The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-07-14
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
mabel.
BY DORA NOLAN.
Copyright, 1913, by the Mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.)

ne night before and the stylish pink
attn dress with gold trimmings she
bad worn and what peach OF fellow
Oscar was and had hustled over 70 the
next counter, according to the rules
pf the store, and waited ON girl who
stood there tmpatiently; and II Lois
Barker hadn't been In such haste to
catch certain car because Harold
Storms was coming TO call that even
Ing. and she wanted plenty of time to
make herself as delectable as posi-
Bile, and II she had stayed to be wait
% on instead Of rushing out, only
pausing a second on the way to tell
the floor walker what she thought of
Mabel and that kind of service-well,
my breath is giving out; II 1t weren' |
for that could keep on indefinitely
down the ages, Just relating the con-
sequences Of that one little "if."
But we Will ignore for the present
the fact that Mabel lost her Job for
sassing back when she received the
Inevitable call down, and that the floor
walker went home cross that night,
tor It's hard to get competent girls to
work IN tive-and-tens these days-and
Instead follow Lois Barker as she
makes her car and arrives home Just
lnstdme for dinner.
Mrs. Barker is on hand, but the head
p OF the family reaches home late and
In a fearful hurry. He explains as he
eats that there Is meeting at his club,
some high-up man is scheduled TO
speak. II he can only manage to get
there a little early and meet that man
right, why, perhaps he can place an
order with his some time.
Lois hurries, too for 1t takes some
time to do ones hair in the latest
mode, and II she gets It Just right it's
becoming TO her. Then Mrs. Barker is
worried about her new gown; 1t doesn't
lust please her. but she can't think
what It lacks to make 1t stunning. So
the Bankers dinner Is finished in rec
ord-breaking time that night.
Lois and her father flew upstairs to
their respective toilets and Mrs. Bar
ker. settled down to the latest copy of
her fayorite woman's magazine. Ev-
anything went we'll until the electric
Lights went out Then affairs began to
move.
Mrs. Barker looked up from the black
page into the blackness surrounding
her. MIR. Barker stumbled somehow to
the top OF the stairs, whence he de-
handed that his wife call UP The cleo.
TIC hight company Immediately and
ask them what the happy days was tho
matter.
Mrs. Barker fastened TO do his bid
ding, finding the number by the aid of
match, meanwhile demanding in turn
pf Lois in crescendo tones where she
had put the lamp wicks she had bought
hat afternoon.
Lois tried to explain at long range
why she hadn't bought them-"those
sabby girls" etc. Central reported
Line busy" and Mrs. Barker SO re-
ported to her husband, who demand
I'd some sort of a light, anyhow; also
that she try again. The fact that she
nad ordered the maid to clean both
the lamps they kept for such emer-
Sencies that very morning and throw
out the wicks was fresh in her mind;
also that the rubbish had been collect
I'd that day.
There was pair OF little candles In
The brass candlesticks in the dining
, room. 1t had been considerable trou-
BILE to find them in Just the right shade
Of blue to match the curtains. 1t took
Boue time to find another match.
Meantime, DR.. Barker was blaming
the electric company for blank rotten
management, his wife for lack Of fore
sight and Lois for her failure TO get the
only useful thing she went uptown for.
Lois, shifting blame from Mabel, was
blaming 1t on the star.car company for
running their cars so seldom.
The candles finally pacified the man
u the house for while. Mrs. Barker
between unsuccessful attempts at the
phone, hustled her daughter into a
long coat and sent her over to Mrs.
Smiths, next door, to borrow a lamp.
lust as she had succeeded in worming
out of the light company the interest
sng information that two dynamos had
burned out at once, but that they hop
d TO have the current on again by mid
ught, Lois returned. Mrs. Smith was
Giving q dinner party and needed the
lnly two lamps they owned. Mr.. Bar
ker called downstairs and wanted to
know how in blazes he was ever going
o tie an evening tie by the light of
swo measly Christmas dips.
Mrs. Barker sent Lois over to the
Rouse on the other side, though she de-
Asted that Mrs. Brooks and never
spoke TO her when she could help II.
Then It occurred to her to wonder
what the maid was doing all this time,
and she felt her way to the kitchen to
lind out.
The opening of the door revealed the
dtchen flooded in light. Katy had re.
nembered what Mrs. Barker had quite
'orgotten, tho one gas Jet over the gas
range.
scolding Katy for not calling their
pttention TO It, Mrs. Barker called her
ord and master, and In the kitchen,
With her assistance, he finished array
ng himself and departed-toO late for
ais particular car and SO, also, too late
% receive the coveted Introduction,
he "high-up man" leaving immediate.
" after his address, to catch a train.
Lois returned with a lamp that
Svoyed to be dim, illsmellinE thing.
- at everybody and everything in
herai she also completed her unsat-
5factory toilet in the kitchen; then de-
handed the lamp-the livtng-room-
for her own and Harold Stems exclu.
i've use.
The damp proved so very smelly as
% be- unbearable so she blew it out
md returned to the kitchen in dis
gust.
Harold Storms came up the street