The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-06-16
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
A Sumner Idyl.
Copyright, 1920, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate)
BY JESSIE DOUGLAS

Lnln notes OF inc VlcLfOi3 ludt uiAtSV
down to her from the house above.
It was early summer and Helen
and Catherine and Jane we're taxing
advantage OF II. talking and dancing
and laughing away tie summer night
while here she-Priscilla-sat getting
lonelier and !onelier every minute.
Not that she blamed any OF those
girls they were her friends, nor the
bows who had left her out. Instead
she thought they were quite right to
choose Helen and Catherine and Jane
and let her stay here on her white
steps alone. /,
For these men-as Priscilla called
them-lrightened her So The more
l she tried to talk to them, the more
|. the words froze on her lips, and the
more she !onged 10 run away, until
/ finally she did run, wishing al! the
h time that someone would be bold
p enough to free her from the prison
house Of her shyness.
When she had climbed the stairs to
her own room much later she stood
before the mirror and looked IN very
seriously and very sternly at herself.
Although she could not see them in
the light she knew how those seven
sfreckles lay across the bridge Of her
high little nose.
III / wasn't quite so plain P-i-
5scilla told the reflection sadly; snu
turned away before she saw the git
te.tng drops that made her wide
%green eyes like eyes Of merema!d.
She put out her light and knelt dowl
beside the open window.
She let down her hair about her
shoulders, hair that was like rusty
gold and framed her face softly like
: the face OF a Botticelli madona
She stayed there very still watching
the moonlight that did glamorous
fittings to the garden and lent silver
lpalor to the patch Of grass beneath
cher window. All the loneliness and
the tiny hurt smothered itself away
land she fingered there feeling the
caressing fingers Of stray breeze
that ruffled her hair about her white
face.
N But the very next day Priscilla had
forgotten she had been left out Y
She always did forget It with girls
for Helen and Catherine and Jane
thought she was "a dear and no
party would be complete without her
IL Il was fuSt iris.
"P-iscilla's so different with girls!"
Helen laughed. shes such darling
ANYWAY. But anyone can see that
\: she's frightened to death Of men: and
Its much kinder to let her do as she
ipleases'
The girls had been down to the
Mvillage" as they called their over.
grown town. TO shop and Jane had
selected a blue dress because she
lsaM Harris liked blue, while she
sblushed Just the tiniest bit.
s Helen ha6 chosen yellow muslin,
to be made up with ruffles. although
she did not say why she had chosen
yellow, and Catherine had picked out
pink-sprigged dimity. Priscilla could
NOT resist the temptation; she knew
She might rot need the pale green
fCFgandle that looked like the foam OF
4 sea waves-would not need il, IN fact
but 1t was not so expensive. And then
the girls were all going to make the
dresses themselves.
She might be left out when they
wore them, but not when they made
them. They had boarded the car,
almost taking up whole seat them
selves and while others discussed
tucks and pockets, ruffles and gath
ers, Priscilla fell to dreaming.
For right in front Of her sat the
kind Of q man she had always wanted
to know. She knew he was the kind
Just from the back Of his head. HIS
ears were so well shaped mad so close
to his head and his collar was so
white above his blue serge shoulders
and his hair was so satiny smooth
then Priscilla noticed strange thing
for as she watched him red tide
began to mount from that neck to
the very tips Of those well shaped
ears.
She saw then that the conductor
was standing beside him and saying
"Fare, please!" while he searched
first in one pocket and then the ohter
He didn't have a cent. Priscilla
( knew It! She reached forward and
slipped her last nickel into his hand
and she felt the coolnes Of his fingers
and then she heard, Priscilla! Prl-
scilla! Don't gu know you set off
here"
Catherine and Helen and Jane had
alread Jumped off and were standing
"a the road laughing and calling to
her. Priscilla stepped down very
quickly, thankful from the depths Of
her heart that they had not seen what
she had done.
They leased Priscilla a moment for
dreaming and then said. who is he,
PRISCILLA" mad to their amusement
Priscilla% and to their amusement
OF her hair, but fortunately they didn't
know Of what she was dreaming
and fortunately they had their dresses
to plan, which was much the more
Important.
Priscilla stitched and sewed and
tucked and ruffled with the rest, and
when she had finished they had all
agreed that her dress was adorable
but She knew that there would be no
one TO care particularly II she did
look like q tiny lost meremaid in that
nile-green orsandie.
n But Just the same she put It on
that evening and went out TO sit un-
der the moonshine on the white steps
She sat down very carefully. so that
not one OF the precious RULES would
be crushed, mad she knew she was
very lovely.
But what she did not know was
that to the Man who came whistling
along the white walk she looked like
q moon fairy. Just then her mother
called, "Priscilla!" and she darted in
doors, to find when she come out a
few minutes later that a tall figure
was landing on her white steps.
miss Priscilla he asked very
gravely.
And Priscilla's heart began to beat
very hard, and lump grew in her
throat and she knew she would never
be able to say word to this good
looking stranger.
b Il think owe you this" he said,
holding out a shiny nickel.
"Oh, how-iid-you know" Pris-