The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-04-21
FACTS AND FANCIES FOR WOMAN AND THE HOME CIRCLE
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Stanley's Water Lilly.

BY JANE OSBORN.
Copyright 1919, by the Mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.)
e a ND down that lane you get to
N the bungalow Of Tom STAN
4 = ley, the water lily man-wa-
ter lilies, pond lilies or whatever you
call them. He calls them Nymphaeae,
II that is the way you pronounce the
botanical name" This was part Of the
Information that Mrs. Bob Manning
gave her house guest, Fay Mcleod,
on the first Of her week ends at the
Manning country cottage. so, you see,
We haven't very many eligible bache-
lors for you, Fay" she went on,
though, truly, 1 imagine that Mr..
Stanley Is nice enough aside from the
pond lilies. He's a professor at one
Of the colleges in the winter, though
his property would make him indie
pendent IL he chose. At least, he's
harmless and quite good looking and
you can see how you like him. We've
asked him up for the little dance to-
night"
Perhaps the fact that Fay was get
ting all her vacation in those week
ends at the summer place Of her old
friend, Mrs. Bob Manning, that sum-
mer, and that what diversion she had
from the grind Of directing play
ground IN one Of the crowded city
neighborhoods had to be derived from
Saturday noon to Monday evening, &C
counted for the fact that she showed
less than her usual reserve when she
met Mr.. Tom Stanley and the other
guests at the Bob Mannings' Saturday
night dance.
at must be a fascinating study" she
told Tom, as she brought up the sub
ject Of his hobby that her hostess had
told her about. There are some that
bloom only at night, aren't there"
Tom uttered an affirmative, but with
out depression on the subject OF nym-
phacae, for at that particular moment
the delicate curve Of Fay McLeod's
lips and the delicate rounding Of her
chin seemed Of vastly more interest
than all the nightbooming water lilies
IN the world. He had an absurd de-
side to tell her about it.
II have always longed to see lot.
us," went on Fay, hcroically trying to
continue the conversation. Usually
when all other devices failed one could
talk on a mans hobby with results,
but this time the rule was failing,
"There must be something inexpres.
sibly lovely about them. Yet, sup
pose they never grow in this climate!''
$50 you are interested In them,
too" said Tom Stanley, recalling him
self. Most people find them rather
stupid. Really, l do wish you could
get up an interest in the subject, be-
cause if you did then perhaps you
wouldn't find me so dull as am afraid
you would otherwise. What jolly
thing it would be II could make my
self really interesting friend to-to
q girl like YOU"
Il really do wish some nice girl
could take that Mr.. Tom Stanley i'll
hand and marry him. sighed Mrs. Bob
Manning over Sunday morning break
fast with her husband and Fay. She
had told her husband her plans before
hand and had coached him on what he
should say.
HE really Is a fine chap" he ex.
planned. But he had been much alb
sorbed in his shaving when his wife
had coached him, and he had forgot
ten the details of the instruction. Say.
Fay" he said, why don't you marry
him? He seemed immensely taken
with you when he asked me when you
were coming again and all about you.
You might as well be spending his
money as having him squander 1t all
on those internal water weeds Of his.
he spends all his stray time moping
through the marshes looking for them,
and not content with what he gets that
way, he spends thousands OF dollars
having roots imported from Egypt and
other God-forsaken places. Why, what
he spends on those weeds would sup
port half dozen wives"
The days that followed were gloomy
ones for Tom Stanley. He was pessi.
mlstic from the first about Fay. He
knew well enough that she was the
girl whom he would want to marry,
but he felt no security at all in his
method Of courtship.
Now, II 1t was new sort of water
nymph that he was in search Of that
would have been different. That was a
matter Of patient search through the
marshes, communication with his
agent and then careful cultivation on
his own part. But wooing a wife was
something that he felt he knew moth
ing about
It was after they had known each
other for three week ends that Stanley
decided he could endure the suspense
no longer. He determined to ask her
that week end 10 be his wife. Stanley
met Fay at the small station where
those who visit that section of the
country must get of and ran her over
in his roadster to the Bob Mannings'
house.
-Are you going 70 let me stick
around this afternoon?" he asked Fay
Is soon as he had reached their desti-
nation.
Fay assured him that she would
much rather have him come that night
md ordered him playtully to let her
NJ nAh axn,,oa