had never got wife?f Al
her suggestion he had decided on a
sealskin coat and dozen pairs of
gloves. The girl had told him that
she must know the wife's Coloring in
order to select the lining for the coat,
and he had told her that it was almost
exactly like her own; that because at
the time he had thought that particu.
lar shade Of golden hair the sort he
would have wanted his wife 10 have.
And her hands. he told her-well,
hands and much the shape OF her own
hands and much the shae of her own
Several times the girl had to call
upon him with designs and samples
for the coat and each time ii seemed
TO Brad that the task of letting her
| know that he was the kind Of dub
Of fellow" that had never married
would be harder.
Then Christmas eve came and the
girl came with the bundles. Il want.
ed to bring the coat" she said. 80
you could tell me whether you truly
like it, And you haven't bought any.
thing for your mother May get it,"
That's the trouble" said Brad. and
he braced himself for the confession
Il know you'll think I'm q duh of 4
fellow, but the fact is I'm not married
at all and So" he went on, Il can't
make my mother happy and ! don't
know what | can do with these things.
I'm all balled up. but il you can see
what I'm getting at I'll he grateful. 7
wish had wife to wear the things
but I'm queer, fant.hcartci SORT
of fellow. Won't you take the coat &?
Yours seems to thin and you ionk cold.
Of course. know it isn't cunventionu,
giving coats and things. Don't hate
me for saying so. but like you a lot
and | want you to wear it-not today
but always"
That was substantially what Brad
said and, truly, he never dreamed that
the girl would take 1t as she did. But
then. the girl had been attracted t,
Brad from the first. She was very
pretty and 1t didn't seem so very re.
markable that when the time came she
found one man so much more com.
pelling to her than all the other men
she had ever met that he should also
be drawn to her.
Anyway, five minutes later, when
she had snuggled into the warm coat
and then into Brad's arms. he realized
with strange sense OF glad'Ass that
he had actually proposed for the first
time in his life, that he had found