The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-09-30

h NC0pyr1ght, 1915, Dy the Mcclure
VIA Newspaper Syndicate)
Ss's a LIMA. when do you start on
s5 Tomorrow at nine Warren"
Warren Deans car sped silently
along the parkway to Alma's home and
neither Of them spoke again until the
drew up at the curb.
And when you have finished your
book?'' he asked.
"a month or SO Of rest in the noun.
1ains."
And them"
"Oh. another book, perhaps; that's
the usual way, believe"
Alma, dear. don't think me un.
sympathetic. I'm as proud OF you
euccess as you are, but some day the
book OF your own life must have its
new chapters written in. I've asked
you twice for the big role in that book,
iEand shall continue to ask you until
you confront me with q rival more
ormidable than your embryo books
Warren's eyes seached hers eagerly
AS he assisted her from the car.
.tat"We've been such good friends that
truly wish we might be more, War.
zen, but unless | felt that we must
pc more 1t would be unfair to us both
to give you the answer you want now"
said Alma gently.
Goodbye" said Warren. at the
porch steps. And remember that il
you ever want ME or need ME I'll be
waiting your CALI
The next day, Alma set out for
little mountain village where she
worked throughout the summers on
her book. BY September. the book
was finished and It's first instalment
as serial was going into type for the
November issue of a leading magazine.
Alma went from the village to
ranch, thinking she would have abso-
'dute quiet, but the ranchmans wife re.
celved so many telephone calls over
the noisy party line and every spoken
work penetrated the thin walls of the
mouse SO completely that silence was
ct premium within the house. This
did not annoy her greatly. though, for
1t was the outdoors she loved. Early
every morning she was either tramp.
Ing or climbing or riding horseback
In the clear crisp air that limited OF
frosts not far away.
Books. letters and magazines reach.
ed her in each semi.weekly mail de.
livery, but Warren's letters had grad.
ually become. absorbed in her book
she had scarcely noticed this, but now
that she was idle and In receptive
frame OF mind for news from outside,
she began to take note of the thin.
ness and fewness Of his letters.
"Ah WELL" she said to herself one
afternoon, tits like man to want to
be everything or nothing. but I'll
climb upon Eagle Rock with, a new
magazine for company and leave all
men to their fate"
Somehow. though. after Alma had
made the slow climb to the big rock
the new magazine seemed only
mass OF printing broke at intervals by
Illustrations. She sat watching the
clouds pass below the highest point of
Akdistant mountain, but her thoughts
were OF Warren. She had unconscious.
~ been loosening round rock with
the restless movement OF her foot,
and was surprised when the stone sud.
denly bounded down the mountain
side. It bumped along at first but as
Il struck the protruding edge of a
large boulder, 1t shot out and steadily
gained In momentum until it landed
In the sandy gluch far below.
Alma got up and looked about for
lnother rock she could dislodge. She
found one larger and rounder which
the loosened with considerable diff
Guilty. Just as 1t was ready to be CIV
en final push she remembered the
schoolgirl custom of naming apple
seeds and corners OF rooms to deter
mine whether certain youths loved
certain girls.
55s"1'll name this rock for Warren"
she said to herself. "ant. II It goes all
the way down to the gulch he loved
me; II 1t stops by the way he loved
J me. not"
She gave 1t push and 1t went
crashing down among the aspens. but
contact with some scrubby oaks check.
ed its progress and when it reached
the large overhanging boulder it was
rolling feebly along. Just as Alma
NJ was ready to murmur "ue loves ma