The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-10-27
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Beginning and the End
(ey SUSAN e. cLAoETT.)
lE0nvr-iRhf 1915 hu tho McClnra
copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)

- newspaper Synulcate.D
IsyVIHEN did It begin"
M The girl upon the lower
w step Rugged her knees as she
looked renectiyely across the hills to
tho forest beyond. Then she turned
her eyes 10 the face OF the older wo.
man.
II don't know. 1t Just came"
ut sometimes does come Just like
that, all In moment, but didn't
know there was u yonug man within q
thousand miles OF this place."
II knew you would think 1t odd to
hear OF one in this forlorn spot, yet
have never regarded the place in that
light. It Is quiet. however, and have
often longed for something interesting
to como into my life. or course, with
young girl the most interesting thing
Is that form OF amusement In which
young men have part and the young
est man here Is Uncle Henry, who
owns to GO and is 80. II he's a day, al.
MIR. Hamilton, a widower. who Is Grip.
pied with rheumatism and has asthma,
and Mr.. Alden, who IL old and deal"
"Of course, 1t Is one Of the three"
Scarcely" Rachel Warren answer.
ed with a certain degree Il indigna-
ton. II said truly | do not know
when 1t began. Ideally there was no
beginning. The nearest | can come
to 1t is that subconsciously / must
have retained memory o. i.inI. We
met two summers ago OH chat north
ern trip. You know that NaJ sick
and rather unhappy. had no wish
to make friends, no heart To talk, but
in some way lie interested me. 1t
was rather lonesome, especially when
the fog shut US In, and after two days
Of fog was little glad to have
some one take the vacant chair next
to mine. It had been empty until
people on deck the first three days out.
think he must have felt q little
- ] did-ayerse to making acquaint-
ancestor he would sit near me for
hours. saying only word now and
then. But he was congenial and l
missed him II he did not come to my
corner for companionship."
There must have been something
uncommon about him. judging from
that remark. You are little stand.
offish in regard to making acquaint-
ances."
There was" The girl laughed in
evident amusement. 1T was his
length. had never seen any one
quite SO long. She rose to her feet.
Imagine the contrast come about
10 his elbow.
I'VE took good many little trips to-
gether after we landed and came to
know each other fairly we'll. Indeed,
there were many interesting places
would never have seen II he had not
taken me. 1t sounds absurd, / sup
pose, but could not overcome my
Southern training and would have
passed by many places, show places,
really, rather than have visited them
alone. For ten days or more, we saw
each other every day, but upoE my
return home he slipped from my MEM
DRY. I found my life too full OF duties
even to recall tho enchanting days Of
that first trip away from home. Then
all at once remembered.
Il had gore 70 my morning work
with my soul In revolt. fairly
loathed my duties. !; WIS tired-tlred
from q constant stri ing to do cheer
fully what .ate to do with every fibre
Of my oasng. l remenll er hal cakes
for breakfast that morning and with
each cake turned on the griddle I
added one thousand years to my life.
As there were seven would SION have
rivaled Methusela but that my inner
consciousness took series Of Homer.
saults and ! found myself standing
upon the deck Of the old Trinidad as