The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-04-27
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Found Wanting.
By SUSAN sHERRiLl
SCopyTtght, 1917. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate


II OVER LAWToN was tvp,caI q,
tnose small, rich, stagnant towns
Where nobody has business
t.s n OF MS own to prevent a lively
sIesS IN the affairs OF other people.
GOSSIP has lightnings quality OF
1'ag Nigh likewise lightning's
kneck OF being carried away harmless
W proper conductor. The Belling.
mans had been such conductor time
OUT OF mind. The richest family. AHA.
oly Kind to high and low, there resi-.
aent Tor three generations and given
70 developing surprises OF every sort
II nad provided sensations and occupa.
uons equally agreeable to the concrete
Town mind, yet escaped even a suspi.
clon OF unpleasantness by habit OF 90.
ing away when such conduct could not
pc reasonably expected staying indcfi.
mtely and coming back when 1t chose.
since 1t was now away for goodness
knew how long-it had taken both cars.
poth chauffeurs, Higgs, madame's in.
dispensable maid, and Joyce, the facto.
tum,. even more ndispensable-sinca
the house was shut tight and The
mouth OF Lawyer Main was shut even
tighter, needs must Lower Lawton talk
OF something else. What SO worth its
while as the affairs of Kathleen
Z Weare? For instance-was she really
first cause Of the Bellingham hegirap
They had seemed to be more than iund
OF her-especially old John, the bacne.
lor, thus distinguished from his nepn.
CIV, young John? Any girl might have
been glad to take him. He had money,
and he was SO very kind. Madame, his
brothers wife, had begged Kathleen TO
90 along with them-that didn't look
as If there were any plot to keep the
money for her children. Kathleen
ree6ed money from some source-and
needed 1t badly. Without 1t In a little
While the Weare house would be lum-
bling down on the heads of its occu.
PANTS.
Next 1t was the girls business ven.
ture that Lower Lawton talked about.
She was actually a market midfle-
woman. Lower Lawton had for the
most part Its own gardens and orch.
ards, upon the same rich soil that
spread into truck farms little further
on. 1t was Upper Lawton on the hill
top, high place socially as we'll as
geographically, that all but walled for
fresh things. The truck farmers who
specialized would not supply the indi.
vidual customer, but chose rather to
sell in bulk under yearly contract to
city dealers from whom Upper Law.
toms huckster wagons, in the end, got
their supplies. Thus its housewives
had to put UP with things wilted or half
spoiled-things grown under their very
noses. Naturally canned stuff, vege.
tables and fruit. became their rock of
refuge. They hated it-but were at
first doubtful when Kathleen showed
them way out.
Her way was the simplest way pos.
sible. They were to give her orders by
the month for average requirements.
They were to give no money, but
strict guarantee OF payment at the
month-end, balanced by guarantee of
satisfactory wares. That seemed safe
enough-besides. they could fall back
on the cans. Still, the first batch of
orders were SO nearly niggard that
Kathleen shook her fist at the book
Of them as she totaled up their amount.
1t would have been even harder with
the farmers. if they had not known her
SO well, through kindness rendered in
sickness or trouble.
When she said frankly: ~ can't af.
ford Tom and Jerry any longer unless