The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-03-26
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Pink Sheet.
BY R. RAY EIKER.
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.l

~ NE means OF wrestling living
from the world that Eleanor
Ferguson abhorred above all
others was prize fighting. She had
never witnessed any pugilistiC bouts,
but she had heard enough concerning
shem TO form conclusion that they
we're brutal and savage and that no
one who possessed the least vestige
Of self.fespect could bring himself
10 engage in such an encounter
Consequently, when she found the
man she most admired gazing up at
her serenely from pink sporting page
With tho cognomen kid Gleason"
stretched above his head the feeling
% disappointment-of well-night de.
Bpair-that swept over her may well
Se understood.
Eleanor came across the pink sheet
while rumaging in the attic for some
l0ng.discarded household utensil that
she suddenly felt the need OF in prep.
Rration for the party at which her en-.
gagement was to be announced. The
pink sheet had been used to wrap
something in and she came across it
quite by accident.
ITO announce my engagement" The
phrase had lost its pleasant sound.
Now 1t seemed more like the knelling
u Z church bell at funeral. And the
Pink sheet was to blame for 1t all. II
only she had stayed away from the At.
do she would have continued In a
happy frame Of mind, she thought. On
al yT,aT1lI havA hAna
much worse to have become the bride
Of the man and then have the knowl-
edge Of his means Of livelihood sud.
denly thrust upon her-when it was
TOO late.
"a prizefighter!" she walled, and
Dhe seated herself cross.Iegged on the
attic floor and buried her head in her
arms and wept, Anything but
1rizeflghter! Why, he must be the
most brutal Of brutal beings. He can't
possess the slightest shred Of human
kindness or sympathy. They never
do. All they think Of is knocking poo
pie senseless and collecting money for
It. Sometimes they kill their oppo.
nents. He's savage, that's what no
10. He told me he clerked IN q store,
but he was afraid to tell the truth
He's Just a common savage, with a
lust for blood the principal part Of his
makeup"
Nleanors lack Of definite knowledge
vas easily explainable by the fact that
he lived in Jackson, which was sixty
miles from her home city Of Kalama-
zoo. He came over every Saturday
night. to spend the weekend, and she
saw nothing Of him on the intervening
days.
When ne had casually remarked
that he clerked in store she had TAX.
en- 1t for granted he was telling the
truth. At that time she could con.
ceiye Of no reason for his classifying,
but now she could comprehend his evil
dent reluctance to discuss his work.
"That settles IT." she fumed as she
left the attic with the pink sheet in
her hand. "There won't be any an.
Houncement party. He's coming over
Onight, as usual, and Ill meet him at
the station as il nothing had happen
Cd; but when get him up to the house
I'm confront him with the evidence Of
HIS perfidy."
So when Albert Gleason stepped off
The interurban car he was greeted with
smiles from the girl Of his choice, for
she concealed her disgust or abhor.
! renee, or whatever her new feeling for
( him might be termed, and apparently
was as glad as ever to see him.
10 tell the truth, she experienced
ssme difficulty in keeping that repug-
nance uppermost in her mind; for
Albert was exceedingly good to look
UPON. Broad of shoulder with arm
muscles that clothing could not con.
zeal, and with red, healthy cheeks and
3 head of luxuriant, tousled, yellow
hair and deep blue eyes and clean,
white teeth-yes, he was cookbook
Ing specimen, one that would show
OF we'll in evening dress, at an en-.
Igagement party, for instance.
But-and her forehead furrowed into
grown in spite of herself-he also
had the build and poise of a prize
tighter, II she was any Judge Of prize
lighters, which she wasn't, but she
lad her opinion OF how they ought to
spok, and Albert filled the bill.
II They took q car for the Ferguson
residence.
.'Eis last trip up this way" Eleanor
Bbid to herself, firmly, as she accepted
n seat from gallant old gentleman
Who was about ready to get off, and
Albert located a strap that was not
II use.
Most OF the passengers had a hun.
Try look. It was nearly 6 o'clock and
Iiey were bound homo for the evening
meal. They were impatient, too, for
uAe car was late, the line having been
blocked by a fallen trolley wire, and
lheir spirits were low and their good
atnre all but gone.
Gleason, towering above the rest,
W1ng back and forth as the car
roaned around curves and he could
lot entirely control his feet, which
10 automatically shifted from time to
lime to maintain his equilibrium.
On one OF these occasions he trod
s1 the feet Of a sour.Yisaged damsel,
Who occupied three-quarters of a seat,
lnd carried bulky package Of meat
q an arm and gazed savagely at the
I'm lights that were springing into ex
tence along the streets.
Keep your feet to Yourself" she
apped at Gleason and the latter
pied his hat and apologized. The
paration of being polite upset Albert
ID he swung across the aisle and sat
tremendously in the tap of wea-
ned little man who carried an um.