The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-12-04
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
"M. u. w
BY JANE OSBORN.

TEZEKlAH kELSO thOuenl VI h9
II simply as NJ. L. v. He didn'
l ! even conjecture as to whetne
lie NJ. stood for Margaret or MAJ! q
Mut!eI or Madge; for Hezekiah wa
not OF the imaginative or speculative
sort. Perhaps that is why he made
such a good salesman for the business
which It had pleased Providence ,, y
hand down to him along with ms blu
licaI name from his grandfather
He had seen her light from taxi
cab one afternoon when he was leaV'
ing a certain mid-western town 70
come east. A porter followed her-m
fact, two porters followed her, eacl
one carving an assortment OF very
well-buih luggage. :, >
Hezekish saw her established IN q
chair in the very pullman car IN wnl pil
he had engaged a chair, and theh pau
the car porter to have his chair, winch
was at the end, changed so that ne
might sit nearer the charming M l.,
v. Those were the letters on the well
Luilt luggage that was stored away
beside her chair by the station porter.
When their ways parted six hours
later Hezekiah had failed to find the
opportunity to speak to M. l.. V. that
he had hoped might arise Just before
leaving the pullman at his station ne
sought the porter. .
THE young lady travels with good
deal Of luggage" he said. is she an
actress?"
mo, indeedyI' drawled the porter
She no actress, she some rich youns!,
lady travels for her own musement.
Hezekiah, a few months later,
,boarded pullman at the same mlu.
western town, making run toward
the West. And there was M. L. V
as crisply, daintily, demurely lovely as
ever.
Hezekiah had thought he liked fair
or red-halred girls and that he ad-
mired the buxom type. M. L. " was
Of the slight, dark type. You might
have called her Japanese, because her
eyes were quite little almond shaped
and her complexion was clear and palo
and her hair was smooth and black.
Straightway Hezekiah revised all his
former meditadons on the subject Of
his ideal.
Hezeldah felt detected. He was
quite sure that he would have to
make M. L. VS. acquaintance some
time, some way.
But II she we're young woman Of
wealth-and she was obviously a per.
son Of much education, for she had
been reading Rabindranath Tagore be-
fore and she was now deep in a
French book, even the name of which
was too much for Hezekiah = what
show had he? For the first time Hez-
ekiah felt contempt for the business
IBIS grandfather had beQueathed upon
him.
She would no doubt like him better
il he were doctor or lawyer or o
college professor. He thought for al
moment, not rapidly but intently,
Hezekiah seldom came TO quick con-
illusions, but he usually came to wise
ones.
In business he had the reputation Of
being as slow as any man in the field
and as sure 1t was the sort OF SLOW
ness that fascinates you with its Sc
curity and stability.
When Hezekiah had come to this
conclusion on the occasion he sum-
moned the porter to him and covertly
handed him a dollar. "See here, Ras-
tus," he said, II want you to forget
that I'm a drummer. want you tol
call me professor I've a special rea.
son for wanting that little lady over
there to think ] am a professor, I'M
derstand?"
And then as he noticed that the
little lady was glancing at him from
beneath heavy shaded eyes he said
aloud:
"Rastus, be sure and get me the
Atlantic Monthly at the next stop.
Eyes, professor" said Rastus, land
u / sees those Harvard professors In
the next car a looktn' for you again.
professor I'll Just tell them you are
here"
Then Hezeldah, taking care that
the next chair shielded him from the
gaze Of NJ. L. ", opened his paper,
chiefly noted for its sporting news, and
turned to the dope sheet" But even
this failed to absorb his attention: Hell
was trying to evolve scheme where
by he might engage the charming
NJ. L. Win conversation.
Not long after M. L. V. arose as IL
bent on going into the dining car for
dinner, and Hezekiah followed. All
the door Of the car he waited while
M. L, v. seated herself at one of the
only three tables that we're vacant.
Hezekiah beckoned the head waiter
to him and Slipped in tho palm of hih
hand enough silver 10 win his allie
glance. There were a few words in
nm undertone and then HezekiSh FOL-
lowed the waiter down the aisle.
Z Ppm sorry, sir-profeSsor, but these
two vacant tables are so to speak,
reserved. That one is reserved and
the other table wouldn't he safe.
There is something the matter with
the chairs there. l wouldn't hardly |
want you TO sit there, so since you
are in such hurry, professor, l an
going to ask the lady here II sha will
let you sit at her table. Thank you
ma'am." And NJ. L. " with sra
.cious smile made Hezekiah feel he
.twas entirely welcome.
There seemed to be no awkward
bitches in what followed Heezklah
Accompanied NJ. L., v. back to the car
where their chairs were located, and
8lnstead Of sitting in his own chair he
took one that belonged to pasEen-
ger WHO had abandoned in favor Of
the smoker.
! They talked about all sorts of things
a his /