The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-08-20
FACTS AND FANCTES FOR WOMAN AND THE HOME CIRCLE
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
WELCOME LETTER
By GEALD ST. ETINNE.
(CODyTight, 1918, by the Mcclure
nvm-.l--- g.Gr--n-.

3 JUSTIN MOLLORf hurried I,
over HE route he Whistled mer |
Tily. There was q letter IN his |
ek Tor Anna EmTick, and the knowl
90 Of Il pleaied him. It was his
q week - letter carrier. but every |
3 % e he had found Anna waiting |
her door. Every day she had been Z
14Dp0lnted IN the mail he had /
ought. That bulky letter that he
4 vas the one she was waiting TO-
felt sure. The route seemed mucG |
hTteF that morning.
"YOu have q letter for me" Anna |
LED % she caught sight OF him. u
B see II In your face
You have good eyesight" he laugh |
~ he pulled forth the letter |
uTe enough. here It is
As Anna,s fingers touched the letter |
q her eyes caught sight OF tho "a
lOpe q look Of disappointment. worst
On on other days, crossed her face
at was not the letter after all She
lted into the house before Justia
old sag 4 word.
Ne whistle came from Justip's lips
the rest Of the route. That look OF
mas face kept coming in his nInd.
course, Il was plain 10 see that the
tier she wRU expecting was from
Q man she loved What a cad he
Be not 10 write 10 Anna! Justin won
red who he was. Some boy she had
{ while Justin had been overseas
war service That was IT, Tie
yS who stayed at home had won IN
,octiOns Of all the nice girls leaving
me for the returned soldiers. He
q thought a lot OF Anna before he
bot away. but he had shattered LOT
his prospects by enlisting before he
q cOmOleted his college term. The
sltion be had might work into some.
ing good at the postotfice, he
ought. end then he would be able 10
BIKE % TO Anna for this other NAV
treatment.
Anna was waiting with the same eN
pctant smile the next day. She had
II taken Il 10 heart as much as he
q imagined. This time she didnl
Ism so disappointed when there
as no mail fer her
II was rude to you yesterday she
"a with q smile, as she held out ht-
nd 10 greet him, but didn't intend
be. | was rather disappointed in
Z letter you brought. How do you
Re your new work JUSTIN
re was glad Of an opportunity 20
her all aDCut It. They were sin
King when a voice from across the
(et called cut in a feminine tore
q indicated patience eXertsd to the
IL notch.
"ATe you going to stand there tall
3 all day POstie? Don't you thin;
lks want their mailf'
That brought Justin TO a Tealizatioa
the duty he still had to perform
Nth Annals CHEEKY smile 10 encogr
be him he started on, his mind to-
lll Of their conversation to permit
i'm 10 whistle. however.
Il was nearly two weeks later when
istln brought another letter TO Anna.
was 4 thin. Misunderstanding let
but the minute her eyes lit upon
she gave an exclamation Of pleasure
ID almost snatched it from his fin.
be. Justin read the Joy in her face
stantly. Before she had a chance to
BON Il he was on his way. but Anna
Tas too intent on her letter to notice
hat be had gone. He felt something
ise IN his throat.
So the fellow had written at last.
bet when he (JustIn) had begun 70
blink that there was some hope for
lon 10 win Anna for himself, but nov
bat vas out OF the question. OF course
Be would forgive the other man aud
hey would start where they had left
~. A letter carrier wasn't good
nOugh for Anna anyway. But would
DIS other man be good enough TO her:
be didn't he would make him snswe;
pr Il. No one could be unkind 10 a
lrl like Anna. This man had, though.
z bad neglected her shameiully, and
would De likely to DO Il again. Tie
bought OF the unhappiness that this
Fould probably bring 70 Anna SO up.
% Justin that he found himself
lock past the Place where he should
ave delivered the next letter. He
Ulled himself together and managed
make the deliveries satisfactorily
He had mado an engagement with
ma for that evening, but that was
efOfe the letter had come, so Justin
ecided 10 telephone his regrets. She
'Ould not want him to call. he was
IRE, and would know that he under
GOD. Il was not an easy thing to
ave the fiOld clear for his rival, espe-
ally for q man who wasn't worthy
her. Il was for Anna TO make the
ioice, though, and her Joy at receiv.
( the letter showed him plainly
bought that che thought more Of the
ritter than To could ever dare hope
Q would Think Of him. He went to
Q telephone half q dozen times be.
70 be could gain courage to lift the
ceiVer and call Annals number
= am sorry I won't DO able to come
ef this evening"" he said huskiiy.
Wuu yOus ouotiA8 tAlb uCoIt ka'S
Jump as ne noted the disappOint.
INT IN her voice. Il aid so want you
come tonight. Couldn't you ar.
81 Il? have . letter want to
OW you"
Z will try 10 come. then" be ans.
rtd. Il may be q tFifle late"
As be left the telephone Justin did |
know whether be had acted wisely |
not. It would really have been bet.
e he didn't see Anna or the letter
was going 10 show him, he felt.
. letter WOud DO her explanation
why their friendship would have 70
lee. It was really the proper thing
Der to do, he acknowledged, but Il
going to be unpleasant for him.
ma Was waiting when he came.