The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-09-24
lie DAILY
SHORT STORY
Appeal Of Khaki
RysJAME OSBORN.


Eexs SHAIL shrtckI certatniy shah
Ehr1ek Il como to another Khaki
hero" Il B. Stanley nnrmbled
flsts Eatber 20 herSelf than aloud as she
ri before hor high pied desk In the
ed9tofzaI Offices OF THE Purple Book:
aal-story. 5 cent weekly" II. p 1sn-
nisn. tho remainder OF the editorial
stat. hid Z gentle HIND On his bald
He4d and looked over his sheii-rimmed
SpoctacIes at his colleague on the 9th
erSe19e Of the room
ae looked just in time see Miss
Shal1oy dash OF her owa shei!=r.nned
s9cctaees, lean supincly back in her
swivel chair and at the same time emit
stif1ed ycll.
.sThere. said I'd do It. and did.
EheHery next manuscript turned to
began r5Ght n the first paragraph with
Her keld dropped on his khaki SEOUL
der. Gcod,by, she whispered and push
FED him eaay. sud then at the end. II
a thuufI1t you were hare waiting for
zee edad Ugh: thousand Huns
T6oy0FeaH IKE that. II the hero isn't
n ne Is IN sailor b!ue and half
H. heT6faeE are nurses
was that wk.t made yor make that
funny litt.c shrteky poise2" asked Mr..
Tfunan. obviously relieved.
sCerta;nIy why shouldn't it? Every
blesset story thct cones in is the
SINE How am soics to get enough
possible stories for you to make
m the .ca2azine out OF here !
IA sure I don. xnow. They are all
alike. The conci5s have lost their
balnucc. They taiak that all they
have to do Is to b::nE IN a lit.ie trench
siAnS. lot OF musa and twsedle about
brood Khaki shoulders. linking spurs
and tiiat sort OF thing and their story
issold.
81 n5s. Truman suggested that possibly
the readers OF the Purple Book" liked
+ ciioItng spurs and khaki shoulders.
there were good many men in the
carp9who read the magazine and they
should be catered to.
70 bo sure" agreed Miss Stanley.
sitting the rext large envelope TIA;
ley b1iorc her and uafoldI:S the mau-
uscrfpt mechanically. But I've found
It out. There are only about seven
ways soldier can fail in love. and
we've used each one OF those plots
at ls9st five tines over. rs mono;
onor5. There is the man who doesn't
know he loves the plain little gil a:
\
e9. s1d there Is the girf who doesn't
know she loves the awkward. frank
eyed. b7o2a-shocldered hero til he
!. gcts ayAS. Then there IS the girl who
wants to be sIIragette or some
thing ard won't marry the man IL:
fess gone and then she gets an idea
that Sic ought to keep tie home fires
bnraiES' AID she sends for him or
soTacth:Hc and
.sYcs. knew" said Truman. who
s.yz5 rather bored than otherwise ri
his assistants analyZ;ng tendencies
T.aorc wcre times VIXEN she vas de-
l.gAtsul, really too delightful for his
own-pcacc OF mind. Bat in this mood
she was tryiag. well. pease don't
shrek about 1t next t:me-vou gave
me quite scare. thought you were
having flt or something"
Fl told you was going to-" argued
Hiss Stanley.
Il thought you were testing. Sup
pose Instead OF doing that you whistle
Joyorsly vhan you cone to he:o GU
Of kEali? Really I quite agree wit
yoa tat va Go need some really srii
ping stories OF roc-milit3ry nature
Then Mr. Tru:Ga1 vent back to lis Ct
itoriel work, and sraeuc,!y the.e be
oan to cseep over him Z p'casr-able
consc5odSness. lie hat had an under
surreht OF conviction that MS colleague
.sisaprrcve6 Of him because he had
not enlisted; he had fea1cd that it
would be necessary IS msaes OK win
nng her permaae,:: esteem for him to
don khaki or sa:lor mae. Bat epoar-
only he aa1 bee: rriseexea. She could
not have spoken as she had about
broad k.salsi shoulders II she had adj
nfred them as much as most young
women were reputed TO do.
Suddenly Mr.. Truman started in his
cltair 30 violently that his spcctacles
fen on from his nose. Miss Shaaiey
had emitted whistle so piercing and
sharp that it had very violently agitat.
ed his delicately strung nervous or
Eanisn.
That" she announced. was TO let
you know I'd found the gripping story
you were wishing Tor. rs a tn-iier
and the hero is an Argentine cowboy.
and there isE'.. one reference to the
va.. I'm going 20 accept il without
whiting for you to read it. I'm so sure
e Is what you are looking for
You might tell the yoEaE woman
that wrote It chat We appreciate got
having TIE hero In khaki. and wouln
Ike more IN The same Se:n." sm:led
M Truman as Miss Sha2:>y hailed the
dtmirutive stenoEra7her from the next
room 30 that abe m:S1t a: once write,
her Letter cf acceptance.
t Isn't young woman-it's one
Patrick Henry Madison"
You never can TELL" commented
the superior editor. That's Just the
sort OF name girl writer would
The letter notifying Patrick Henry
Madison" of the acceptance OF his
story and the announcement that he
would receive his check "oa date OF
qualification" was n-ies but encoureg-
ing II Was signed H. 3. Stanley and
lss. little suspicion n it's abrupt bust
.Yessi:ke wording thas II. stood for
Helen and p. :a- Beatrice. Perhaps
Patricx Henrr Madison had seldom re-
setved ecE:or:.l Letters so encourage
.jnE. p4rha3s 20 read ta-ween the lines
IA; all events re w.o;c 4 letter OF con-
- l..