The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-02-14
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Supper for Two.
BY WALTER BREWSTER.
Copyright, 1920, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)


running risks which I don't care to
have my wife incur, and which you
yourself, II they materialized, would
find mighty unpleasant"
Nevertheless, Ned, my dearest, you
are not going to forbid your usualty
obedient little wife her bit OF excite
Eent. BY, by. promised to meet
Dot after the matinee"
She stepped down from her perch.
kissed Ned swiftly on the tip Of his
nose, and before he could summon fur.
Their argument, had slipped like will.
o-the-$isp out of the office door.
Ned remair.sd as she had left him
for a moment, his substantial brow
furrowed and his pleasant eyes tri.
lie worried. Cecile was the dearest
person In the world, but would she
never settle down?
There. was this business OF trotting
down to the grill room of the Alden
House for tea after the theatre, a
proper enough thing to do on ordinary
occasions. But Cecile, led on by her
friend Dot, in those good sense he
= had less confidence snan in his wite's,
had fallen into the habit OF going there
on days when some big musical com.
edy was billed at the local theatre.
Now Alden was college town, and
among the many Students attending
the university there were, OF course,
some who felt called upon to mingie
more OF less with the minor stage cele.
brfties. Tosthat end it was customary
after the first performance for the
girls to congregate casually In the lob.
by OF the Alden House and await those
= Ia to- an
fhe young men about town, who were
6esirous of making dates for dinners
and the like.
. AS Cecile had reiterated times
without number, her presence and
Dots was perfectly innocent. They
were not made up" their attire
was quiet" and they viewed pro.
ceedings from secluded corner of
the balcony.
Well, Cecile had no: respected his
wishes. Ned put his wife resClutely
out of his mind, switched on the
light, and settled down to work.
Then, for the second time that
afternoon, he was interrupted. well
s-well-well," sang out hearty voice.
Its. dogs age since / saw you
Jim, by all that's lucky!" and Ned
stretched out his hand.
His business forgotten, he settled
down to comfortable. reminiscins
talk with his old friend he had not
seen since his marriage,
wanted to meet your wife" said
Jim, abut / have to leave town at ST.
I Suddenly, like a man inspired, Ned
leaned forward and put his hand on
Jims arm. "Say, old man, you're
the best friend I've got. Help me
teach my wife a lesson, will you?"
But Ned ignored his hesitation and
outlined the circumstances, also his
scheme. "Just enough to give her a
hint what the real thing would be ike
then bring her home with you and
we'll make our some sort OF feed.
Wei" said Jim, 81 suppose can,
under compulsion, walk up to a |
strange woman and ask her and her
companion to have supper with me:
but how the deuce will know her. and
how the devil ,afterward, wilt | be !
able to persuade her that It was all u |
pus-up job?''
oh. that's easy" said Ned. ruI
scribe a note explaining, which yor
kcan give her when you think the Joke
has gone far enough. AS for knowing
her-you won't have bit of trouble.
She'll be the prettiest woman there
and she carries green parasol"
Meanwhile, Cecile wendell her way
slowly down to the place of meeting
with Dot-the drug store near the
Alden House. But after many min
utes Of waiting, no Dot arrived. AT
last she decided to go over to the ho-
tel and see IL Dot was there.
But in the LOBBY. filled with little |
groups OF stars from Linda, Look
Out. there was no sign of her
6fiend. Spying a telephone booth i
Across the hall, Cecile concluded to i
Telephone and find out If possible IL |
Dot had left home or had mistaken
the day.
AS she approached the door her way
Was barred by not unprepossessing !
YOUTH a bit older than the average |
run OF men about the room. II beg
your pardon" he said, politely, in a |
voice that was slightly unsteady, the
cause for which Cecile, inexperienced
as she was, did not fail to trace, but
am looking for some one to eat sup.
per with. May have the pleasure?"l
Cecile shrank back. "Oh, IL don't
belong to the-crowd-1 couldn't think
of such thing. Thank you, but"
She made an effort to pass him, but
he would have none OF 1t.
Come, now" he said coaxingly. "a
vice little supper for two-chicken en-
casserole. glazed sweet potatoes-oh,
You haven't the heart to refuse"
What could she do? CHANGING about
her, she thought quickly. She must
temporize-and telephone Ned. Yes, it |
would be humiliating, but, hang humil.
iation, II 1t got her out Of his scrape. |
She turned toward her prosecutor.
I'll don't know. But first must
telephone-a-friend about some
some arrangements.' He looked at her
without suspicion, as one might to i
whom it did not occur that to dine
with him would be anything but most
agreeable.
"All right" he said, "11l wait, and
see you don't run away"
Cecle escaped into the booth, and,
trembling, took down the receiver.
With relief, as she dropped in the
nickel, she heard her husbands voice.
She spoke low-her face turned from
the door.
"Ned-come right down to the hotel