The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-02-24
The Dali
SHORT STORY
The S. o. s.
BY CRAWFORD LuTTRELL.

WVASSbAVo opAAAB Dul ~ was uultG
evident, after the first week OF her 30.
journ In the house OF Capt. Abstrut.
:, hers, that his sister Helen was going
to have sorry time of 1t. She was
pretty enough in her way, but that
elusive something that makes or mars
a girls success with men held no
S1omise for the captains uneasy wife,
PNnne. What was she going to do with
her sister-in.law for q whole month?
Men came, perfunctorily, at her bid.
ding. They ate her dinners, nibbled
her cakes and drank her tea, but they
returned the courtesies with the air
of men paying just and honest debts
when they could make far happier use
OF the money. None OF them on leaY.
ing, fingered little to grasp her hand
and whisper, She's some little peach,
your yisitorl Say a good word for mel
How about dinner with me tomorrow
night and could you squeeze in O
horseback ride for the next after
noon?"
Something had to DO done and done
Asquielly.
&, Anne thought over the list of pos
sibilities. Her heart gave little con.
vulsive gasp at thought Of sending an
s.. o. 8. TO the colonel, and yet she
looked forward happily to the oppor-
&tunities that 1t would offer to exhibit
herself In all her mature loneliness
to the man whom she had refused in
order to marry Tom Anstruthers.
There was always little glow Of
feminine satisfaction when she re-
hected that he was bachelor be.
cause OF her. His eyes were inscru-
table, unfathomable. They looked at
per as II they were still seeing the
pretty, innocent young girl she hao
been when, visiting the post years be-
Tore, she had chose husband he was
the best looking officer there, the best
dancer and the most adept at making
love. Well, she had paid for her fail
ure to discriminate, but nobody knew
now much she had paid. Outwardly she
was the toast Of the officers mess,
beautiful as a star and Just as cold,
men found who ventured to make up
Tor Anstrutherss obvious lack of at
tention.
She had never asked a favor of Col.
Kent but the time had come when she
felt that the end justified the means.
She could not have Toms quiet, little
sister go back home with tale of un.
happiness to tell. The girl had looked
forward to the VISIT for years. Anne
knew. She remembered how it had
been. when she was young.
So Anne wrote little perfumed note
and asked the colonel to call at tea
time the next day. She planned to
have a few others in so that she could
take the colonel aside and explain Just,
what was wanted without having
Helen suspect anything.
She longed to wear a blue georgette
frock deliberately embroidered in steel
beads, but the colonel had often men.
toned his fondness for her In that
color in the neyer-to-be-forgotten days
OF youth, SO she resolutely pushed
aside the allufing little garment and
selected drab gray to which only her
sapphires gave color.
or course they had met almost every
day IN the year, but he never went to
Anne's house unless he was invited
there, and Anne only asked him when
there were many of the other guests.
Lately she.had seen little of him. He
was beginning to plead that middle.
aged officers ought to turn over social
affairs to the younger fellows and let
them have their fling.
When the few people whom she had
asked had all been served. Anne left
the gay little tea table and casually
moved over to set beside the colonel
I'm so glad that you came" she
SAID, i want to ask big favor Of
you"
Granted," he answered, smiling IN
scrutably, before you ask, as you
must have known it would be-"
capt. Anstrutherss little sister is
visiting me for month. For some rea-
son, not known to me, she Is not prov.
ing very popular. My sixth sense tells
me that. :"
"Woman's intuition"
She is young, as you can see, so
young that her heart and ner eyes are
still filled with dreams. | want her to
be gay and happy while she Is here.
Already she Is beginning to feel that
the men are not rushing her as she
had hoped they would. Can you help
mel. VIII you hello me to make her
visit here all that want it to be-"
A little wistful smile played about
his full lips and etched with, a bold
stroke. the fine lines that were already
showing at the corners of his Blown
eyes, It's big task to PUT up to u
man whose own dreams have never
come true, but I'll do my best. What
ever You say goes, you know. I told
you that same thing. fifteen years
ago."
Only that once did she let the mask
taH. Her face went white as a snow.
drop and her hand, idly lingering the
bar Of sapphires on her breast, tremLl.
ed visibly. There was tho agony OF
confession in the ewes she lifted to
his for one brief moment. II 1t hadn't
been for the memory VI your kind.
ness, / couldn't have endured it all
these years"
II know" His cluep on her hand
was warm, reassurlng. I'll do evsry
thing that can for the girl
II miracle can hapDca. then Ole
happened at the post. The end Of
Helen's visit came and Anne knew
that no girl who had ever been en-.
tertained there had enjoyed greater
popularity. There had been rides,
lunches, teas, dinners and theatre par.
ties to the nearby city, all of them
sponsored by tie able, quiet looking
colonel. Anne was grateful beyond
the power of words to express, but
the visit had been a irving ono for