The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-06-05
DAILY
SHORT STORY
Six In One.
ey 4. LOUIS EAYeoLp.
Copyright. 1920, BY the Mcclure
Nexsnarer Syndicale.l

81 low the deuce an SV16 w
RI choose!" grumbled Sam mo
: rosely, laying down his oid
5riar pipe on the broad arm Of MS
chair and bending forward 10 scre-
tinize more clearly the six faces
wh!ch sazel back at him from SIX
Photographs propped against BOOKS
on his reading table.
You're the bes. locker, Sally he
commented aloud. "and you, Helen.
have got the brains. and you're the
best all.around good sport, Jean.
Peggy. you've got sense OF hurnor,
and you, Nell, know how 10 dress. AS
for yon, Beth, well, the man Tno
gets you gets one crackerjack cook.
Getting on toward thirty.ffre. Sam
GAYLORD was well aware Of his duty
10 the state, to his family, Of which he
was the last OF the line, and to him.
self He ought to get married, and
he certainly had a wide feminine &C.
quaintance from which to select a
wife.
He had decided that as long as his
heart would not assist him to decl.
sion he must call upon his brain. That
was Certainly a sensible idea, consid.
ering that his brains had made him
what he was, q very able and sue.
cessful lawyer.
Which characteristic would be the
mos. valuable TO him in his cateer and
most agreeable to come home TO after
a hard days work In court-beauty,
Intellect, comradeship, sense OF hu-
NOR style, domesticity? Il was a
hard problem, thought Sam, and no
reference TO Vol. 81, case So and So
Versus So and So, would help him
f9ut.
The next days routine promised no
excitement. Il would be mostly oc:
cupied with examining witnesses OF
an automobile accident In which a
seyen.passenger touring car side
swlped and caused to turn turtle a
!. fouf.passanger roadster, the chauffeur
Of the former claiming that woman.
darling suddenly into the road after a
child, made the accident unavoidable.
. MiracuIously, no one was seriously In
jured. but the damage 10 both cars
was considerable, ana there was much
detail to be gone through regarding
the relative positions Of the cars, the
Respective speeds at which they were
travelling, the possible deductions
from the tire marks on the road.
The first CLEAN Of interest for Sam
came when a Miss Bedford, an occu-
pant Of the roadster, took the stand,
heavily yelled. Her cool, clear re-
sponses to his questions, her clever
yet seemingly casual refusal to be
caught in a compromising answer, one
brief. caustlc comment which brought
a smile even to the face Of the judge.
greatly intrigued Sam, who was &C.
customed to nervous hesitation on the
part of feminine witnesses and ten.
dency to contradict themselves and
to be easily ratified But it was quite
otherwise with Miss Bedford. and as
she stepped down from the stand,
Sam found himself wishing he could
catch a glimpse Of the face behind
the veil.
"Still, I'm probably spared a dis.
Ssappo!rtment," he consoled himself
philcsophically. ~ would have TO dis
cover that she had poor complex
don and a large mouth, or that her
nose was all wrong"
\ On the day that the decision was
rendered Sam discovered that his
fears were ungrounded. In the ex-
element OF the moment the girl threw
back her veil, and in watching the
play Of expression across her beautt-
full features Sam almost forgot his
.chagrin that the case was one OF the
very few he had ever lost. And Ike
wise he forgot that he had ever
though Sally pretty.
With characteristic energy he put
into motion the forces which would
effect for him an Introduction beyond
the. formal one Of the court room. and
eventually, by digging up mutual &C.
cuaintances, he obtained his wish.
II didn't enjoy quizzlng you worth a
cent" was his second remark to her
as they stood together for a moment
At the Footguard reception.
sYou we're very-considerate,' she
comforted him, and Sam thrilled in.
:wardly at the words. A moment Ia
ter and she was swaying in his arms
to the seductive strains Of the palm.
embroidered orchestra. How the girl
, could dance! He was rapidly forget.
ting Sally and Peggy and Helen and
Jean.
sMay | CALL" he asked eagerly just
before he turned her over to her es-
cort at the end Of the wonderful
. dance. And her brief little nod and
Hmile dismissed him happy.
The rest was easy sailing. For in
matters Of love and heart is apt TO
prove a more alluring guide than
mere intellect. Sans heart was lead.
ing him along enchanting ways. Otter
he yisualized the time when he would
ask the vital question. It should be
n,tdoors in the late afternoon or
early evening, by some ripping stream
or on q green.clad hill.
Yet, as a matter Of fact, the happy
moment arrived far otherwise-high
noon, indoors, beside the kitchen
stove. Sam, calling for Marian unex-
pectedly ear,y for . promised ride 10
the Country club 10 witness the an.
nral tennis finals, found her making
frost!ng for !: cake which lowered in
All It's Unrestricted glory on the t..
sble.
Companionably, she invited him out
70 the kitchen while she finished the
lob" and the very first Whit Of choe.
olate fragrance arising from the little
saucepan on the polished surface Of
the stove must have driven from
Sans mind forever all memory Of
Beth. the crackerjack cook.
For Sam, gazing hungrily at Marian.
slim and tall in her enveloping apron
Of cool. lavender checked Bingham,
her cheeks delicately flushed, decid.
ed moi to wait for the nice conjunc.
lion OF time and place.
Marian" he cried. II love you,
darling. viii you marry me-"
II was at the very least, five min.
htes later when Sam looked into her
velvet eyes and said gravely: What
did ! ever do TO deserve winning the
most beautiful, wittiest, brightest girl
In the world. and the most stylish