The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-12-04
TIL DAILY
ISFORTSTORY
A Little Bit Shy
BY RAY LEWIS.

= there are disadvantages. To
i Sht Thomas Bradley Morse was
!, neenly aware Of the latter.
WHY In Sam Hill" he was NUT
Ing, cant the girls let me
..lun6g ! hate girls. And why
..ohld ], Just to please a bunch Oh
sIsters, get/a girl 10 tag around
after?"
Suddenly he whIstled. Such an
idea as he hadl But before going
into that idea, or rather while CIV
ing him TIME TO work 1t out, let US
look into the reasons for his un'
broth6rly attitude, as displayed I'M
nediately after an interview with
his sisters in which they had sew
orally expressed themselves con
corning him.
ITS so disagreeable," lamented
Belle, TO have a brother whom
you manage finally to drag to q
dance, only to have him stay OUT
on the balcony and smoked!
yes" chimed IN Elsie, "and the
girls are always limiting that It's a
shame TO have such guod.lo0Etns
brother and not take him around
more. And / always tell them thht
he may have good looks, but MS
disposition is something awful.
II wouldn't care" signed Janice
"ifl could only say, "0h, my broth.
er-he's engaged to girl out
vest or Hes terribly interested
ia an out.or.town girl. But to have
brother who simply won't look
az a girl-why, 1t makes him so dif.
ferefit from the other boys!"
Janice had given him the idea. II
being Interested in an out-of'town
girl would satisfy them, why. with
q little subterfuge, he could mau'
.,age that.
THE firm for which ne was
craftsman expected to send him
out OF town for few days, ana
when he came back he would an
.SS6unce his Encouragement. When
ighe saw fit, he would break 1t on
gradually and painlesaly. Such q
scheme would free him from all the
social obligations which ne hated,
ana temporarily, at any rate, salts
IL the ambitions OF his family.
Al week later Tom was sent as he
had Anticipated, and two weeks
Rftarward he returned. And SO In
teresting had his trip. been, owing
first 10 the success Of his errand,
and secondly to the attractions OF
die bFoWn.haired daughter OF the
architect with whom he had been
iIaaifhE, that he had almost forgot
ten his plan. II was not until sup
pef was over that he recalled 1t.
The family had gathered about
him In the living room. In facb he
was suddenly aware that the as:
sembly had all the earmarks OF q
family Conclave, with himself as
s The Victim.
GLOW old are you, Tom. dear?"
laskad Elsie tentatively.
''Sam Blake is to be married next
month" remarked Belle, apropos
OF nothing at all.
dOh, Tommy" Janice apparently
could not contain herself no long
or, there's the incest girl staying
at the BrOnsons-"
init was as for as she got. Tom
rose with dignity and gazed bland
lv Around. "She arrived too late
nv interests are firmly fixed else
whhfe!"
fTom!" The word was the ANAL
gamation OF three shrieks: Then
WHO is she?" Where does sne
liVe9" what does she look like?
were hurled at him simultaneous
a.Well, she doesn't live in this
burg" said Tom grimly.
ut must be Philadelphia, criec
Aud Tom, rejecting that Phila
,ielnfila was a good big city, let !,
"a, dc thht. Then, as he saw thai
he might as well so the whole
4 lahkth, having gone at all, he gave
hifHseif up to It. "She's nineteen
kas blue eyes, brown hair, a slim
ii6{,fe and slender feet" he rectteC
ritbiy. "Her father Is IA snoe
MERCHANT, and they live in a one
lsfhilJ house In q nice residential
6iRifict and own a small car ant
motor boat"
lLovely,," murmured Janice
: what Is her name?"
. Now, Tom had forgotten that she
must have a name, and the ques
tfoa was SO suddenly that he spoke
befnre he thought. Had he thought
/. he would not have uttered tht
prolnptings OF his mind, most Ger
taintT. Mary Smith" ne said
then wished 1t back Immediately.
ats delightfully."- quaint" sale
Belle.
Nov, Toms scheme had let him
out OF lot OF things to which nj
G hai grown more or less accus
tomed, hut involved him in new du
tiAs for which he was totally I'm
prepared, All three Of his sister,
sook 1t upon themselves to see tina
ia wrote regularly and often. "mer
are so thoughtless about leu'
Ghinks," they confided to each 9th
er, land it's up to US to see that hi
deesn't lapse"
And Tom, committed by his owl
decaitfulness, regularly penned II
Eheir presence lengthy episles t
kha fair Mary, then as regularly
con6iSned them to the waste paper
6asket in his official but one.
Janice had been teasing him a.
10 the kind of letter he wrote. 10
inst love to see one some time
she begged, and Tom, painfully
! writing under three pairs OF eyes
his regular Sunday letter, held II
out for inspection.