The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-11-15
| TIE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Selma Sings
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.
Copyright, 1920, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)

between ana q o'clock. And al.
though SELLING had success, health
and most all tie good things that
life had to offer, she still had fail
ed to find the one greatest OF all
gifts.
Selma had never loved richly, Sc.
Tiously nor yet even happily, and
she had reached the, age OF thirty
three.
1t was not that Selma was OF a
cold temperament-far from It,.
But 1t had seemed to her that the
men who had loved her could easily
do without her. They ALI were self.
sufficient and she would never fill
the vital place in their lives that
she felt love ought to fill. She was
curtously hampered by perhaps
exaggerated sense OF desire to be
an absolutely part OF the man who
FloYed her. She wanted Il man TO
be that essential ClemenL In her
own life-if she were 10 really love
Many Of these thoughts were
what passed through her mind
while she took her daily walk and
Givers problems were happily
solved during the constitutional
hour.
Selma had not realized that In
one OF the houses she passed her
voice; reproduced in It's glorious
perfection, was daily listened to
with eager ears BY nerye.worn,
Z weary hero OF the war.
Ut one evening when n soft
GS5k was creeping down over the
city street Selma, passing tina;
house and for the first time con
.scL9us that 1t was her own voice
. l%as hcaring and had heard
.ch evening, subConsciously dur
Is a long period, stopped to glance
Sgtthtn the unshaded window.
Sitting with head forward and
with WEAKNESS and nerve strain
casting its terrible Wilderness over
his face, was a man whom Selma
thought was the soul Of tragedy.
Before the war he must have been
big and powerful and able to face
a world of struggle and to conquer
II. Now, he was a shadow, a man
riYeted down to the CHASTITY memo
ries of the battlefield. Selina's
sixth sense told her ali this as
plainly as II his nurse lowering dis
creetly in the room beyond had told
her.
That same sense urged Selma
Ito that room. Something told her
ner presence, her voice was need.
Stp stay mind from eternal wan.
ing among the shadows. She
n not know that crisis was near
~, that tired brain-thnt hidden
Cords were ready to snap-but she
told the nurse who let her into the
house that she wanted to sing in
person to the man who was listen.
Ing to the reproduction.
1.-THE nurse looked into SclIna's
eyes, recognized her as the great
contralto who had given her won.
derful voice so freely TO the fight.
ing men and welcomed ncr warm.
~.
'He went right drought it all, :"
SNshe told Selma, indicating her pa.
tient, The joined with the British at
the beginning. We are having d
losing struggle with nerves ana
BRAIN
Selma looking pitylngly at the
big man who had not as yet seen
TO whom his nurse was speaking.
when he turned and looked at her
bteE eyes lit for the first time in
hit9hy months A slow glow kindled
and Selma knew that the soldier
was familiar with her face as we'll
as her voice.
Il heard my voice on the ma.
chine" she said by way of asking
q reason for her visit, land | have
taken the liberty of coming in to
sing to you in person" She took
the hand. he eagerly held out TO
her and held 1t in a warm llfe.giv-
ing grip. MAY sing for you?"
I'm fool-a perfect fool, ovcr
your voice." he said slowly. and
gaZed with III his soul in his tired
eyes at Selma as If not realizing
that she actually stood before him.
His nerves were at swapping
point. Selma knew that he was
having a great mans fight to re-
tain control.
you sang for US over. there" he
added. II have never forgotten
your voice-it is the only thing on
the face Of the earth that gives me
a seconds rest from-huvoc"
Selma had a moment of inner
thanksgiving that she had been
permitted to pass this particular
house and enter therein.
II am going to sing then" she
said gladly, and every day until
you are tired hearing me | will
come and sing any songs you want
. to hear" She smiled her rich,
womanly smile directly into John
Hayward's heart.
She sang, and the sweetness ana
emotional timbre of her voice with
It's wonderful essence OF potential
energy and life stirred the soul or
Hayward as 1t had not been moveo
In many long month.
The song was just 4 simple little
thing, A bit of hope and love and
cheer.
But it snapped the tension in
y Hayward's nerves; the over long
S{pent up control broke and he Sob
! lbed as only strong man can sob.
Selma looked at the nurse and
motioned her to leave them alone.
She understood just what this
breaking of the floodgate would
mean to the Jagged nerves. Calm
would follow and then q steady re.
turn to serene thought.
She went and put her arm gent.
~ across his shoulders. After a
moment he looked up at her.
I'm a fool" he repeated, "but
your voice sweeps the very foun.
~. 2