The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-04-12
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
A Springtime Thaw.
BY ANNA REDFERN.
Copyright. 1919. by the Mcclure

nv however. was not OF Bills own
choosinS: rather was it a product Oh
envirnnment. Moreover, 1t was =
snnrce OF deep grievance to nlm, loI
IN Is hard as he might ne couiu h ~,
mako friends, with a reserve 1890 ~
nAnetrable as the Rock OF ulpral ~
risinr between himself and every ons
ia mot. Even the glad spontanelt! ~
4 nerryi western city, where 1rienoia-
,,Srs vas the rule, rather than the re-
1 ,,s,.S seemed not to melt the zee
fEcr conld his new-found acqualns-
.yc". diyine for themselves that WIN
: z, Nh an feet bulk of calmp blond non
chalance Law a desire for adventure IS
keen as that of some twelSe, :sa. .ha
deyCtee Of Nick Carriers; OF tna' ,, .nv
Vistful look showing forth every NV ss
mi them from his deep gray eyes pe
toFaned only the strong desire tn4I
scnewhere. sooner or later, some one
1rn,,id notice him and really ike MN
q mite Of himself. No wonder ne
, :. and no wonder Aunt Della
etnnd al her wits end to entertain nun.
she had fed him to the fattenlhs
point: she had introduced MN ~ IN, sain
10 every one she knew; sne naa ~. H .,,,
81 on him more tenderly than ms =, own =
mother would have done, ana Sun ~
looked bored. a., tho
first week of agony, that shall nave
Il be starting for home. Father can
scarcely run the shop without me-
much as would like to stay, ne aua'
ed as polite afterthougnt. Nh,
There was no doubt that blii % sas
homesick. And whether feet zOV
POUNDS suffers proportionately more
than does S feet 100 pounds. even Biil
had no heart to answer Blue TO inc
s bottom of his No. 5 boots, he paced
rioomily around Aunt Dellas sunny,
comfortable living room, impatienuy
humping against knick-knacks and
chairs. Fourteen times without STOP
ping he paced. On the fifteenth round
he stopped by the long French WINDOW
viii, q jerk. He pulled aside the biue
cretonne curtains, and drawing MN
self erect in the soft spring sunshine
he drank in the pleasing sight through
eyes and nose and mouth.
The morning was clear and fair ana
radiant; the clouds were blue and SOL
and fleecy; the lawns were lush and
green with young grass; the trees
were newly in leaf. But a fairer sien'
than all this caught and held MS atten.
ton. In neighboring yard, scarcely
two rods away, there flashed q maid
en- back and forth with movements as
graceful and dainty as those OF some
wood nymph.
with q few def movements shs
drew up the sagging white-string net
& and fastened it taut across the tennis
court She tried out her balls and
rackets with bubbling, boy-like ex-
Infancy, as If the tonic OF sprlnstime
had found affinity with her teet:
stYough,'' gasped Bill, and "Yough!
aoh, aIntie. who's the young lady next
Amt Della carefully set her pie
crust In the yellow mixing bowl, wiped
her hands and came at her young
lephew's excited call.
That's no young LADY," she correct
"A. .sThat is Irene Roberts. Why,
I'VE known that child ever since she
was born"
..How long is that. auntle?" Bob per
sWell, now, let me see. 1t must be
twentv wears or Whereabouts" BOD
raised his eyebrows quizzically, but
Amt Della ratified on. Yes, and Just
q YOU see her now she's always been
Jumping, running, playing tennis,
4 riding horseback. She's Q regular
somhoy,"
TO Aunt Della Irene was Just the
vame nadcap little girl that she had
n siways known from childhood up. Not
q 10 Bill! He stood by the window
md watched his lively young neigh.
bors gyrations with distinct approval
aShe Is flame and action" he unused
q q her red.brown bobbed curls flashed
z m lie sunshine. Altogether he ap.
: proved OF her-of her trim white flan-
mel dress and high-cut russell boots, OF
har well knit, graceful figure swaying
IN the sheer delight Of motion, and her
frank boyish activity. So much did ne
nuproye that the wistful look came
4 hack into his deep brown eyes, and
ne homesick feeling formed hard
lump and settled In his throat.
That she had no companion in her
raaa seemed not to bother Irene at all.
pack and forth she scintillated, her
tennis bail now on one side OF the net,
now on the other. ;,
suddenly she threw down her ball
and started toward Bills point OF OBJ
seryance." Auntie Bascom," she
called. '.Tm coming in to see you"
Bill's experience OF twenty-five years
i aid not include instruction in chain
iirhtning action. or course, he wanted
II meet the girl. For what else had
he been planning during the last nj
TEEN minutes but for this. However,
1 his was sudden action. AS Irene
called he hastily drew back from the
window and began measuring with his
eNe9 the distance from his window to
fhe kitchen where Aunt Della kept
! i,t1siIy ut work. In the open he could
have covered It with three leaps, but
here there was furniture to intervene.
TOO. Irene had seen him at her first
dance. There seemed no graceful
way Of escape. So Bill threw back
the long French window and stood
hrayely waiting for events to happen.
4.ifere, this is my nephew, Bill Shell.
don. from the East" called Auntie
paanom from the other room.
BIN gtavely acknowledged the intro
duction with bow. striving meantime
q down the rising reserve which was
al hSyo :,