The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-02-09
HE DAILY
5sHORT STORY
0nt of the SHADOW.
~ eIlaaM al AGETT.

= 9S0leAgN S-SNS
fcouyrfglf, 1913, by the Mcclure
NeWspaper Syndicate)
EAR MISS kin 70 help We uns
no an liz Crawford Is haTin 4
TIard time guTment Tux our
nens an we ais trying TO git ltties eL
clofhs to Give the chilrm TO eat VIC
clint an miss Honey We ais mos poI'
: Isl me- a nItz an her Gal babys IS lfFIn
with mol wade an arfter we ais 9un
a.ft thru the Vguk thars muffin to Go out
set Tor the Fire an tat an knit an
Ngoner ef our mensIl KUN hum an no"
We unsH git thru the Winter 1t IS AW-
sfuI cold an me an mol go mp the noun
tain and cut down pine sapiins an dfas
en- hum amt plainin miss money an
amt begin but Jest wants to kno"
II wore frfensil buy wa ais latin.
with great Respec yore
Frien liza tankin-
Iayinfa read the letter over and oV-
er again. She could make nothing OF
It bat a tumble OF words all but IL
1,,gfbiy written. Not a comma not .
period. She glanced at the name: liza
rankin. and light came to Ter. The
meaning of the letter became clear.
Her throat contracted with an m
comfortable ache and tears hid the
package IN her lap at which she tcn-
bled Nth sunseeing eyes
It was roughly and insecurity tea
and she wondered how 1t had come
intact through the mails: AS the
thought flashed through her mtnd q
smaller package dropped upon the
fioor. With an exclamation she pick
ed mp yards OF beautifully fine AID IN
trfcate tatting. Examining the con-
tents Of the larger bundle she found
it contained several sets OF table mats
with crocheted BORDERS and coarse,
homespun IiRen .centers.
Her mind went back TO the summer
Just past and the severaf summers be-
fore when she had helped spin the
cloth from fax raised in the little
SIeariEe about tho cabin. If she had
been asked she could not have told
how she had heard Of the little home
In the Tennessee mountains across
the border from Virginia. but eacs
summer thereafter had found her a
visitor, and she and Eliza Rankin had
become fast friends.
She had helped Eliza make her we'd
ding dress; had returned to the noun
tain for the wedding. taking with her
from her own store Of furniture enough
to make comfortable the tiny two
room log house that was to be El11a'S
future home. She had been with her
when the child was born; had been
with her, when dry-eye6 the grief
stricken mother had laid the still lit
tie form In its crib for the last time,
ana It was In the rough little cabin
that Lavinia came under the fsE5u!Hce
that altered the course of her own
life when she raised her head from
her spinning and met the keen. queS-
tioninS gray eyes OF the mountain doc
tor Who had stopped for moment to
ask for drink OF milk.
She met him often IN her wander
ings about the mountain but aside
from The pleasure OF an occasional
meeting she had given him no thought
until she raised her head that day
and her eyes were held by the doni-
Rent gray ones of the man standing
in the doorway.
She felt as If he was reading her
very soal. Filled with resentment the
angry color flooded her face under
bis mercffess gaze. Indignantly she
Strengthened in her chair. Then, to
her everlasting shame, she left the
spinning wheel and walked directly
into his arms.
She left the mountain the next day.
There was long wait at Bristol be-