The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-04-14
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Sunk in the Pacific.
BY r. RAY BAk Err.

fcupyright 1919 by Mcclure News
: F INA Richardson had been less
quick tempered she would nave
missed being the heroine OF sto,
~ that starts in San Francisco ana
snds in the South Pacific.
she regretted it five minutes aiter
!, sha uttered the words that sent Arthur
Westridge away from her home, ana
she would have called after MN anu
pleaded with him to return II ne naa
aot walked so swiftly down the stree.
and q she had been able to thrust
,er nrlde into the background. WINE
she hesitated he disappeared from her
! view. 80. sha told
terscIf and she went to her room ana
Shnt he;self in. When friend called
tho next morning to take her motoring
inys had a severe headache and couio
7, All started over nothing-nothns
,,hen the results were considered. Ar
thur was kept busy late one eVehins
n the office OF the trans-Pacitic snip
o,y,cal where he worked and was MAJ,
en- hour behind time wheh me- .a ..es
10 lake Inza TO the theatre. Inat was
had enough, lnza thought, Dut when :.
y Seyelopsd that he had failed 10 gov
t,ckets and she had to wait IN the
! fover while he stood in line before tue
49, s offce. she felt the limit had been
reached. .,o,,o,. she
8 made him tear them up and Jake nei
straight home, where warm yeroal
hattle. in which he took no part oI-
srnrred. II terminated when she LOOK
{ sshs. engagement ring from her nnger
and handed it to him with the words.
ipon,t ever show UP here again: me
Il idea Of humiliating me as you dlo ulis
evening! IL shows how much you care
: for me. Good bye"
Arthur went because he had tem,
.ner az HIS own and was afraid he woula
unleash 1t if he remained. He felt sne
was unreasonable, because he had told
her he was detained by business, out
ne complied with her wishes or what
Sshe stated to be her wishes and LETT
her. 80,
ing from Arthur. By this time she
was worrying. Her love for him couia
not be questioned, but there was ner
nride to be considered. When that
week Terminated, however, with 81
lsnee on the part Of her erstwhile Il
snca she crushed her pride ruthlessly
snniler her heel and called up the Office
whera ne worked. 1t took a lot OF
hraverv fer her to ask for that num-
her, but she did.
stsMr. Westridge Is not employed mere
any more" she was told over the wire
'gie resigned his position week ago
and took n berth as a sailor on the
steamer John Richard, which started
the next day for Australia"
q INA was aghast at this intelligence.
ssWhy," she faltered, why did he do
that!"
She knew very well why he did it.
because she knew Arthur. However,
she listened to the reply:
..Said he was tired of being cooped
nm In al uffice and wanted to get out
IN the air and see some real life and
laome foreign country.
Then real cloud Of despair settled
over the Richardson residence. INA
lost her usually healthy appetite, and
although she had no flesh to spare she
became 'as thin as fence rail-" as
her father put It. She held no one to
blame but herself. but that did not
assuage the pain in her heart.
INA watched the mail carrier every
day from time he came into sight
around the corner until he either pass
ed the Richardson house or mounted
the porch; and he never found 1t nec-
essary to use the mail box. Inza re-
ceiyed what he had to offer. and al
ways there was feeling of disap-
pointment gripping her when she en-.
tered the house.
The big crash came a month later,
tie crash that crumbled her spirit and