The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-04-24
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Too Frivolous.
.By &. RAY BAKER.
Copyright, 1919. by the Mcclure

.
BY r. RAY BAKER.
Copyright, 1919. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate)
~ on don't find. Castlegrove on the
map. II you approach railroad
ticket window and inquire as 10
the fare the man benlnu ,Ae ".~-.s.
can't shoot an answer at you in tersc
tones. He has to get out little
pamphlet and search through 1t. and
After perhaps fifteen minutes have
passed he can give you the requested
Information.
Just where Castlegrove derived its
name certainly is not known to any Of
It's denizens. Surely there Is no edi.
lice IN the town that could by the
most ambitious OF imaginations be
ixiled castle. The nearest thing to
4 Is q church, which il just plain
little white building.-the kind you
find ct crossroads in the country.
True, there CON be and generally is as
much religion in one OF these little
frame structures as In many OF the
more pretentious houses OF worship to
be found In the cities. However, at
the time of which write there was no
minister occupying the Castlegrove
church pulpit. Tho parishioners were
limited In number, because the popu-
eation OF Castlegrove and its environs
had dwindled very noticeably since
the church was built, and the ones
that were Left could not afford to pay
pastors salary, and a minister must
at.
Ii the backwoods Ohio town came
Genevieve Walters. City life didn't
agree with her mother, so Mr.. Walters
bought some land that for politeness'
rake was called farm, and which
came cheap, in spite of the fattery,
md the family moved from the fairly
large city sixty miles away in which
they had resided ever since Gene
We've could remember. Mr.. Walters
bought out one Of the two general
stores. succeeded in getting the ap..
poiutment as postmaster, which had
been held by the former proprietor,
and managed to wrest a fair living
HON the combination.
49,. a..
The moving of the Walters family to
Castlegroye brought another person
10 the village once week. THIS per
son was Bert Holbrook. who was IN
love with Genevieve. He lived in her
bid home town, where he held a fair
II lucrative position as pharmacist,
and he managed to get down at regu-
lar intervals to see his hearts desire
usually on Saturday, which was MS
day of on account OF having to Work
Sundays.
The two young peope had kept COM
! pany for two years, but there had been
no direct talk Of an engagement. 1t
wasn't that Bert was timid about such
matters, but that he found one marked
nav In aeneyieve that he wished to
see corrected before they became be.
fnothed. She was ''too frivolous" &C.
cording to his ideas. He loved her
none the less, but he feared she would
experience difficulty IN settilng
down..
81 do like TO see q girl SMILE" he
fold himself repeatedly; "but believe
Il would be a genuine relief to see
s3eneyieye scowl or cry Just once. 1t
would relieve the monotony. She's
smiling all the time, and it's an at
tractive smile, too: but It shows she
never has serious thought. Then,
shes always telling something funny
she's seen or some Joke she's heard. ,
With the removal OF the walters
family to Castlegrove Bert felt con-
vinced that at last Genevieye was 60.
Ing to Sbecome settled" One couldn't
very well be rivolous In that town.
But Geneyieve failed to improve, so
tar 90 her sweetheart could notice.
She smdled Just as much and saw Just
IS many funny things in life. He
couldn't wait forever. however. so at
last he decided he would ask her to
take Q chance as Mrs. Holbrook, al
though he felt sure 1t was he that was
taking the chance.
& II vould no, be quite right to in
>tr,Ide on the scene of his attempted
nrouosal. 60 well wait and listen to
4 ~. II