The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-06-21
THEgDAMY,
SAORESTORY
It is the Law.
~ r. RAY BAKER.
(COpyFght. 1918. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicatc.)


monarch Of day had dived below the
western horizon and stuck It's nose
Dut the east again.
There was still considerable WORK
piled 40 before the office force. but
John Hamlin was young and had q
Dloo0-pumping divce inside him that
pul9ated rapidly and kept time 10
tune Of sympathy for the human race
n general. Consequently, he could not
bring himself driving tactics in his
role OF employer even when neglect Of
duties was apparent. Moreover. this
same Office force had been with Ham.
, On four and one.half years, and tina,
alone spoke for considerable leniency
Neglect was evident. The office force
was gazing steadily at nothing ON.
fingered IN the space Ouside he wip
dow. Her hands we're resting on tho
typewriter keyboard but the def I'm
gers were inactive A puzzled little
lrOWn Wrinkled her forehead.
John Hamlin chewed moditatively
On the rubber Of his pencil, wached
~ negotiate a journey across the
ceiling. wondered why It didn't tali
and break its back. and wished il
would, and let his gaze rest on hat
knob Of jet.black hair. He succeed.
"a 81 chewing the pencil eraser in
two, gpat the amputated portion into
TIE waste basket and resumed peru
AL Of the brief that argued for at.
tention agains the bright Agust day.
'pOOr Priscilla" he sighed inaduiOIf
a he infiled his red hair and rustled
the document into a position where u
ahut Of the view OF the stenographer'
back. Il work that girl TO death, bus
never saw her so detached before.
Prlscil!s had a right TO be "detach
ed" II 70 not often that a girl in .
little town like Pellston receives two
ufopor.ls from two very nice young
mca n che day. Then, again, one Of
the vcTr nice young men was oahK'
efs son."
Lci'a turn the clock back twenty
foar hours and tventy-ceyen minutes
ana sec how II happened. The pro-
posal program opened at 3;lS p H.
eanday. Priscilla remembered the eX'
act tire. because she was looking at
her wrist watch while she sat under
the big oak tree in the woods and lis
tened 70 Cecil Melville gay: You
could make me the happiest man IN
the world II you would only say
etc. etc.
I. hsd been one Of those $50 sudden
eEoirs. Priscilla had been courted
more or less consistently by Melville
for ;hc last SIX ronths. He had been
extremely nice TO her, sending her
TAKING her TO theatres and for motor
car rides and paying her other atten'
items; but he never had appeared 70
nC.Irieh any deep affection.
Like NAM rir,s. Priscilla had cher
ished visions OF marrying wealth; nut
a. she grew older--ospec!a!!y since
Working in J. Hamlin's ofice-she he'd
ahandOacd ell such ideas. In the at
forney's files we're too many histories
az unhsrp,ucss in which money Played
a lcadia-, merit. Thore we're the writ
tcn records Ct c1n.cnted couples, sud
6only bcc.-c prosperous through
some duirh OF fortune, thcn-too much
luxury. Dissatisfaction with each other
a. a result anC-alimony.
Al tverty.three, working TO support
horrels and mother. Priscilla, despite
her prcxinity to the more sorbid side
az lie which constantly thurst itself
into ]. Hamlin's Office. was far from
becoming cynical. She apprised mon
ey Al It's real worth, but was not daz'
zied By It's glitter. She believed IN
love. and that is why she did not ac'
cent Cecil Melvllls proposal.
Neither did she refuse his offer OF
marriage. Instead, she simply said;
II cannot tell you now. must have
time % think It over. Give me week
i must not act hastily; It would not be
best Tor either Of US"
Priscilla knew that Jerry Hart cared
Tor her. He had shown it more strong
In each time they were together during
IRE year that they had been friends.
But Hart lacked the funds with which
~ finance q wooing contest against
berron Of Cecil Melyille's means. Also
he aid not have as many opportunities
81 seeing Priscilla for his duties as
bassenuger brakeman on the railroad
frequently kept him away from Pell'
atom for a week or more at a time.
However Hart had reached that
hlaro where something was bound 10
fappen; and Il did Sunday evening.
Neivllle had insisted on calling on
prisciiIa IN the evening we'll as after
noon but she had declined, because she
knew Jerry would be home then after
weeks absence.
Jerry led up to the subject with lit
IL skIli. He would rather have
fought four members Of the section
md and taken a sound beating at
fheir hands than TO be abliged to 60
through the ordeal Of "popping tho
uuogticn.S However, after much cross
ana increasing Of his legs and adjust.
ne his tie and running his fingers
along the inside Of his uncomfortable
collar, he finally managed to stammer:
priscilla, I-I-wonder, I wonder
Ii-ii-yOu-that Is, do you-do you
care very much for me?'
They were seated on the lounge d.
rscliy beneath one Of those painted
frcside scenes IN which a beautiful
Young woman and a handsome man
are enVelOped in a home-like SLOW
from 3 crate and in each others srms
uhno they EXCHANGED dovelike CLAN
ros 0e tenderness.
Jerry kept his eyes fixed on the pic
Idre ana 4 inspired him 30 that he
- ~.hhfao, tHeaV,~h Nha w.