The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-06-23
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Send for Owens.
Copyright. 1920, By the Mcclure
, NeY6naner SYndicate.l


W7HEN the last vote had been
w cast and the last ballot had
been counted, and 1t was a fac: be-
yond disputing that the candidate ioI
whom Richard LeaVen~ottn mao
spent 80 much Of his youthful and
Eealous enthusiasm. had lost the cleo
Hon. Richard Leayenworth took the
defeat really harder than the man
himself. The fact that Richard mad
mover fully experienced two winters
n France made him less hardy against
the sharpness o. the disappointment.
When II became apparent 10 MIS-.
Ieayenworth and Richards sister that
nc had taken the thing so TO heart,
when the thermometer thrust into
Ills parched lips had shown that ne
was actually III in consequenCe-no
ono was especially wrought up about
Il "Poor Dick mas always been tfat
way Hes very bad loser, and al
ways did play toe hard.
The old family doctor had assured
Mrs. Leayenworth that, while Rich
ard was not In actual danger, he
ourht TO have a change Of air imme-
diately. He would recover from the
fever as soon as he had his sleep out.
but after that he should be packed
OF to the mountains 10 get The men
tai rest his nerves demanded.
q But it was perfectly obvious int
none Of the Leayenworths wanted 20
bury themselves off in their mountain
cabin in November. Loretta was going
to be married in January and Mrs.
Leayenworth certainly could not get
of with him, much less could To-
retta. It was Still the day after the
defeat with Richard-big. broad
shouldercd, sInewy Richard-helpless
IN his room above stairs and Loretta
and her mother were settling the sit
uation.
wen lust have to send for Owens"
uuoth Loretta with finality. Certain
" we can't 60 off up there, and, any
way, II anything were going TO be the
matter with him II would be necessary
to have q nurse-way OF there with
out a doctor or anything. Besides, /
don't believe We would either Of US
be any comfort 20. him."
Mrs. Leayenworth upbraided her
self for not having though OF Owens
before and within five minutes teIe-
gram was off to that nurse Of his
childhood instructing her TO be at the
mountain resort TO meet Richard with
IN two days. She had been there Of
ten enough-she knew the way. She
was further instructed to wire II she
i would be unable to be there.
So Richard was bols;ered ~ with
the doctors prescription, bundled in
to a closed car with the Leayenworth
, chauffeur who could be dispensed
with for a few days, and Loretta and
her mother went back TO the import
ant work Of planning bridesmaids
dresses with a free conscience,
For after all Richard would be con-
: tent with Owens, the old Welsh wo-
man who had nursed him through all
, the small Ills Of childhood and then
had always been willing 10 come back
whenever her yigilant care was need
ed to help Richard through any i'll
ness or accident.
Owens, to be sure, was a baby spe-
cialist. It was her rule 10 take no
one over twelve, but she had never
refused to came back TO Richard. So
when he broke lib or so at hockey
in high school days she hurried home
from a belated vacation TO be at his
side.
Later she II was who went up to
college to take her place in The in
; Urinary while he recovered from the