The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-08-11
The DAILY
She RT ORYI
Daisies Tell.
BY r. RAY eAkER.
tCopyright, 1919. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)


upperfa az abe carried. them 70 thestable
and placed them IN q vase. In con-
tfnstE with them the white and, yellow
daiEies that occupied similar irecep-
tacle ION the same table looked like
mereNprotenders to beauty. The,roses
must have cost many dollars, While tha
daisies-well, Mabel knew well. the
very spot in The woods where they had
been plucked.
poor Eric" she. sighed, and looked
out the window at'the, radiant summer
day. HE certainly means wen. but
the daisies - they are so common,
while roses-"
She smiled again, rather whimsical
~. It was a strange coincidence that
both her admirers should remember
her with flowers. almost atsthe same
hour Of the same day. She looked at
the card that had accompanied the red
flowers. Sheshad read 1t once, but she
read It again, and as she did so her
cheeks rapidlyitook on the same color
Rs9the petals OF the blossoms.
ALet these flowers express the in
tensity Of my love-Gaston."
She recalled the words Eric had
spoken when he appeared at the htch-
en- door only few minutes ago, dus-
ty and grimy, in brown overalls, and
presented her with the daisy bouquet.
These flowers perhaps can-can-
tell you. how I-how feel toward you. y
he had-stammered, blushing, and walk
ed brislsly away.
Having two persistent admirers did
not make Mabel happy, for the simple
reason that she wanted to play fair
with all the three parties concerned,
including herself, and she did not know
just how to go about It.
Admirer No. THAT is, the one who
appeared first ON the horizon of her
world-was Eric Fenton, whose father
was retired farmer, not wealthy but
one OF the kind the neighbors declare
to be Comfortably fixed"
Eric lived on the farm with his
parents and came to town every morn
ing In q shaky little old tin cart, .
which was the name applied by the
local wags to the gasoline propelled
vehicle. The town was Fairview,
which boosted of a population of four
thousand and actually had about three
thousand.
In the town was big hardware
store. which supplied the whole coun-
ty with farm and kitchen implements,
and IN this establishment Eric held a
job--or II might be termed a position
AS assistant general manager. This
title did not keep dirt on his clothes or
hands, for he was one Of the hardest
workers about the store, but he had
prospects OF stepping into the top
Notch place In tho very near future.
Eric was sandy-h haired and freckled,
and In truth q very plain sort OF boy,
not much on looks, but q prize winner
in ambition. His rival for the hand OF
Mabel was Canton Clairmont, q suaye
young gentleman who came 10 Fair
view about year before the opening
OF this story and took q more or less
important desk IN the bank.
This CASTOR was dark and hand
some 70 M exceptional degree, and his
nlaGnsrs ElTe as polished as his tan
shoes, II Charm OF appearance and
personality WONT for much. Eric Fen
ton was decidedly left out in the cold; ;
espsinny when periodical spells of
self-consciousness, during which he
Hammered and blusheu profusely,
were considered.
Eric was born in Fairview and had
Lived there all his life except for four
years IN an Agricultural college, and
he had admired Mabel since the day,
many years ago, 1t seemed, when he
was forced to sit with her in school
as q. punishment for whispering, when,
rs matter Of fact, It was boon rath-
er than q punishment, although he
had tried to make the other boys be-
lieYe 1t was the latter.
Its almost pathetic" Mabel unused,
as. her deft fingers gave few finish
ing touches to the arrangement OF the
red flowers. Imagine Eric trying to
compete with CASTOR, who's from the
city and up In the ways Of society.
What thought of love can a daisy pos
sibly express? Such a sentiment is
absurd"
Mabel herself was up In society, /"
such as It went at Fairview. Her faith
er was rated the richest man in the
village, and this placed her on the
topmost plane of social activity, al
though she did not often take advan-
taget of that fact. Mr.. Morrison had
made his money in stock deals and he
srll1mantaineda an Office In. New York
teAa oP0aES hoSA VI LIB t1Lu6 IL wall
street.
"stm," Mabel went on, talking to
herself, Eric is fine fellow, and one
must admire the way he buckles down
70 business. ofcourse, there's no COM
parison between him and CASTOR"
A short time later Mabel sslunE O
marketSbasket over her arm and start
eton- q shopping expedition. Less than
a.block from the house ahesmet;her
father. whomsshe had supposed to be
IN NewsYork. He was,walhing brisk
", although with his head down, and
when he looked up and sawher;ansex-
pressipn Of anguish crossed yhis face.
Come on back homo ;. with me,
daughter" hetsaid, I'm broken stunes,
passing an arm aromdTher waist
Mabel was puzzled. Had hen. father
been attacked by Illness! No,sit could
not be that or else Ehe ;wouidsnotSb
WALKING 70 the house. Once IN 6heSli-
braIy, he explained ina; few. words. n
Consolidated Iron, In which The had
been,interested, dad dropped-theSbot-
tom mad fallen out OF tho market, in
fact-and he was practically ruined.
oniy&a few thousand of his hundred
fhouBznd dollars remained Z and She
would have to.stArtaa all over.
TheN1ext Sday was-a trying, onnrfor
ti6 Morrison tfRnfly. The head OF sthe
house had suffered nervous coIlapse