The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-12-26
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Pariah.
BY 5. ), HAcKLEY

" (
- the coo OF mourning dove in
the faF Hide Of the cane field. Tho
tine OF killing frosts was near and
Adlai Booth had besought her to help
seut his cane--a mans Job. but all the
Young fellows Of the neighborhood
sHefe either in France or on the way,
sbesides she needed the work.
@6h, little dove--oh, happy little
dove the woman unconsciously
spoke aloud" wish me happiness too!
Wish me miles away from these cruel
ireeple on a nice. big farm, with cows
sand pigs and hocks Of fowls that
E1u)d bring in a living that wouldn't
Z Keep me tied to the, axe. clioppins
+ wood all winter, and bound 10 the hoe.
ehopping weeds all summer with all
sily leisure time being hired man fo
the neighbors decent enough to hire
mel oh, little dove II could right
itils minute I'd run awav and play aud
4 look for Dutchmaps Pips in the
tbtovn leaves in the woods over
theren
\ Just behind the Bots dare hedge
.stAat bordered the cane field q lean.
tbruwn-faced man stood. Lindsay
Tenjple had come up the little hill
4 path back Of Lydias old cottage that
ssat below on the road, lin the pidst Or
: the two acres that belonged to It,
stopping on his way to town to speak
Ito her about some quilting she'd
.agTee6 to do when the outdoor work
I. was done, for. since his ViFa's death
four years before, Lindsay had lived
gignc and Tended for himself.
Listening, Lindsay paTed curiausly
at her from behind the leafy screen.
A hundred times he had seen her, and
though her straight erectness, her
}biue ewes, sparkling with proud in
Dependence, and her clear pink skin
l-at fifty, smooth as girl's-had al
SEsys appeared to him as pleasantly
different from his neighbor women,
Ghp saw her now with new vision. I'm
seen. he went back down the hill to
where he had left his buggy.
4 Six years before, In hope, lydia
ihad brought her consumptiye hus-
ibaAd and her younger daughter from
Vermont, But Park Bromley had died
In their third month of Tennessee and
Lydia learned the misery that comes
iaf misunderstanding.
4 A spring, ice-cold and deep. ran out
lfiam qHdeP mighty rock by her
trent door and passersby, men and
Women, often stopped for drink.
and Lydia did not consider It de-
ttFiment to her character to talk to the
linen, essly, pleasantly. Of the affairs
,s0f the day-even to invite them "a
tsahG did the women, to sit sometimes
for little time on her porch.
But in that section of the country
st was not the custom of the women
s{clk to converse much with men and
this innocent sociahle practice 81
I.y6ia's came under hitterest con-
faemnation. Fancifrl tales were cir
seipated about that bold northern
women" and, in the course of time,
ssha found herself ostracized.
And Lydia, become parish, hid
the hurt in her friendly heart, and met
them who ceased 10 speak in pass
3irg, with proud DEFIANCE of mein.
.lt Laura, the daughter found oCcu0a-
stiep in a town in another county.
.ang Lydia stayed aloRe-the only
bright spots in her life her love OF the
SQut-doors and the occasional visits OF
.for DAUGHTER and Of the storekeepar's
wife and daughter. good women, edu-
scated and cultured.
Z Lindsay on his slow way to town,
Wondered what had come over the
day, He felt strangely young, the me-
slow autumn air he 'breathed was like
The wind Of the blossoming cape in
Nay
"she amt any more like the ma
5eTity OF these stuff dippin' women
Whereabouts than thrush is like a
mud duck" he told himself. THESE
feels down here amt got wisdom
..qrlensh to understand she's jest had
different raisin' and comes from
different customed place to this. I'm
4 z gpiA' to--Tm a-goin' to-
a That evening at dusk, with Infinite
care not 10 arouse the women In the
Kitchen. Lindsay left q basket Of fine
Concord grapes and "The Rose Gar
der Husband" a hook he had that
day bought at the drug store He
1ldn5t quite understand the title but
81 sounded good and the clerk had tolu
dim It WAS a pretty love story.
That night at his five miles distant
Home he sat until midnight, thinking.
Il last he rose and faced the Crayon
lnrtFait Caricature Of the meek spirit
Who had been the mother Of his three,
sd;aRhters, "Sene," he whispered,
y6v was q good girl and we loved one
snotheF, but oh, sene, you're gone
End I'm Observation-Disclosures as
9eaf on the mountain"
He fosa and went out to the grave,
lrdef the naples bedde the highway.
eaehing down one big lean hand he
eYafently brushed aside the red and
yellow leaves that covered the dead
raaG.
@TRouldn't be shown no dis
respect to you, Sene, honey, ef ! was
10 marry again"-hls voice was a
Heading apology wanted to tell
ssju, Sere, I'm thinkin' of somebody.
tsin't nobody about here Sene, you
i4xer saW-you needn't worry about II ,
asin, one Of these women heteabouts,
SeDe!
Each week Lydia found a PLEASING
tAtcel on her porch, and she went
about bes work in happy expectation.
ono man Of all the9e people was try
lAg to tell her he respected her, ad-
aired her wanted to marry her!
a one evening at dusk, at the end OF
81 fourth week, Lindsay knocked at
hei door.