The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-06-30
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
july First.
BY DORA NOLAN

a fDiNE HUNTER was in love with
~ herself and the world as she trip
ped down the street one fair
morning In the late spring of the year
1913. To Ardine the world was syn
onymous with Bruce StdtAins, and
love was the rose colored glass
through which every event OF her life
WAS transformed.
Old Tom Twist, the town bum, had
once looked out on the world through
rosy spectacles himself, but that was
long ago. Now he was standing be-
Tore the bar in Marooney's saloon, sur
lily gazing into glass of a potent
something that Marooney labeled frye"
Great stuff, Tom" the barkeeper re
marked with cynical grin as he re-
placed the bottle under the bar;
the old mans putting glue in It now"
What for the glue" srunted Tom.
Sos it1l stick to the ribs OF the like
Of you and save you from seeing the
ptn.3 and green wigglers after the
first Of July"
You go to blazesl" And Tom swal-
lowed the dubious liquid at a gulp
and lurched away. Out through the
Pwtnging door staggered the reprobate
Ardine wrapped in dreams of her ap.
preaching wedding floated along the
pavement as If on ice.
Brought rudely back 70 material
things by the sight OF the pitiable
creature, the distract Miss Hunter side
stepped Just in time to avoid personal
contact. and, with look pregnant
with disgust continued on her way.
That way led to the house Of Miss
Tanning, .imodiste" for this was the
occasion Of the all-important last fit
ting OF the wedding gown. But an
ever SO tiny speck had appeared on
the unblemished surface of the rose
colored glass, an infinItesimal fly in
the ointment of her bliss. Ardine's
feet again trod more earth, and little
quicker came to the high forehead
above the straight penciled brows.
It was caused by some words of her
uncle, sharply resented at the time but
quickly forgotten until now. Bruce was
. member OF the uncle's club. CAR
dine" her relative had said, "the boy
Is drinking a bit too much. Better
head him off now while your influence
is strong Old Tom Twists plunging
appearance in her path had brought
the advice to mind, OF course.
But It was ridiculous, Ardine solilo-
quized. Her uncle was a utraightlaced
conservative anyway. All their crowd
drank more or less to be sure. But
July first was not far off-that sort
OF thing would die natural death.
Meanwhile they let the admonition OF
fussy man mar such complete hap
piness? Ardine resolved that she
wouldn't
BY the time the prospective bride,
attired IN the nearly completed we'd
ding gown, gazed with approving eyes
at her own image reelected in Miss
Fanning's pier glass the slight speck
on her radiant happiness had vanished
utterly.
Miss Tanning was reminisctng. aThis
Is the twenty fifth bridal gown / have
made. Let's see. The FIRST one was
Tor poor, unfortunate Isabelle Stan
ners- She little knew when she stood
right where you are standing, what life
mad In store for her when she married
Tom Twist
I'm slit the skirt Just trifle more,
my dear. so you can take. a decent
sized Etep. You look very sweet in
deed But Ardine's thoughts were on
the first part Of Miss Fanning's speech
do you mean that, drunken bum of
! Tom T,wist2 Did you really make
his WEES wedding gown"
Yes; but he wasn't a drunken bum
IN those days. Miss Hunter. He was
good looking young fellow who
drank Just bit too much. Disgrace
and poverty killed hfsFw1fe eventually
and now look ztshim"
From then on the talk had, to do
with snnh Technical things as the
length OF the sleeves and the new
waist line. On the way home, how.
ever the Twist tragedy and her un-
cle's warning haunted Ardtne, but she
fesolutely dismissed themsfor the sec
bnd time until Bruce himself brought
the subject to mind that evening.
When the somewhat polonged greet
ngs were over Bruce exclaimed, en-
Enthusiastically:
Say, Ardine. I've got a dandy
bhnnce to buyra stock OF liquors that
E1thcar ought toilast us two or three
kcare. They're dirt cheap compared
9itb present prices, too. Old Feather
ttons's estate Billy Johnston lis the
administrator. Something win happen
before itsa alilKone- : Thas ermutryzw ill