The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-11-06
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
In the Small Hours.
Copyright 1919 by tho Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.
ey DORA MoLLAN.


BY DORA NOLAN.
7 TITLE Mrs. Parity was all alone
in her cottage house and the
small hours had come. She had
never been quite alone, with no other
human presence under the same roof,
before in her life, though she was
past forty. Almost always her moth
or had been about, even in the days
before Justine's austere, scholarly
husband had very suddenly lain down
his studies twelve years ago and gone
on an unexpected journey of research
into the mysteries OF that hereafter
with which he had 30 deeply concern
z OF himself in life. But now the
mother, with one OF those sudden
attacks of wanderlust which some
times manifests themselves with In
Increasing years had insisted on go
ms alone TO visit "a niece at con-
siderable distance, leaving Justine in
the company OF the dependable old
servant Hannah. But Hannah, too,
had a niece, and the niece had fami-
" which had elected this particular
time to undergo a riotous and COM
prehensive attack Of Influenza. Blood
is thicker than water, and there was
nothing for it but that Hannah should
20 to the niece and the grandnieces
and grandnephews., So Justie lay
alone and heard the clock strike hall
past twelve and one and half past
one. And then heard strange rasp-
ing sound in the living room window.
To appreciate what followed one
must remember that Justine Parity
at forty-two looked scarcely more
than thirty-she had been the pref
test girl in the big public school and
the beauty Of the high school after
werd. And her life had been sheltered
how it had been sheltered! There
had always been money modestly
enough among the Floyds; the Victor
ian ethics and religion. And when
Justine's mother married Floyd she
became o Floyd. Justlne's life had
been ordered and serene and physt-
cally, at least, wholesome. She was
very young still. Also she was
nightly afraid.
Again the rasping sound at the ltV-
ing room window, and little creak-
ing noise. Then Justine hypersen-
itized ears heard the unctious whis-
per Of the window cords and a SASH
was raised. She held her breath in
terror. This was no Pigment of her
imagination-no nerve created illu-
sion. Somebody was breaking into
the house-was even in the next room
A criminal, a burglar, one of those
desperate, evil creatures she had read
about but never really feared because
Ghe never fully realized that they
could possibly enter the lives Of the
uuiet, unadventurous people like her
self.
Justine did not at all follow the
prescribed course for heroines OF
.burglaries as depicted in the movies
She did not quietly arise, open a bu-
reau drawer, take therefrom an au-
tomato pistol, switch on the electric
light and calmly command the tntru-
der to "sit down" She lay as still as
she could and trembled very very
much and found it so hard to breathe
quietly that she thought she should
die then and there and so ESCAPE
from a situation out OF which there
seemed no other possible way. The
only other thing she could think OF
was the telephone the phone
was in the front hall and there was
no way Of reaching it save through
the living room-where the burglar
was. So Justine covered her head
with the bedclothes and quaked in
rvardIy and 'oITtWardly,
Even she could hear the whir OF
the window shade as the burglar
pulled It down after him, and when he
struck his foot against chair and
sibilantly cursed Justine tdenqGled
the very chair he had encountered
and shrank at the profanity, OF which
in her life she had heard very little
indeed-and never under a roof. Then
she heard his steps coming nearer
and nearer-and nearer; till they
stopped just outside her door which
stood ajar.
Justine knew the door opened care
fully, slowly, though she could not
hear it. And all of a sudden 1t be-
came impossible for her to remain
there, like an ostrich with her head
Yhidden and her eyes blinded, while
fearful danger, death most like, crept
npon her in the dark. She threw
hack the covers, opened wide her
eyes and stared into the blindinS
glare of flashlight.
rGood God Almighty"
1t was not profanity. It was the
voice OF terrible shock such as when
death flashes out Of moonbeam or
an awful anguish springs out of me
heart Of a rose. In Justines room
sit was not quite dark. From street
lamp outside little light filtered in
She could see the form Of the man
as the flashHght crashed TO the floor
lean up against the wall; and that he
Yhsd hidden his eyes in the hollow Of
arm.
Three words only had he spoken
but the heart of Justine Partry leap
ed back quarter Of century
.steve!" she walled. The man new
Aer moved.
!ss white, shaking, Justine reached
for the negligee robe beside her, GOV
cred herself, sprang out Of bed, drew
the window shade and, with hands
that almost refused to the bidding o.
her will snapped on the electric llgh'
TO reach which she had almost to
touch the modonless form Of the in
5truder. Then she looked at him.
She had been right. There is some
thing that persists through the spir'
itual decay OF many years, some es'
.,Syt,1s fbak y,ovar' diaa TVha0 .fha Nor,