The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-04-30
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Lesser Evil.
BY IzoLA FORESTER.
Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure
New. paper Syndicate.)

Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)
<yu7EIL, of course you'll do as
M yea please. Kathleen. You
w aways have, and far be 1t
&c to try to argue you out OF it. :"
l.olistoa sat back farther in the
:..g chair by the bay window and
"A her skirt carefully. "But I'm
uother's own cousin and l
III rest easy in my grave II l
I; tell you what thought at such
Tine"
"Why did he ever leave such an
idiotic will?" Kathleen interrupted
stormily. She sat by the old-fashioned.
flat-tcpped desk in the middle OF the
library floor, both elbows planted on
the melee Of papers. while she cried
beautifully in her handkerchief. 1t
was half an hour since Graham. the
family lawyer, had bowed his way ou.,
leaving the only living relative Of Mrs.
Letitia Loveioy to digest the will she
had left. Everything. with the excep.
ton os two clocks, one colonial drop:
leaf table, one curate's delight and one
silver tea service, went to Kathleen.
These were reserved for my dear
cousin, Mary Coniston, in loving APP
probation Of her care and friendship
these many years"
The last paragraph. however. had
come like q thunderbolt to Kathleen.
She had always known that at her
mothers death the estate would re.
vert to her by her fathers will, but
here Wits a. provio tackled on, OF which
she had !nown nothing.
providing that said Kathleen Love.
10y shall marry my beloved godson,
Randall Lovejoy Phelps"
"You can't tell me, Cousin Mary,
that Randy didn't know all about this
long ago and he could have,sayed me
By refusing to marry me. then what
could she have done about It? hate
him. I'd rather give up everything.
the house and all, rather than marry
him. It's the lesser evil. and shall
write to Mr.. Graham and tell him so'
kathleen wiped her eyes belligerently.
I'm not one bit afraid Of work, and
you know 1t. can 90 back into tho
motor corps tomorrow II / want to.
They're going to keep up all sorts OF
) branches in reconstruction lines. and
ehall write an application tomorrow
to be restored to service now that am
tree from the care OF mother" .
Just two days later Randall Phelps
sat II Graham's new office up in the
7randall building on Main street and
lizard Kathleen's opinion frankly ex.
pressed by letter. She would not fol-
low the terms Of the will She would
never marry Mr.. Phelps or any one
else under the terms OF coercion, and
she was leaving the house at once that
there might be no further trouble.
where has she gomez asked Ran.
DAN, frowning at the portrait Of Daniel
webster on the wall
PRESUMABLY back to the motor
. coyp6" Mr.. Graham searched the let.
! ter again for verifica:iom. Most un.
usual, hut quite like Kathleen. Have
you--er-haye you had any serious
quarrel"
Not recently. / haven't seen or
heard nom her since got back. Two
years ago. Just before I enlisted, we
weoh, the devil, Graham! I'm not
+. going TO have her do this Give up her
home and money for me. don't want
her to marry me on 'compulsion. What
can DO legally"
Nothing. Mr.. Graham told him dryly,
nothing at Ill. The terms Of the will
stood. Perhaps he might win her over
By doing something in the same line
a. heTSelf. first aid, as It were, in the
new building.1p work with soldiers.
Randall smiled as the plan daWned
on MIN, ana he gripped tbs old law.
yof's and fervently. It did not need
any words Of his 20 prove his own
stand on the will.
And not week later, at the little
local headquarters In the town. Kath-