The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-09-22
HE DAILY
short STORY
In the Twilight
~ EradarIek Aart
tCooyright 92O by the Mcclure
Newspaper SyndtCate)

IN sure don't know WHo ~
IA snapped Ma WeatheT9y 70
the Inquiries Of her dauGnHel
Its&n' what's more ! don't sec I %
payB his board regularly an pc
y kSyeb himself as a gentleman
s6SSsia I'm sure we need the
money: nm I'm sure there amt NO
objection to him on any grouhu
an ffiuk OF, So don't you go Doth-
6rins y1lr head about him. Sally Ann
Won 70 long and tend to your
chickens and let that young man
Excellent advice, no doubt, but
the curiosity that turks eternS! ~
the feminine soul led pretty S7aIy
Ann to let her mind drift In the
lIrection OF the handsome young
lTnan who had, six weeks ago CONS
40 the Weatherby farm seeking, a
place where he might live and pc
\ alone during the hot months OF the
b Al lust want to be undIsturbed
he had said. "l'll pay whatever you
want for board and lodging, ana |
promise to come to meals at regular
hours but that's all. l want to be
'SleHt to myself.
And MA" Weatherby had con.
l1er principals Objection TO taxing
summer bOurders had been that
! they invariably caused trouble ny
being III the way, or demanded ell
sttertaInIneEt while this young man
Ntho gave his maine as kobtt Dan
fSia, was quite the reverse OF the
intet Terlhg type In every way.
He had kept his promise TO be on
time fuE meals with admirable
punctuaiAy but aside from these
thTlce-dafSy episodes, Mrs, Weather
by had seldom seen him. He was
gwen to wandering off in the morn
Ing, returning about noon and re.
tirlng to his pleasant little room al
ter the midday meal.
CHS In the evening he sometimes
Joined the little group that sat on
the front stOop for an hour or 20 to
enjoy the cool breath that came al
en- sunse; more often however, he
would stride off down the road In
CHE dusk alone. Sometimes Sally
Mann lying WakeIul In her bed would
hear mis- firm footsteps as they
Came up the path onto the porch
then the click OF the key In the
lock-he had begged one as great
favor and 1t had been granted-and
s.hls slow tread up the stairs, then
tfA closing OF his room door.
Who was he. she wondered:
What was he doing on those long
country wxblks: And-and-here
sally AIMS healthy drowsiness
kengrellly got the better OF her and
4 She would know nothing about heF
mental inquiries till the following
But the heart Of little Sally Ann
was turned w1stfully toward this
tInknown youth, He represented
type that was new to her, without
having Anything of the airs OF one
al gro9tl Yealth-in fact he had saiu
at one time when more than usually
commu4it1ve, that he was poor.
Not Ahat that would make any
difference" thought Sally Ann. For
think he's just as nice as he can
be ana -" Here Sally Ann
would slap herself firmly on the
mouth ana go about her business,
,reproaching herself for allowing hel
mind to turn In that direction.
But miuds-and hearts-are
queer things and will not always do
what we tell them to, may we
chide ever SO sternly. So 1t was
that one night after the stranger
had left the front porch group sally
Ann slipped away with some excuse
caught up her hat ana Followed MN
/ Down the white dusty road he
walked, his head high. his arms
swinging freely, his stride so long
that at first Sally Ann had difficult.
" in following him. But as he got
we'll out OF sight Of the house his
pace slackeued and he seemed to
be strolling rather than walking
with purpose.
He cast lingering glanCes to eth.
) or side, as though enjoying the view
and In truth that pleasant country
siie was good to look upon In the
expiring rays of the daylight, be.
fore the thin crescent moon had
come to It's power He paused at
the crest OF q little rise, placed his
loot upon the rail Of the snake
Senoe that bounded the road and
hecamaslost in thought.
Sally Ann crept closer. How
handsome he was, she thought, en-.
tapely overlooking Ehta fact that
Bha herself was as pretty picture
hAtonawould care O.look upon, had
had:
But he, remained immovable gaz
ing. out lat the dim blue line OF the
horizon with the darkening fields
below and the pale green OF the
lakas evening sky above. Sally Ann
moved a little nearer.
Suddenly she. stood bolt upright,
stricken with horror. For the
young man had brought his foot
down from the rail and struck the
palm OF his left hand with his
clenched right and he had sworn!
Yes Sally Ann heard q word oil
one syllable beginning with the
fourth letter OF the alphobet go rip.
ping out on the air, shateriS4y the
twilight calm as though some one
had exploded charge of dynamite
! nearby. Involuntary she gave n
! little squeak OF horror and the
young man turned-and saw her.
She would have fled but her
knees seemed watery and her heart
was playing queer tricks 1t never
seemed to stay In one place, but
kept bouncing around in way that
any well regulated heart would
have thought shameful. So she
!, Just stood there, WIde-eyed, one
hand over her mouth and II other
pressed to the bosom OF he white
brock.
What are you doing here?" ask,
ed the young man sternly.
I'll thought I'd like to take q
little WALL" taltered poor Sally Ann,
y didn't know you had come this
Is way, and besides"
The young man turned on her