The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-06-17
BY DORA NOLAN.
Copyright, 1920, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Synd!cate.)

10 &c " uuDIt, ~. -, Intyfcafa
oit az t.s t!!,eaG, forming mtt:cAe
loops and knots under the guidance
,soi tapsring fingers.
aoh. Miss Mamie! Telephone zone. :,
Tfe bsSy fingers stopped short N y.
their tasl: and the sweet grass oaA me-
found iIselI IN sole possession Of tae
he1rh as The girl hurried up a pain
n lie direction OF the voice.
Wee minutes later she returned,
INT iie work lay neglected and inc
hack eyes were bent thousnuu!ls
mon The brown water, ever slipping
I, AVER the stones. Then, from the d.
ssetion whence had come the voice is1,.
sounded a CHEEKY whistle. AaStliy
the shuttle started again on us O0o'
bling way. o.,
lowed close upon the WHSLE s.sa
slende. youth with sandy mar, WV
blushed like q schoolboy as ne &C
tnowledged the girls greeting
II say, Nan, it's a great day! You iSo
-yo,, iook great in that dress, 100;
Ana rs rSbully to find you alone.
sFor a recent graduate OF a ceie'
brated university, Ned, your vocao'
silsry seems woefully lacking IN az,
,Secdyes this afternoon" There %Ss
IA Mint Of amusement in the g.fIs
voice but her. eyes, downcast upon
i,er work, were seriously grave. ;,
ayou know I'm always tongue ,,.;,S
Won, Cousin Nell is coming on the
lz:io and promised mother to !, meet
hef. That only gives me nall an
Sour. And I've got something ! want
toto ask you"
.l.m listening, Ned" During the II,
somewhat prolonged pause that lol.
lowed The girl did not lift her eyes
from the shuttle. The young man "a =
ea1ed at the girl. at the brook, al tne
;Slders, up at the maple tree, tae is
,bsck 10 lie girl. What his lips sa,a
Sisisly was not at all what his brain
hadSS1mmanded them to say.
aTm going to miss you like every
thing, Nan, when so away"
ais nice to be missed, Ned" Nan
answered demurely.
Ned Barton looked nervously a.
.noreI Bother Cousin Nell! say,
Nal. 81. Louis is so far away, ve!S
Ntely I won't get up to see you more
tssn onee all winter. Dad expects
ne 10 stick there and make s0ou'
you know" s,t
not reply, but apparently ,l liS'e n .
9Th III serenity to the joyous TIL Oh .
song asg sparrow that filled in the pause
q don, suppose that will botne y
Won. though" It was me poI hnrs
hittarness Of self.deprecatins oos'
hood that spoke. ... ,,o,
The shuttle came to an a !su St s,uT,
Nan stacy, her eyes on me oroS 'ai
Wate,s Slipping by, spoke in her y. uS ssl
snst ,one though in her own ears hes
s scss ran rang louder than the clashins OF
cymbals: ,.,,;or IN
9. I mis- mis- Bob, II | we're there with
yg a,rton ra,ed at the girl for a
s.sans Mt IN incredulous bewildermenl.
TSsn he laid his hands gently on aet
ssoulders, turning her to MN SO IN. sads
i,e could read the wonGeriul u ,.ou
t ~ In her eyes: "Do-can you
mean that Mani" And all the Joyous
{. ..M II tie song sparrow, the laugh
ne Of the waters, and the Gentle sssn
III q the maple leaves were LII LIB
sS Hsit an hour elapses between the
t,rst rnd second acts Of this Little
Nan Stacy sat on the same bench,
but The shuttle was idle in her lap.
Her soft black eyes were again oeht
on the brown waters still slipping
~. Her heart echoed the song OF ths
lille brown bird overhead. A WINS
IA sounded from tho direction OF the
mats. followed by laughing voice.
aHello, Nan. Just saw Ned disap
pea,ins down the highway in cloud
Il dus:. Looked as II ne were puF'
sued By the wrath Of Color a mo
tor COP. Don't tell me you let HIN
mt it over, after my tipping ecu
) IA" Hal Carter flung himself down
on the bench, rather LOO close 10 the
Mans shuttle was flying again,
very diligently. NO. she answered,
.Ncd dida't put it over Hal. Ne0
hasn't your self.assurance, you know.
II there was any subtle intent IN
the remark II was lest upon the man.
There was a hint Of the bully in Hal
Carter. His shoulders were 100 mas
siye. his forehead Just a :riIle TOO
broad for its height. oh, counted
on that, he laughed, "whcE bet him
ina fifty he hadn't the nerve to pro
pose TO you this afternoon. But those
shy men are stubborn, sometimes.
You're a clever girl to have held MIN
OF, all the same, Nan"
aDo you think so?" murmured Nan.
"Sure dol" Hal Carter tervently
indorsed his own words. Some game
we put up between US this afternoon,
Nanniel | win the fitty-you get
thai antique silver tea pot you've
wanted 50 much. Shall | have It mark
ed with a C. or do you prefer your
, maiden initial?" The question was
asked inanuatingly, and Carriers arm
slid proprietarily around the girls
shoulder.
With an elusive change Of position
that left the arm resting upon space
Nan sat upright and looked straight
al the very confident young man.
"Thank YOU, Hal" she said, I'll have
/. marked with a B. please
"'I,' Nan! Where's the jokc:'
Has heavy brow puckered IN per-
soa YOU, Hal. You forgot about
rs ns,rg leap year. b stands 70!
partcz-and Tor boomerang"
Tie song sparrow up in the MAPLE
TITLED and trilled, the brown waters
eurgled, the maple leaves rcsdsd;
3. Il was he Kind Of Joke 20 laugh