The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-11-23
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Eau Sweets.

FalI Sweets.
~ RARRARA KERR.
pyri9tt is1s ,oy the Mcclure
Newspaper Syncicate.)
s,An Old nlan-ap old man-an ola
man soon gets gray.
JyI,Iie young man comes 80 tuii OF
love-Go way, old man!
Go way!
20 SANG the lHttng. rollekiug
yesee OF q young girl from the
~ springshouse, set in. clump OF
evarTresns on the MerryWeathers
1ifaBat county farm. There followed
burst Of teasing laughter, then tho
4fseer. with q sudden exclamation u
ifsn1ay, slipped bellind q pine tree
and 9fan precipftatsEY toward me
n ~ leaving her aunt to explain to
!haired. soIdisTIY looking man
ming mn the walk, Gbo seemed 70
want 10 know an about It Just how
ID the man had TO be 70 come unaoT
the ban, and Why he was singled out
and-1eE1, In fact, bawled out 70 pc
candid about It, when he was walking
along peaceabiy and, IS he thought at
leDCilQE u15=OHh 6A4es44Ss
Miss Merryweather stood her
eronnd, and It looked to pair Of eyes
peering through q little hole IN the
blind - - she rather liked e1Dtalnlns
the matter. "And mercy met gasp
III tie erstwhfle singer. "Why, II
Aunt SO isn't taking him Into the
spFinghouse!"
Il appeared that Aunt Flo was feel.
sng very cory 70 think that her WAl'
III niece had hurt the feelings OF o
very fine old gentleman. To make
amends she had taken him in to me
Sbn!s bils and was trest4ng him to
some Faa Sweets, ana some other q
their prize varieties Of apples At
least tat was the expl9natIon that
Aunt Flo gave Mary Lou when she
FetuYned a little later. Mary Lou lis
tened very contritely and frankly and
said tnat she could not resist the
temptation now and then to be tom
hoy, bat that she did It more to tease
her aunt than anything else. and if
Aunt Flo wanted her to she would apol-
1Og4ze - the old gentleman if she ever
This seemed to bS me thing that
! Aunt Flo wanted, for she fastened TO
8 say: 'Fine, Mary Lou; he is going 70
be here in the neighborhood for lit
tie VISIT to some distant relatives ana
81 asked him to come over and take
Thanksgiving dinner with us tomOr-
row You see he Is not stranger 70
ms." continued Aunt Flo, with an as
sumption OF carelessEess; Il met him,
t appears, quite long time ago and
Ae remembered me, though his army
<. rgice made him look so much older
hat did not know him at once.
"a SOLDIER" calculated Mary Lon.
wei. l guess we VIII have MN! III
Just get him. the best dinner he ever
ate. and then when he Is feeling all
fed up, m drop around and tell him
that didn't mean 1t, that don't care
how old he Is. Why, Aunt Flo, I'll
say: Don't so, old mani Don't go
lStsy aud be my uncle'"-and Mary
4ou danced OF, already intent on look,
ing in4o the larder to see what sort
e. Of dinner she was to offer to her
Saunt.s guest. It did not occur to her
TN later TO ask about his uniform.
Then her aunt, who thought she had
sufficiently punishe: Mary Lou IoE
her fun, told her that the soldiers lug
gSge had been lost and that he had
borrowed some civilian clothes while
hts stravei stained togR were being
cleaned and made tit: chat his name
WAS HARRISON Knot.p ard that he was
getated 20 the old Gnorp family, one
o. Shoul had goHe into rhe civil war
and taken his six sons with him
"My!" interrupted Mary Lon, with
shining eyes. "And is he the old man
am privileged to Eeed?"
1Just leave OF the Old dear, for he
S not old, unless because he is an old
: DHDH OF mSne-he went TO school &c
me- when / taught In Troy. The gray
hair Is the result OF gas and shell
shock.
s.oh. auntto. forgive met" begged
Mary Lou. the tears springinS to her
eyes. mot really?"
YES, really. And there Is something
else. Can you be very discreet? Can
You be good girl and not give your
mother, q. shock that she may not re
cover from s. tell you that we are to
set al extra place
ne. Not for" and Aunt Lou whis
perad, with white lips, the name OF her
slsfd" brother, Tommy"
sSuraIyg" nodded her aunt 'EBut
wait" she added as Mary Lou was
bounding away intent on telling the
! laoEher who was Grieving her lite away
because OF the boy who had volun.
teersd against his fathers Commands
ana had not been heard from for
donthQ-n1eReIy reported as among
fhe missing. 'eYou forget you were ia
b very discreet aud we are to plan to.
ether how to break the news to your
mother ana father"
FhaEa was SO much planning togeth.
eES 80 many Whispered 'Sh-sh-sh's!'
at finally the unusual excitement
Iaaqhad the invalid mother. who ask.
e ne eSuse Of 6H the suppressed
laperings.
3ea. nothes.- cried Mary Lou IN,