The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-11-25
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Enoch's Thanksgiving.
b. s. 3. HAcKLEY. :.

the spring yelling out from be- |
tween two boWlderS in her yard !
at the foot OF Big Laurel mountain, !
and sighed lugubrIously.
'eDavid's a goin'-a gofn' soon!"
Where's Davy gofn'!'
didn't know you was around. Aba |
gan Seal!" Pauliny frowned a bit re- |
Sentfully. ''You always did have the !
softest steppin' pair OF fee-for all the !
world like cat's."
cor a thiePs!" muttered the hard
Tisaged old man sitting near the spring ;
mending bride.
The blooming young girl, looking
Ter the low stone fence, Teddened
VI THIS covert thrust.
''Davy's goin' to take his 5000 Iil-
road tie money and go the the preacher
college after Thanksgivin'- thought
he was goin' to marry on it. but he
says she amt" went on Pauliny.
"oh, Paulfny. wasn't meant foz
David!" Abagail raised propitiatIrg
eyes TO the old woman's censuring
ones. then they deepened and darkened
solennly. Folks has got heap to
think about besides Margin these
stihhin' times, Pauliny."
David knows that" his grandmoth-
IS all that's keepin' him from enlistin',
but It won't hinder his preachin'.'
1.-TWO hundred dollars is a lot OF
money! wish had the half" OBJ
served Abby wistfuI1y. where does
Davv keep it. Pauliny?"
Hes got It in my little beaded sack
a.hangin' IN the loft. He's afraid Of
banks
when the girl was gone the bride
member, Cleophas. rebuked Pauliny.
LAWS" Pau1ina tossed her head
"Abby's honester than you C1eophaS.
You are a-holdin' spite foolish1y. Alb
by's got her woman's right to prefer
Enoch Dawn to our Davy!''
Abby. walking with light. swiftness
through the reddenfng woods. stopped
when she came to a dead poplar that,
destitute Of limbs and punctured by
woodpeckers and ants. hung over the
path.
I'm goin' to axe that poplar." A
cheerful voice sounded behind her.
and a sunburn young man lifted her
aside out OF the way Of the leaning
tree, 'Tt shan't fall on my girl while
I'm fghtn'i Yes. I'm goin', Abby.
Something in me says: 'Enoch. don't
stay here takin' 1t easy maxim excuse
your mammy's got but you"
She raised glowing eyes. "oh.
Enoch. Tcouldn't stand It If you didn't
-ttyou might not come back"
Enoch kissed her paling cheek.
There's worse things could happen
us, honey
{: 'Ty know" she whispered; "sln
brings folks the worst griefs-''
I'm not goIn' to enlist until Thanks
S1v1n day. three weeks yet" the boy
said presently; Eve got to get the
corn in and leave things In shape for
winter first for nanny"
The next morning when Enoch met
Abby in thu woodland path and bent
'5oyously over her she seemed scarcely
to sense that ne was kissing her.
My silver breastpin you gave me
is gone" she told him nervoUsly. II
could not find It anywhere this morn
luck" - '1'-
Lets walk as far as c1eophas Dot
sons and look for it." Enoch suggest
Il wasn't in Pauliny's yard yester-
day" she demurred fretfulIy as they
walked along. 81 don't want to go there,
Enoch."
Pauliny ran out to meet them, her
eyes wide with excitement. 'David's
0OuSy gone! SLoIeQ!
Enoch felt Abby's fingers sink into
the flesh OF his arm, Then David
came out, corroborating his mothers
story.
And nobody knew kept the money
In the loft!' he observed rnourofuIly.
Only Abby!" old Cleophas rnuttered
Pauiiny told her that Jest yesterday"
Here's the ladder settfn' outside
the window Just like it's been all sum
mer" David went on.
Yes. and them that climbed that
ladder and stole that hard-earnad
money ought to be made to suffer, be
It man or wcman!" Cleophas remark
ed, and Enoch felt that he knew what
vas In his suspicious old brain. Then.
IN tho grass at the foot OF the ladies,
his troubled eyes fell on Abbyss
brooch. When his heart began to beat
aEatn. he set cautious foot over the
pin, and. unobserved. stopped and
transformed the trinket to his pocket
! wish I could know where nv min
1s!" she murmured on thew way home,
SEaoeh's hand pressing his brcast rnck-
OF :ele the uncomfortable Toushness
: OF the brooch within. but he grew cold
g 3Eought OF restoring It 70 her. Had
Aooy been tempted to take DavId's
money? He recalled that she had beer3
onaScouatably disturbed a'.d troubled
oysE ehe trivial loss Of the brooch. and
Sae had not wanted to 80 IN the dfrcc-
non OF Pauliny's &c look for It.
aocn knew that, once he were gone,
4eay1nS Abby with no men folk to de-
9end her. old Cleorkas would not hest
Sae9 20 acuse her. But II he stayed.
the cowardly old man would not rnaEc
trouble. Could he stop his ears to the
can OF the nag and stay behind with
For three weeks Enoch worked and
suffered. Two days before Thanks
SWING DAY, the day he had set to pre-
sent himself for enlistment, he met
! B16o OWNS. = neighbor lad.
C1eoph4S says he believes he
Knows Who got DaVy's $780," he re-
marked, and wind and weather per-
mtetin', he's goin' uptown Saturday