The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-02-19
THE DAILY
sIIORI STORY
a Leap Year Episode.
By WILL T. AMEs.

copyright, 1920, by the Mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.)
n ATTERsBY, broke, disappointed
, and in deuce OF pickle, turn
ed away from the child negation
Of general delivery window A to d ana
almost bumped into Lousine Trask.
There was not one among the hun
dreds Of thousands Of persons In the
roaring town whom Battershy would
not rather have met. That was be-
cause. he had been steadily, consist
Asntly, Soyally in love with her for
. eight years-and because OF his pres
ont plight.
In. sheer panic Battersby stood stock
still. involuntariiy holding his breath,
hoping that the girl would not see
hin. OF course, she did.
Zen; What in the world! Away
over here on the other side of tho
country! Why. we weren't even
sure that you we're back!" Miss Trask.
Ignoring tho press of traffic In the big
postoffice lobby, was plainly deter.
mined to make this meeting every.
thing that Battersby dreaded. why
don't you say something? Why don't
you act surprised to see me? Aren't
you glad, Len?
Iflthe-e Is one good thing that the
war taught to more men than It did
any other 1t is to despise lie. Bat.
tersby had served IN regiment where
liar was the only mucher. He grew
very red, but he looked Louise Trask
in the eyes and told the truth.
No, Lou, I'm not surprised and I'm
not glad"
''Leonard!" There was genuine pain
IN the girls one word. But Battersby
stubbornly stuck to his unwelcome
job.
I'm not surprised, because l saw
you a week ago. going into the Mac.
Larin, and found out that you were
4 staying there with your father. And
I'm not glad, because hoped 4
shouldn't see you again till things
we're very different with me from
what they are"
you have very peculiar idea Of
an American girls point of view,
Leonard Battersby," responded Miss
Trask, with considerable spirit. Zone
would think YOU had Just come from
France to America for the first time
instead of being native"
Battersby laughed shortly. "On the
contrary, 1t is the European viewpoint
of such things that has disguised me.
the frank, fortune hunting by men
over there, with the woman a secondary
consideration, is the ono thing II
couldn't stand. 1t clinched my deter.
mfnation to keep TOUT of your life un.
til-or unless-~I could make money
enough to justify me in seeking you
out again; money enough, mean, for
justification from the doughboy's
point of view"
The girl bit her lips. "And I suppose
you expect that am going to act the
part OF q pawn in your game of stiff.
necked pride!" she exclaimed. do
you think have none Of ny own, and
that I shall always be waiting when
You are trying to conjurc out of the
air--and never will?"
have no right to hope So" said
iBattersby. Il have never asked It, you
know"
No-but I did wait. Now'-there
was trace of tears in her voice-"I
snail do 80 no more. Now that have
learned, by accident that you return
ed safely from the war; and are as
stubborn and as-selfish-as ever, we
VIII make this good.by." She gave him
her hand for an instant and was gone.
Late this afternoon arrived the let
ter which Battersby had been so anx.
tously awaiting. 1t came in the nick OF
time, Tor tomorrow he had determin.
ed to take job as railroad brakeman.
the best he could get, though he had
heen captain OF engineers. William
son sent him certified check for pre-.
lminary expenses and promised to
come west himself in two weeks. A
year from that day the All Sea Lum-
Der ana Navigation Company was a
going concern, with vast stretches of
cumberland facing the Pacific, mills,
ships and a great distributing depot
on the Atlantic seaboard, all made
possible by the vision and engineer.
ing acument OF Leonard Battersby and
the faith of the millionaire who had
been his colonel Over There.
AS Battersby, on flying visit to
the eastern depot, was passing
through the big offices he stopped
Stock still his eyes rtyeted on the fig.
lire of "a girl, typist, bent over her
work. Battersby rubbed his eyes.
came nearer made sure that he was
right.
Louise"
Miss Louise Trask, daughter of a
man who had habitually made while
ne slept the daily income of a hun
ureo stenographers, raised radiant
countenancc from her machine. How
do you do, Captain Battcrsby?" she
said, easily, as II tho meeting were
logicai and natural as their first one,
now 30 long ago, at the junior prom.
ls was not until nc had the story
OF John Trask's physical and t!nan.
yctal collapse from the great adventur.
er's daughter that Battersby fully re.
altsea how completely out OF the world
he had lived for the past year. out
sthereN in tho timberlands and on the
waterpowers, among the shipyards and
on railroad trains, how utterly abb
sorbed he had been in carving a place
Afor himself in the realm of big bust.
ness. To learn that Louise the unat.
stainable, whom his pride and poverty
had denied to him and for whom, at.
ter all, every atom OF his great ef.
Tort was being made-that by a quirk
of fortune she had been suddenly
landed on plane that rendered all
this huTly-burly and fortune striving
unnecessary, 1t came TO Battersby as
a shock.
. But he WAC glad he had sncceeded