The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-10-18
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
To Meet Miss Dale.
sy JANE DREW.
Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure
3- Newspaper SyndIcate.)

IN W. LII A0NSA 0AS"
by Just that description" sad
! Towers. digging diligently in
TO the spaghetti kettle with a chan
dish cloth. "Rotten shame, the way
your relatives land these little jokes
on you, anyhow. Don't they know
you're keeping bachelors hall here
with met"
tshe won't come here. I'm only to
meet her at the train and trot her over
TO the Long Island terminal. Mother
says she's blonde and wears blue
serge suit with while silk waist and
white hat"
.'There'll be 5000 girls dressed just
like that, Tommy, you poor fish, Sat
urday afternoon in the Grand Cen
trail. suppose she has a full descrip-
ton Of you, too, slender, distinguish
ed youth with dark blue serge suit
brown low cuts, reddish hair, blue
! eyes, ,affable manner"
''Shut up" growled Tom, Perhaps
you'd like TO meet her yourself. NO
body'd ever trust you to take young
person under your wing and land hel
safely in the bosom OF her family"
"Yet | shall go with you, Tommy, tc
see that you behave" Powers warned
cheerfully. Have l ever deserted you
in any emergency? No sir. Brother to
brother, through thick and thin, will
Gtand at. a safe distance while you
meet her.
Therefore, promptly at three min
utes before 2, there waited at the low
er level gate two anxious young men
watching for Miss Virginia Dale, from
Tuckahoe, N. Y. But one after ano-
Their the arriving passengers dispersed
and there was no young blonde per-
SON clad In blue serge with a white
hat or white silk waist.
"Did we miss herr" asked Tom apx-
Iously. "If you'd shut up and not gel
me all ratified. Steve. Id have beer
sure"
But Powers failed to respond be-
cause he had been accosted by young
person. Certainly she was not the
pne expected. All pink she was, short
ruffly pink skirts above white stock
lngs and black patent leather slippers
Then brown hair braided into pigtails
bith big, bunchy pink bows hiding her
ears and black hair and blue eyes.
II suppose you're expecting Virgin
ia" she said, in the friendliest fashion
possible. well, she couldn't come
She's gone to be bridesmaid up al
Elaine Farrell's wedding because Anne
got sick and couldn't. You are the
right one( aren't you? Which is Tom
mv9 I've heard YOUR mother and your
grandmother talk so much about you
/ guess / just know everything that's
ever happened to you ever since you
we're born"
"How did you know about me" ask
ed Steve, wistfully. You're leaving
well" she trippel along between
them to the taxi happily. Virginia
vas telling about you. She says she
Knew your big brother when he went
to the Jussand Military School up
where we live. That's about five years
Ago." :;
"He's my younger brother" said
Powers gravely. I'm twenty-five
"Really?" You don't look it. Vir-
glnia's nineteen. I'm thirteen. I'm
ali for my age, don't you think so!
Everybody takes me for fifteen.
didn't tell you my name did l? Guess!
"Gwendolen," said Tom hopefully
Agnes, EYangeline, Beatrice, Barbara
Constance"
ooh dear, no. It's just Betty" she
;huckled. us this our taxi?"
1t was Steve thought with relief. All
he way to the Pennsylvania she kept
ap running fire OF questions, and IL
aally made them promise on her way
home they would meet her, and give
her spaghetti dinner.
Fright up in your most special
secret place" she urged, last Of all
Good bye. Ill,tell Virginia how nice
YOU were. She'll want to know which
is the nicer, but | don't know myself
Goodbye"
"The little flirt," casper Tom. "Is
there anything she missed?"
I'm engaged" answered Steve sol
emily. "I've got her silver pencil to
mend and a snapshot of her, and she's
going to send me box Of walnut fudge
syery Saturday. thing she's honey
You can keep your lofty, golden-hair'
ID Virginia"
Letters came from Betty every other
lay, all to Steve. Likewise the box OF
Judge. And he answered all Loyalty and
,ent back huge boxes of marshmalloW
meams and Turkish paste tied in
pink satin ribbon. Also he sent out his
iolding kodak that had seen service
broad, and various other things.
Il want to-" he said, in answer to
Tom's teasing. Inever had a kid sis
Ter, and she's a honey. 1T takes my
mind off my troubles. Let me alone. y
Then came sudden visit from Ted
the younger brother. Certainly he
new the Dale family up at Turkahoe
he told them, while Steve listened
vide eyed. Virginia was the finest
girl ever happened.
q like her sister," said Steve
:houghtfully.
she hasn't any sister," Ted re-
,orted fatty.
Named Betty?"
sNo BEETLES Virginia's the one and
,nly."
"Blonde?" queried Tom eagerly.
"a ffNO prnu,u hairnd nimDleS hlup