The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-07-22
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
a Fight. for Happiness.
BY SUSAN e. cLAGETT.

BY SUSAN e. cLAGETT,
copyright, 1915. by the Mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.)
Tom Marshall knocked the ashes
from his pipe and dropped It into his
pocket before answering the question
OF his friend, then he said deliber.
ateiy:
had nothing to offer, Jack. Nat.
nraliy. under those circumstances I
did not ask her.
What fools you conscientious men
make OF yourselves. the other said ir.
rttably. Did It never occur to you that
you owed her something after such a
summer? Why, nan alive, you were
always together. II you were not rid
ing you were rowing or walking or
sitting on the beach. II she had been
Ike the rest OF the crowd It would
have made nc difference, but there are
girls and girls, and Sarah Norris Is
one by yourself.
There was a note In his voice that
made Marshall look at him With
thoughtful eyes.
You too, Jack?
Why not? She refused me long ago.
Itook It pretty hard at the time. Then
Kate came into my life. She knows
and doesn't mind and Sarah and I are
the best Of friends. Because I know
how abhorrent TO her Is this dallying
over the most sacred thing that ear
come.into the lives OF men and women.
I am disgusted at the stand you have
taken. Her money should make no
difference, but It would seem you put
Il and your pride before her happiness
and your own.
Her happiness? I have thought she
cared.
What an ass you are! Did you ex.
pect her to proclaim her feelings for
your beneftf
No. I never thought she cared, he
repeated slowly.
HIS friend looked at him in e1aspera-
Hon. How old are you, Tom? One
would think you had spent your life in
the backwoods and knew nothing OF
women.
I know very little. You forget the
life Of an engineer is not spent in
drawing rooms. Last summer was my
first vacation since I left college. It
was also the first time In years I had
talked with a woman Of refinement.
Building bridges and railroads through
unopened country does not bring one
IN touch with dainty womanliness.
But I had seer her. She came to Alas
Ia with quite a large party when W.
were working on the Copper River and
Northwestern railway. A very gay
party from all I heard. I saw her sew
eral times, but did not meet her. i
never forgot her. When We met in
Maine I thought my chance for happi-
ness had come. Then I heard about
her money.
He stopped short.
We'll?
What is the use OF talking about It?
I'm out OF 1t. I am making It my bus
mess to keep as far away as possible.
Isuppose In time I will forget. After
al, old Father Time Is the best friend
We have, and when ones every ener.
" is needed to carry through such
an undertaking as we have on hand
there Is little to indulge in personal
feelings. At night I an so weary I
drop into a dead sleep as soon as I
touch the bed. In daylight there is no
chance for though.
The two men were sitting upon a
Pile OF lumber in the government rail-
way construction camp In Alaska. In
the roadway. a mile from shore, a
yacht pulled at her anchor. Nearer, q
motor boat was rushing through the
water toward the landing place. As
Tom Marshall watched It absently one
OF the two women in It waved her hand
TO him.
He turned iu%quiringly toward his
friend.
You did not tell me you had any one
with you.
Kate, only, and one guest, Jim
Chapman answered. Ticking the ash