The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-05-08
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Stolen Gown.
BY VINCENT 6. PERRY
fC,onyright, 1918, by the WINIUIe
N00Fs c.IinnAnA

4
IVA silk gown before her and gazeo
1t It longingly before she folded 1t ana
put 1t in the delivery box, Would sucn
Gown ever be hers? Not for long
long time, il eyer--the thought caused
her to sigh wigtfully. Would any OF
her dreams ever come true? She hao
dreamed OF so many things and nao
had SO many Castles in the Air" but
hone OF them had come true. She won
Tered whether such gown would be-
ZONE her? TO make sure, she removed
h from the box and held it TO her
lloulders, She was still aGmirtng II
when step behind her caused her TO
Iook uD. 1t was Madame Wanda, the
Oroprietress OF the establishment
"You will please put that gown in IT'S
)ox ana dcliyeri It at oEce, Miss Herna'
Madame Wanda said icily.
Z. ut vas such a pretty gown. could
not help admiring it" Marcia apollo
Eized. She noticed the address on the
Sox aNl smiled family. There was a
long walk before her, but it would be
l welcome change from the close con
Anement of the nodi3te'5 shop. AS she
was passing out Marcia could not help
glancing in the long mirror She was
Shabby-she could not but admit it.,
Itill her rosy cheeks pretty mouth,
large eyes. and dark curls, that peepcd
fom under her turhan, gave her an
appearance OF refinement that some
low she felt, despite her position in
afe.
"I'll show her some day" she breath.
"a to herself, as she saw her en-
Dloyer gisrinS at her.
1t happened so suddenly that Marcia
hardly knew iut what had happened.
She w2s walking with tie box and its
precious burden under her arm PEE
lending that shn wa one Of the grand
lad'es who patrcAizod H7dsmc Wan.
la's taking he own dra-7 homo 70 be
admired b. the handsome young huS.
band who led 10 willingly MADE out a
check FIR TIC cncrwcus SYM thct it
had cost He would bn a handsome
husband ii'e whom? Why. tie mayor
OF cour-c she you'd he the mayors
wife, tho handsome yorng MAJOR r'ho
had juat teen c'octed and whose pic.
ture hcd Prpearcl II every Mega nc
and papa. Eut did THE r'e"or have 2
vile? It didn't really matter prob bly,
she thought. hr7Asomn man Like him
would ccrt7 MY h-ve vie; Thon
it happened. TITO hex was sratcted
from v:3er Ter arm. Sic caught =
glimpse o. big nan JUMPING into an
ar.omct!lo aHd hiGirg his face behind
her boz. She waa 20 dicma"cd that -he
didnot nctice the c"owd Of people until
the c'ccca in On he" and tlen she vas
pushed CT with them. they we're near.
" al laIsninG and shouting. but she
.ouid not understand what Rad caused
Il al! T'hcr che managed tn break
Gwsy from ii -. over a block from
who're the parcel had been snatchod.
tbs automobile led disappeared, She
dill ret i.N3w what to DO a: first but
then dcridai to return and have Mad
anle notify the police.
no soone: he'd Madame Wanda
AeaTd her story than she few into a
rage you have stolen that gown, yea
little theft" she shriekcd. 81 will have
sou arrested. Who will believe your
ttory2 1t 10 ridiculous! Iou we're con.
tenlpiat;ng stealing that gown before
you went out, and | caught you a. it,
Two ll,rnired dollars is lest by your
treachery."
Mercia's avowal of innocence was Of
10 avail. Events happened with such
whirl after that that she hardly knew
4 what was happening, until she found
aerEelf confined in a prison cell At
irst she could not understand the sari.
nuness OF the position in which she
had been placed. When she did realize
Il, however, she did not feel depressed.
What was the best thing to do, she
wondered. Why hadn't she called |
policeman Wien the robbery had been
committed? If it had not peen for
the crowd she would have thought of
That. What was the crowd doing there
ut that time of day? 1t had happened
Just in front of tho civic buildings. and
that was the day the mayor was to
take his oath OF Office. That was it
the crowd was waiting for the mayor
20 appear. How foolish she had been
not to have realized it before!
What if the mayor had been looking
from a window and seen the man
Ecnatch the box from under her arm!
wouldn't 1t be splendid to have him
come to her rescue and tell Madame
Wanda and the policeman that the
story she had told them was true.
The slight prospect OF such an unlikely
thing comforted her. At every new
arrival in the corridor she looked IN 10
see II It was he, When evening came
md he had not appeared, her spirits
still kept up. She was just doing of
20 sleep when she heard Madame
Wanda's voice. There Tas a mans
voice, too. A they drew near her cell
her heart beat rapidly. Had the mayor
come? But it was not the MANOR. II
was just the night sergeant, who I'm.
locked the door and told her she was
Tree.
1t is in the paper" Madame Wanda
started to explain. The man who
snatched your parcel was none other
than the mayor, trying to hide his face
from the eager camera men. Here is
the picture Of it."
IS Marcia grabbed the paper from her
hands and looked at the picture on the
front page. Mayor Eludes Camera
Men was the heading. There he was
iStst getting into the automobile with
he box hiding his face. and there she
was standing on the sidewalk with
look on her face that reminded her OF
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