The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-12-21
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Her Answer
Ry HORACE FORD.

your BubW6I NOW AAoA o
- was anxiety in Henry
Vests voice. you know l love
4 you-won't you tell me whether
there's any chance for met"
Helen West lowered her eyes.
Henry waited, alternately hoping
and fearing. Finally she spoke.
Henry, you must give me time
Z to think it over. l don't want to
make a decision like this sudden
lY. l will tell you-you are coming
to our house for Christmas Eve,
aren't your"
"Why, yes. Your mother was
kind enough to invite me"
"Well, will tell you that night.
Now don't look so downcast!" Her
voice took on note Of pleasant
raillery. tits only week off, and
surely you can walt that long, can
you? And you. must go now-its
half-past eleven"
Henry Kenyon went out into the
crisp sparkle OF the late December
night with his mind vibrating be.
tween hope and fear. He loved
Helen sincerely and with all his
heart, and when he had asked her
to marry him It was with the hope
that she returned his feeling and
would make him the happiest man
in the, world by saying yes. But he
knew Helen, and he knew that
when her mind was made up there
was no changing 1t. wait till
Christmas Eve" she had said: so
there was nothing to do but wait.
The week dragged itself through
somehow, There was last'mlnute
3 shopping to attend to, cards to be
sent out-in fact, all the hustle that
fills the last week before Christ
mas. Ordinarily the time would
shave sped all too fast, but TO Hen
-tFy West It seemed seven ages be-
fore he betook himself TO the
Vests house for their Christmas
Eve party. His heart beat hard as
he entered and returned the greet
ings of the family and the assem-
bled guests. Helen met him and
he tried to read In her face the an
swer, but she was just the same as
ever. The evenings festivities
kept her busy and prevented him
from having even Il moment alone
with her. AS the time for depar-
tKfre drew near and some Of the
Quests said their good.nights Hen
Rvs impatienCe knew no bounds.
At last it was midnight, and amid
a chorus OF merry Christmas" the
last guest departed Henry, on
Mrs. Vests invitation, was to spend
the night there so as to make an
early start for the holiday party on
Christmas day.
AS the last guest went AVA"
Henry looked about for Helen, bu
she was nowhere to be seen. Mrs.
West came to his rescue.
"The gifts are all piled NJ in The
mushroom, Henry" she said
yours is in there, too--it might be
good idea If you opened II now.
We're going to make an early start
In the morning. Mr.. West and !
have opened our things and Helen
has disappeared, probably TO look
over her trinkets in her room be-
fore going to bed. You run into the
music room and look at yours.
picked it out myself, and I'm very
proud of my taste. Goodnight!
And she was gone. Henry, with a
heavy heart, entered the music
room. EIelen's absence could mean
only one thing-she had decided -
Erefuse him and did not want to tell
him SO to his face. Well, he would
see what the Vests had picked out
for him. anyway. He entered the
room and closed the door.
In the darkened room there were
/ bundles Of all shapes and sizes,
ready for the mornings distribu-
ton. One in particular he noted
with his name pointed on 1t In huge
letters. 1t was an enormous box,
nearly six feet high and three
square. He looked at 1t in amaze
ment at its size, and then he smiled.
It was Just like Mrs. West to fool
him. Whatever his gift was, he
would find 1t in the middle Of that
box, probably In layers of excelsior
and carefully hidden. Flo grinned.
Mrs. West was fond OF mild prac-
teal Joking. It was just like her
to put a scarfpin or a pair Of cuff
links in a box big enough to hold a
sectional bookcase and make him
spend an hour or SO hunting for 1t
ia the packing. He shipped the
string that bound the box and the
! huge sheet Of wrapping paper fell
off with a rattle. The front Of the
box was Of one piece OF heavy card
BOARD, held In place with few
tacks. He slipped the blade OF his
knife under the heads OF the taCks
,fand twisted them out one by one.
when the next to the last tack was
neatly on, the table-Henry hated
making a mess-he paused mo-
ment to think Of Helen. A quick
pain Gripped his heart at the
thought Of her now lost forever.
Then he took a new grip Of him.
self. He would take the blow like
4 man-and now to see what Mrs.
West had hidden for him.
The last tack tinkled on the floor.
Henry stopped to pick 1t up, and
Ra he did so the cardboard fell side.
ways, revealing the interior Of the
box. Henry Strengthened and look.
ed, prepared to dIslodge the pack
ing.
Then he stood motionless, spell.
bound. Inside the box was some.
thing glittering and shimmering-a
boll.dress-the same he had seen
Helen wear that very evening, And
Erom the shadowy interior two
4 rg11ita arms stretched out to hiu