The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-05-29
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
With Ali My Worldly
Goods.
BY 8. 3. ,AAckLEY.
(Copyright, 1913, by the Mcclure
NaIlrana f,At. SrnhinataN


the February afternoon was as
= dark as the soul of Bluebeard.
hut II was no more somber than the
occupied, respectively, the hyacinth
perfumed sitting room and the van r.
scented kitchen of David and E.1.se
Hoilingsworth's bungalow.
David and Eloise were gone to heir
work as newspaper, editor a.d city
librarian. Theresa, David's dainty
Foung sister, crocheted and we1t alter
nately, and Ishta Matilda Camm's
swart hands expressed the feeling OF
her suffering soul in the long-contin-
ued beating that made her eggkisses
things 20 call forth stomachic paeans.
'sThump do love me-" Ishty muir
INJURED: "but dat limp G. taller inside
his skull IL dat money-crazy Is feered
he's gwinc, ask dat yaller Anna to
marry him. whilst he's dazzelt Wild de
accounts he giGin' him o de PUNK
she make; {! oh, Lawd, eff l Jest had
some property Thump could see
nowl"
Greed for gain was the dynamic
force OF the soul OF the widowered
teamster, Thumpus Cleaves. He own
ed his home and a bit OF ground at its
rear; he kept hens, fed them from
garbage scraps (this was In the good
Dld days" when the American garbage
can was not lean and ill-fayoredD-
and sold eggs al so cents the dozen all
winter. In the afternoons he did jan
ltor work, and at odd times toiled at
anything that brought him money.
haR
OF property, Ishty Matildy had appar-
emily been all in all to Trump, but
now she believed he had "his eye" on
Anna Justice, maid in the fashion
able High street school, a permanent
position with wages largely in excess
Of Ishty's.
Money, too, was making Theresa
miserable. Two years before, Great
Aunt Theresa Cass Bossler had sue
ceeded in getting payment from the
government for parcel of land Great.
Uncle John had sold in civil war times.
There was $4,000 OF it, and Great
Aunt Theresa had died month ago
and left Theresa every penny OF It.
Only two persons outside OF her
family, in the town In which she lived
with her brother, had as yet heard Of
,ler Inheritance, and one was lshty
lMatildy, the other was Park Collins,
whose property, outside of his slender
law practice, was less than nothing.
Tessie had told him. She had want
ed to hear his joyous exclamation over
her good fortune; but wanting to
hear had been all. Park had congrat-
ulated her with all indignity, then had
gone home and hadn't been back since.
And Theresa loved him until the tears
in the evening sky were not stars at
all, but his blue eyes.
When she finally wiped her eyes
and went out to the kitchen, Ishty sat
with a newspaper propped in front OF
her.
"Lawd, why couldn't dis fool niggah
Ia been white jes fuh dis occasion?"
She heard her mutter. Then the news
paper fell to the floor, and Ishty wept
aloud. "Ef was jest white now l
could git de man wants!"
81 am white" though Theresa, land
I cannot get the man want"
Ishty mopped her eyes with her
skirt tail and pointed to the papers
.irstSpage. "You kin read good-read
dat!"
leap Year Opportunity! Don't Be
Shy, Girls-Pop the Question Now!"
ran the headlines OF the article. THAT
Free Marriage License Offered Yester-
day Still Awaits One Who Makes First
Proposal. More Offers Are Made! Min
lister and Justice Will Make No Charge
for Tying the Knot"
Beneath these lines were the mate
rial offers to the first bride who
popped" the question. The photog-
Sfapher offered to make free one dozen
wedding photos, and to frame Tin
TUNED oak or imitation mahogany
the marriage certificate; the horse and
mule dealer offered free mule Gage
not new; the coal man ton OF coal
(actual weight); the furniture man,
bed guaranteed first-hand).
"Ef was white woman I'd go out
and tell dem folks I'd deposed mar
rage and been accepted by de man I
loves" commented Ishty. EFF Thump
could Jest see l had whole lot of
things fun housekeepin', he's run aft
er me like hongry hound do de gut
Vaughn, but amt! Oh, Miss Tessie
D les, know Anna Justice I'll git him!"
4 APossessionsi oh, possessionsi The
resa resolved that II she could not be
happy because Of them she would see
that Ishty was not unhappy because
OF a lack of them.
.'Ishty"-she touched the shaking
mountain OF misery-"if you'll prom
Use me you won't shed another tear I'll
have you married to Thumpus before
tomorrow evening"
istty's face dried like lime-kiln.
Every business man of Ashton to
whom pretty Theresa confided the fact
that friend (color not specified) had
proposed marriage, willingly, nay
eagerly, promised something toward
the setting up of the friends" house
Bold. And that same afternoon. with
Tie mayors heartily given permission,
she hired Thumpus Clesyes to haul
the gifts, haulable to the mayors big.
newly finished barn.
BY night the barn held varied coll
lection of physical necessities and
some Injuries. The unused appear
ance Of some Of the articles was due
to camouflage, but in the main every
thing was new and first-class.
Besides the frllfillment OF the pa
perss printed offers there were one
five-pound stick OF peppermint candy,