The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-07-26
THE DAILY
sSEBO RIt STORY:
The Reform Of Roxana.
~ LINCOLN RoTHsLuM.
gCopyr4ght 1913, by the Mcclure New


lCopyr1Eht 1919, by the Mcclure News
paper Eyndtcate.
n0xANA was ono OF those dfmpled
bewttchmg. stautalfzing girls one
could fnotshelD loving. On each
pnOcearer rosy ffngertips she could re-
cite In coquetish fashion the name Of a
devoted, wathai unhappy sutton; but
Zoo Il must be admitted that Roxana
often FOUND need. to exercise her most
winecne tricks of cajodery to WIN
back the smiles her teasing tricks had
chased away.
It was Dick, nicknamed Faithful"
who suffered the most and complain
Z I'd the least. He loved Roxana with o
tenderness blinded to any OF her I'M
perfections, and II sometimes fher
laughter at his discontinue over some
prank OF hers ripped too frequently he
would but gaze at her eyes so suddenly
assuming a mock serenity and realize
he loved her loved her. loved her.
But perhaps nothing tried his pa
4ience and good temper more than
Roxana's curiosity. Nothing was sa-
cred from her prying fingers or pene-
trattng eyes, and when on one occa-
SION he found papers on his office
desk nnysteriously disturbed he was
ioath to lay ths blame to Roxana's Wis
It that afternoon.
It was to her mother that in des-
peration he appealed. "what can I
: do?" he asked de1ectedly. Last
night she unwrapped box had with
me when I called"
AND" prompted Roxana's moth
or.
ooh. pshaw." blurted Dick, it con-
tanned some underwear had Just
bought" Dick fancied he saw Rox-
anaAs eyes twinkling merrily at him.
What can ! do?" he repeated.
Roxana's mother glanced up, lips
twitching in smile she could i'll re-
press. "1'll tell you Dick" she finally
answered in an encouraging tone, "you
can either give her up or marry her"
"r1l marry her."
And marry her he did. For, strange
as Il may seem for so independent a
person as Roxana, she suddenly found
herself one glorious day early in June,
without quite grasping the meaning
of tine situation walking up the famil-
liar church aisle to the tune OF we'll
known march.
Already on this fine July morning
her honeymoon of four saccharine
weeks seemed like a beautiful dream
from which she was slowly awakening
TO find the reality as equally pleas
ant and agreeable as the dream.
For even In this gingham house
dress, busted among the pots she still
appeared as dimpled and bewttchdng
as ever: and though marriage had d.
reeted her thoughts along other chan
nels than innocent fltrtations, the old
traits were slowly creeping to the
surface soon to dispel Dicks fondness
that the utterance Of the mystic words
which had made two One, would over
night, as 1t were, alter the nature Of
his wife.
Just that week rool of films had
been ruined by exposure to the light
when Roxana could no longer resist
the temptation to learn II It contain
ed SIX or twelve exposures. But Dick
was big enough to realize he must not
permit this failing OF his wife to mar
the placid and unruffled tenor OF their
existence. And he gradually ceased
70 resent the tampering with his mail
There was no more the unconscious
act Of ripping open the envelopes as
Roxana handed him each night his
letters in exchange for kiss.
Red summer had merged into fall
resplendent in a galaxy Of yellows and
browns, and Dick trudged home from
the depot through the cooler atnos-
phere. SO pleasingly refreshing after
the long hot day Just over. The days
work had been particularly and de-
preBstngly enervattng and he looked
longing down the road toward Ms
home as he shifted the heavy satchel
he carried from hand to hand.
wonder what's in it?" Roxana's
curiosity danced excitedly high as she
saw, her husband coming up the gar
den path carrying the grip. She wav-
ed her handkerchief at him and ran
down the walk halfway to sooner slip
hsr hand, through hts arm and insist
on relieving him of his burden.
Making all sorts OF pretty fuss
about him, Roxana finally gave YER
bal vent to her thought. Dick, what
have you In that grip?"
But his words did not carry effec-
tive weight. 'Thts satchel." he said
I as he laid the small valise against
the wall, contains material for a
aoh, do let me see" interrupted
:SRoxana, Pm SO anxious TO look it
over. III bet it's beautiful"
mo, It isn't and that's Just why I
don't want you to look at &C." Rox-
ANA drowned. TITS an, Off color prop
osftton.' Dick continued. "and it's
iust as we'll you know nothing about
81"
Indeed, Roxana was quite displeas
edSvtth. hen. husband and firmly decid-
- that e he was getting material for
9, suit she ought to have been consult
ed Maybe Il she had beenfdt wouldn't
be OF color. All night the matter
gave4her much concern and the morn
m8esun did not Shine on very bright
eyed VIE.
There the satcl1ef 1aySonsthe floor
FeSatnst theswaIf, !fts black leather sur
sgf1ce seeming 10 aaggraEat1ngIy tanta-
LIE herewith the secret st concealed.
Butsie dick noticed how anxiously his
N1te hoEered aboutS9he bagIt evident
II. occaestoned him No. SUSPICION, nor
d6 be exhibit any heettany IN depart
ing9o swoEE. and leaving its tempting
cuntHutss TO Ehis Gwifeis uncontroilable
curiosity.
The yechozof his footsteps along the