The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-11-01
THE DAILY
STORY
lThe Spring Girl
az KATE EDALONDs
right, 1920, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate)
RTH came down the noun

down on his bare head, n tae
:ool kiss Of the October wind
:ouched his brown face; he walked
Nth the air OF one who has quail-
I'd the elixir OF life. Emerging
rom the deep woods he stopped
short. on the big rock near the
Ipring q girls slim form was light
= poised. In the russell OF her
iress and the scarlet OF her zap
The seemed another wind-blo"n
ieaf, frost touched to gold aud IRE
de drank in the little brown beau
" Of the girl. the perfect brown
earth and wInd-Btripped trees.
The girl began to daEce-with
1pllEted arms and careless abaIt-
ION, moving in rhythm With a
strange wIId melody that the WING
tore from her lips to ilutter up IN
my fragments of pure delight.
Orth frowned as nc strobe To-
ward tho sprInG. The girl did not
see him at first; her arms were up
tiItcd in q wild invocation uI the
:Ioudlegs blue ana when her
glance fell upon him as he drank
from his folding cup she SANK Il.
4 brown heap On the rock staring
at him with mutinouE eyes.
He dipped the cup again into
the spring, drained It, and put IL
away in his kit bag. Then, for
the first time, he recognized her
presence. He removed his cap
vat "a stiff inclination of his head
nj did not replace 1t. She sat
d the rock cycling his movements
18th open curiosity.
II opened his bag and took out
az lof CONDENSED heat" lighted
1t, placed u small folding sauce
pan over it filled 1t with water.
took out Il small tea caddy, var
!Uus tins OF crackers, sardIncs and
sweet biscuit, then sat down TO
watrn the water come to II boil.
When Il boiled he extinguished-j
The flame, put some tea into the
Eauccpan and covered 1t tightly.
Tho girl on the rock watched
.hasc preparations with hungry
syes but her mouth was set very
!iYmIy and her face grew quite
sink, How delicious the lunch
.oolfed there! She saw that there
vas u box OF her faYorlte crackers
and q jar OF pimento cheese-and
he teG. was really fragrant. Il
1rutc wso actually gong to SIT
3opfn and eat In front OF her-and
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES!
She hated him for that.
At least she would compel him
r - ttofTca bSar
Deliberately she slipped towr d
lie edge OF the Tock-tt was three
.eet above the ground-uttered n
stfanGIed Shrek of dismay that
sounded very genuine, and fell up
on4the most detachable box oil bis
suits.
She looked very pale and fright
sned siItlng there with one sIeh-
der ankle twisted under her skirt.
He was up in an instant. Il am
sOrry---aro you hurt?" he asked
ccncernedly, but there was 4 hos
tile note in his voice.
my ankle-just a sDrain-stu-
bid OF me-"
ut should be bandagcd at once
Eice cold water from the spring
4Ayou must allow me" In less
than 1t takes to tell il he had
ought the bnndage from 4 pocket
rst-aid case, soaked it in cold wa
ter while the girl obediently batHed
ed her slender ankle. He look at
II. tested 1t skillfully and than pro-
ceeded deity to enclose II IN a
tight bandage.
..Are YOU a--doctor?" she in
Quired.
"a lawyer" he answered crisply
lust lost my first cast tool" bend
ing low over the little foot.
"How provoking! Thank you go
much-.-I am afraid ! have spoiled
your lunch"
No-I will make another cup OF
tea and you must share 1t with me
Orth's formal tone had lost lts BE-
verify, and us he talked pleasantly
while he worked the girls manner
CONCEALED into frozen silence. He
brought out from his bag u big
package of thick meat sandwiches
The girl saw none Of thes" things
and added them to the meal.
Sugar" he asked, giving her
q. cup Of SteamIng tea.
Her eyes flashed. You know
she began and stopped short. NO
thank you" she ended Eily.
She slipped the Lea daintily,
watching him with unfriendly eye
as he attacked the meat sandwich
es. She nibbled some of the sar-
dimes and crackers and thought
with regret OF the delicate biscuits
she had crushed.
"You are not eating anything"
he noticed at last.
"I am not hungry, thank you"
"You will have another cup OF
tear" stretching forth a strong
brown hand for her aluminium cup.
"Please-" she held the cup
steadily.
a few drops Of scaldins tea fell
on her hand and she WINGED.
"I am sorry," he a~pologized; 4
am clumsy"
1.-THE wind may have blown tt
it is nothing" she said hastily,
ut is your unlucky day" he re-
marked.
The strange meal proceeded TO
Its close, the mans eyes studying
the flying clouds, the flash Vt 4
scudding maple leaf, the song of
a late blackbird In the next :ield.
she was looking covertly al tho
mans fine stern face. scanning the
food spread on the grass between
them.
Suddenly she spoke. "Why did
..N g. - 0EN -