The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-06-26
THE DAILY
SHORF STORY
"a Present for Stephen
BY LOUISE OLIVER
IooDyright, 1918, b. the Mcclure

Lou.ytignt, 1918, D. inc MCClure
Newspaper Syndicate)
I.|s, HI lieutenant picked upa thin tin
pipe out OF the basket and held
& % with a smile.
haVn't seen one since was ten
cara Old. It's q bean shooter, isn't
Jane laughed delightedly. Eyes, Il
Do you think a small boy would
no So"
"Il he doesn't. ne isn't human /
Mould cay"
There's only one trouble about that.
Io1gh." went on Jane more soberly.
never thought until after l had
bought &, that his mother is IN very
modest circumstances, and buying
beans Tor q small boy to shoot into
Iooolo'o eyes might not happen TO be
ne way she would choose to spend
Der money
They we're sitting on a fallen log in
. maple grove beside the road over.
head The birds we're chipping and flut-
ieTlng q ecStacy. for the day was ane
n natures Tarest. the kind she filings
I.IoIo the eyes Of q winter-wOrn world
n rcEIndlo hope and faith in better
t1lnB9 o come. Il was early spring,
DID already there were signs that one
Il1ng mans fancy had turned lightly
d thoughts Oi-veRy great Admiration
u least Tor the girl beside him
ID mont Of them on the road stood
ear, James that had stopped for
repair. Just as It happened, the lieu
tenant bad come along and offered TO
lcIn mend the perforated tire.
Iono had accepted gratefully and
nov che ear stood again ready for &C.
Lon, % use a ilitary phrase.
There was really no reason why she
.toqidnt have gone ahead on her
GRAND, but when even the birds were
Il1aliy choosing their mates and the
l1ng day was theirs. why shouldn Z
hey rest few minutes on the log C23
TAX awhile?
lts q birthday basket I'm taking 9
= lttle friend Of my ulOther'S.' Ja-C
explained dumping the things out on
ne ground. Il wish you knew M
noinor." she went on. az you did you
would appreciate these things. The
1tos soul was born without any sense
m rfnoF at all, and Dad and ! nearly
nave ITS about her. Every May shes
been sending some poor little fellow
oui tbs road q birthday present. and
ale always chooses the avfule5t
In'nes Tor him. Ono year it was ear
NUTS and mittens she'd got at a sale.
ne caid h'3 neither could keep them
~ meta fc'l5 til the next winter. And
one, hc rent TX bottles Of rar3apa.
Illia' fc- che said 81 children needed a
olced puriiicg in to spring and no
doubt bis mother Uf' tea 1olr 10 by
Nlm any. She's fect -ycryihin- f1n
ne life Of Shakespeare to Cibban's
Rome IN the rcaimc line. and once
Nlen bhe couldn't think OF anything
rsciul for him size sent bolt Of sheet.
ins Cor his mother"
Evldently she has a sense OF val.
pel, laughed the lieutenant
You're right there" nodded Jane.
Ncl; anyway. she was too busy to
attend 70 Il this year with all her war
work, and had notion to let It 60. but
J thought Il was q good chance to
make up % tAC l'..!e follow for all his
Icat3 Of diEi - ment, 60 | offered
% take the b OF shopping and dc.
livery on he -ulGers. And here |
aml'
Blessed perscnl And how old IS
your little boy"
Bless your heart, don't know"
said Jane. "And / doubt II mother
docs, either. The little fellow vas 4
protege Of Aunt Mary, who died. And
AZ We know Is that mother was to
SEND . birthday present to Stephen
Hampton every year on the tenth OF
May.R
But perhapc--" the lieutenant
stopped. "Yor're right. There isn't a
doubt u the world that your visitation
WI make up for all his former trou.
bios.e
eWell, there's the bean shooter. and
here's q bag Of marbles-nearlv All
glasses, toO-and a top, and a mouth
ORGAN, baseball and some peanuts
and hananas."
Bully for you! He's a funny how II
he can't have Z perpetual birthday all
summer"
Jane put her treasures back into the
basket Il must bo going" she said.
rising quickly. 1T iS getting very late.
~ boy won't have any birthday pres.
eng @ all II ] stay here any lo1Eer"
that's SOL" he agreed reluctantly.
tnl won't you let me go with you?'
Jane considered q moment then
looked % into his steady gray eyes.
Mother's very touehy about nv tax.
ITO strangers, and the sky's been
our only lntroduotion-that and the
car But she's dotty on uniforms
SOLDIER o her is combination Of mar.
~ and saint-so ! guess you NAV
come and. see Stephen get his pres
oni8 Do you happen to know where
The Hampt0nS llYe?"
Yes. III take you there II you
fetiy don't mind my going"
Before long they turned into the
1Iifeuay o. very pretentous country
house. Jane was startled.
Where are We goingT'
10 the HanptonF."
Nhy-I don't understand. Sure.v
lhel can't live here. thought they
we're Door"
lhey used 10 Be, but somebody LEI,
Ncm some money. But surely tina,
doesn't make any difference, does ~
.Il,If9 ne same people, not CHANGE
3 1t md boys are the same the world
1for
Ihars true" answered Jane, a bl;
Inb|0ntly.
'tnd ] % think you'll miss ammo