The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-04-17
The DAILY
SHORT STORY
Carrier Cora. 81
Il. MiMcENr G. PERKY.
Copyright. 1918, By the mcclure

BY NlfNSEENA ~
Copyright. 1918, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate)
or a whole week no morning Pc pS'
per had been delivered 10 q.
i ward Aiken, and he nae aooe'
reached the end Of his enou L'11ISs,
@sTu give that boy gUoo - 1913 I've
down. he told himself as ne Ss sb1s
eiarm clock so that he %oulo De aote
- a. % complaining 70 the news
49, oFFiee hadn't made things any
kite 90 he vas going 70 take me
natter IN his Own hands:
Tbe first ring OF the alarm AWAKEN
"A Mn, P.v the time he was dressed
= ns1er hoy was due The morning
-. bI1stery. so he stationed htmseh
|-.nr room where he Wouio De
SS,,re to hear him passing. AfteF
S.i,o-+ ,S-afr ne heard some one comlnS
- bjs yak. The boy vas not gong
80 fo-s,er him that morning, apparent
- 6nf If was best 10 give him a TAX
ing TO abou. past misaenean0Fs' Ae
Sser.. YOU he yelled as he opened
.l,A door. i should give you Gun
:. an the ear for not bringing tne~ Pare pe.
last week. Is that the way You ltesL
81 beg your pardon. you have mace
n mistake" It vas a woman VOICE
Edward sasped. cav
81 thought you were my paper
rier," ne has.ened 10 apologize
$50 I am" She had stepped LILO
n spot where the light shone on heE
features and he could see that she "ss
Su1flinS at his mistake She was PisSy
and the paper bag about her snoul tis.-s'
gave Aer an air that MADE heF 'ei'
attractive .b.
,o,,ts y she explained. The local
S,ewsnapers have had trouble getting
Soys 10 carry their papers. There are
10 many positions left vacant by men
Srho have gone TO the war that. It Is
Sasy for them TO get other work Get
{inr mn IN the morning. especlaily
S.Zindv mornings like this one, doesn
aeem to appeal 10 the boys
Il shouldn't think II would appeal 10
Young ladies, ether he said. as ne
5ook a closer look AT her. There
should be lots OF work that you could
u am doing nv bit this way" she
answered With a touch Of pride IN her
voice -AIl the girls in our orsnch OF
fba Red Cross are carrying paper
routes until the spring. The money
we get from It goes TO the iund anu
then newspapers are war necesSl1S-
Inst think CT the unhappfness there
would be in the house If the latest
news of the doings OF our boys over
there couldn't be read at the break
1T certainly is a patriotic thing 70
do" he agreed Carving morning
-papers-is-no Htsle TASK
at is nothing compared to what
some women are doing she answered.
Swe all must take hold TO win TINS
AS she left to finish her route he
looked after her with admirati on
There was a plucky girl If ever there
vas one He had seen her face some
Ehere before. Where? He remem-
Aered If in a flash She was Cora
Sraithvaite. one Of the most popular
society girls in the city. He had seen
her picture recently IN connection with
q patriotic work review in tho paper.
The article had given her great credlt
for her patriotic achievements II
would cot be difficult 10 become &C
uuainted with her. and he decided he
would at the first opportunity
Although 7ler duties as paper car
kier necessitated early rising Cora did
.0ot neglect her other patriotic work
was not many days before she was
formally introduced to Edward Aiken
md then the story Of their first meet
AS had to come out Their friends
made more Of it than either Of them
fixed. but they bore it all good
Raturedly.
be in your COMPANY, Cora, one OF her
Friends said one day after the story
Aad been retold- at isn't otter man
balls in love with his paper carrier,
kG dear"
Rut when she was alone she thought
bver her friends words Edward had
lImost forced himself upon her and
She had not quite made up her mind
what 10 do about IL. He was hand
aome and genial and rumor said he
was rich. She was still little more
than debutante but most girls had
one or more love affairs their first sea
son. Why hadn't she had Que: She
had asked herself that often The pa
pers said she was pretty and she haG
heard the same thing elsewhere. She
had always taken well with girls. but
SEhy hadn't she with boys? Perhaps
&he war had something 10 do with it
After the var She would have lovers
galore. Some gallant soldier would
make her bride and she would have
= military wedding. That was the
Thought that made her refuse all Ed
wards invitations for social functions
There was 20 room in Ter heart for
anyone but 4 soIdier-even though the
EIacker was handsome
She was always nice 20 him, but
that didn't satisfy Edward. When all
his advances were met with rebuffs
he decided that the only way he could
talk to her was by being on hand IN
the morning when she arrived with
the paper. The alarm clock worked
overtime. Even a word or two from
her cheered him for the rest Of the
day. II she favored him with more
than that he would muse so lonS over
It the paper would 20 unread. But all