The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-03-08
The DAILY
SHORT STORY
When the Deaf Hear.
q Vineent 9. Perry.
(copyriebt. 1918. by the Meclure
AHo-nn.. c..-1s..a-N

Newspaper Syndicate)
Z 7ERNoN MONTGOMERY maya
" zine and newspaper feature writ
er, had won prominence because
his articles aud stories were different.
He never used secondhand informa-
ION. every fact he quoted was gained
By personal Investigation; that was
one Of his boasts. The possibility Of
a series OF articles IN lip.readinS pre-
scented Itself to him and he lost no
time in seeking out a school for the
,deaE and enrolling as a pupil. The
few weeks it would take Of bis time
would web be PAID for. he considered.
From the FIRST he found the study
interesting AS the days went by he
began to take an interest in the pupils.
There was one young lady especially
hat interested him. He was attracted
TO her first by noticing that she was
always the first to catch onto the in
structjous Of the teacher. ard her en-
ioyment OF the study seemed 10 he re-
f2cted IN her face What pity it
was she couldn't, talk or hear. he
thought. TJ0w could she smile so
radiantlY and vet be shut ont OF two
of the greatest joys IN life? IT she
had been blessed With voice it wo1id
haze been very sweet one-auy
other kind would, have been out Of
Keeping with the rest OF her and
she smiled Her smile made up fof
her voice and he smiled back. After
that the interest became mutual.
After the first two weeks had pass
ed Vernon thought it time to set to
work on the FIRST OF his articles. He
ever. for his mind would not settle on
his subject. 47e pushed Ii aside ard
started on love storT With a deaf
and dumb heorine who had grand eyes
and n smile that-weli. you shculd
have read his description OF her smile.
But that. too. be couldn't finish for he
couldn't tfipS OF hero good enough
for her any~ay and the reading pub.
lie might not like deaf and dumb
heroine. He had never heard OK one
before and II wouldn't do to introduce
an entirely different type Of heroine.
He was too tired 10 start new sto-T
and his head Gched, so he went to bed
without accomplishing anything.
The next Gay he managed to sit
nearer the SRI that had attracted
him. with the result that he missed
some OF the 3nstruct'oas. What vas
her name. he wondered DID she 6ne%
It herself? OF course she knew IL!
clever and her cteverrass could not
be mistaken. How eagerly she watch
+, ed the teacher! What wonderful
thing lip-readins vas 10 give a girl
size her an opportunity to converse
9Th her fel1oVv-hcings. !4e could say
few words. already. and sic could
say as May, so he seized his first
onporiunity to carry on conversation
Wifi hes. But dear and dTmn girls
were shy. he fourd. for she blcsht.d
f1riously at MS frs: advances Bnt she
decided to answer him. and it was not
long before they we're speaking IN one
syllable words. Practice makes DER
fetc and It waspot many weeks before
they were able to talk fuently! for as
thew progressed IN their study OF iip-
reading. go did they progress in their
conversations re had learned her
name at the nrst OF their friendship
and every night he said It to himself
before the mirror. Ivy Sterling ne
thoueht was the prettiest name he
had ever heard, but 1t was not as
pretty as its owner, the deaf and
The first OF vernon's articles had
appeared and the editor of the maya
zine that vas runnig them wanted
more and lots OF it. and Vernon did