The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-12-03
TIE DAILY
SHORT STORY
"a Flipped Coin.
1919. By tie Mcclure

bath In Hflt0n'S one apartment hotel
: He was wondering Il It would be
better to ask the girl who appealed
most 70 him as a possible wife to
marry him and break Il to her that
she was also expected to be a steno-
papher, or whether It would be better
20 look MP Q good 6tenogTapher and
IN this capacity take Z chance on the
proposition Of making her his wife.
There were two ways OF approaching
the situation.
ThO unalterable facts IN the case
were that IN his work IN one Of Hi
ton,s recently created war industries
eGieteaSy was decidedly curtafled
suse he had no stenoGrapheT, and
mat after having used every means he
could think oe he had not been able
TO ind q young woman in town capa-
bic Of taking the Job who was not
already employed, or any conceivable
room where a girl from out OF town
might be houses. Bradley had gone
over possible rooms with hnetooth
comb. There were simply none to be
had.
Bradley had come six months before
when the boom in Hilton was Just
starting, and he had been fortunate
GUO0AN " A6S "A6L III OSASG IlAnCo
would have been regarded as rather
dad buy" IN the way OF an apartment
Il had Two rooms, and much as
kBradley dfs1iked the idea Of sharing
ht9 Sanctum with a male stenographer
I hO had considered the proposition Of
getting young man to take the job
ana allowing him to live on q cot In
ShIS living room. But male tenogaph-
err were simply not to be had.
There was still the idea Of sharing
the apartment left, and simply because
It vas the only possible solution.
Bradley decided he would have to
marry his stenographer and share his
quarters with her or make a steno-
grapher of q wife. lie had come home
to decide the best method OF pro
ce6ure. He drew coin from his
rocket and then tipped It and leaned
ogerto see how fate bad decided Tor
He Aad settled that If 1t came up
heads lie would ask Molly Drew IN
his home town to consider the propo-
3 siEIon. Sh9 wasn't stenographer,
but she had learned to type in school.
Snd she could take care OF his CORE
spondence
He battered himself that tho idea
OF becoming Mrs. Blake might not be
entirely distasteful to her. The coin
Game up tails That meant that he
Sou1d make his selection according
TO the ability OF the young woman as
aisecretary, and then. somehow. throw
Il the marrying idea Yes, the coin
had come up tails, but after Bradford
pocketed 1t again he decided to ask
Molly Drew anyway
That IS why he took the II o'clock
train back to the home town and by 8
o'clock the next morning had tele-
Sphoned to Molly to tell her that he had
something important to say to her.
he and Molly started walking in tho
autumn air.
Il vas very difficult to say what he
had to say In tactful way. and per
haps he bungled it. At any rate, ten
minutes after he had begun with,
Molly" I have something important
to ask you" he realized that he was
walking beside a rather 1rate young
woman, VINO kept her face turned
from him and he was making silent
1Rws to himself that after that he
Eonld obey the dictates Of a tipped
coin.
"'You never thought Of asking me
before he remembered that she had
said. NOW that an be of use to you.
now that can earn my own living
and help you besides, you ask me-"
Bradford took the afternoon train
nrSt tried to dodge and then rather
Welcomed Sha society OF Maud CASTOR,
an Old schoolmate Of his. She was go
ing to Hilton. She had heard that
there were all sorts OF rare opportu-
mites there for stenographers, and
she vas tfr:H1 TO death OF earning her
paltrs hfte3n q week IN her uncle'3
Ia Wohieo. So she had packed her
belongings and was running on to
Hilton and would let the people back
aone know as soon as she reached
there. Bradford listened attentively,
and from time to time looked witt
considerable eteadInesS at Maud's
welcomed features She wasn't at
IN bad looking. and ne hal beard that
she was q ratsli0s; good stenographer.
Then she asked him IL he could help
her kOk q sob. Il was apparently his
cue. The fate5 had sen: st.
81 know there are Jobs enough" he
said. Elm fact. have Job IN mind.
e pays pretty well, but-well, that Is
the pay wouldn't be OF the slightest
Importance. OF course, you under
stand that-and. End you would know
that had long been, been-you know,
lEaud. we used to be mighty good pals
"a school, didn't we?''
Tho car was rumbItng nolSely, and
pOEhapS Maud did not hear All Of
Be2AtoFt's i7cohercnt remarks. At
any rate, She evineed no concern for
His sanity, but when they left. she told
HIN Sheerfully that when he got ready
% explain she would be glad to hear.
She was staying IA the room OF a
friend who had gone away for the
weekend AID would want to See him
sometime the next day. Monday. and
W pa also be glad TO have him md a
d for her.
! 8, indeed" stamnnered Bradford.
!. d1oTd stopped for dinner on his
~ 10 his apartment and at 8 o'clock,
WI he arrived there, he found a
Ver. weary Molly Drew waiting for
him IN the small reception room down