The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-04-28
TIE DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Great Moment.
BY A. MARIA CRAWFORD.
Copyright, 1920, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate)

q
rs brother might have done. Mflly
her birthriGlit. For II Is the sum and
substance Of every girl's life to love
ana be loved and Mily knew inStinct-
tyely as Il is always given 10 girls
20 Know, that while Dick Carter pass
Yely held her there in his arms ne
%ss thinking Of Jlanita Estes and OF
Mnat JOY he would have experienced
possessing her. But Juenita had
~antonly Tilted him six months before
since the days when she was hailed
" potstrous schoolmatos as "FreckIs
lace because of the fine dustdng
. Drown nscks across the bridge OF her
2setty nose, Mflly HAD never loved
Z years growth, she had felt COMFORT
ing sense Of possibility when she
heard the welcome news of fis fitting
3y the proud, cold beauty, Juantta.
Win no comounction OF conscience,
Miliy hadFset herself the happy task
OF comforting him and now she had
accomplished her purpose. Dick had
asked her to marry him, but Milly dld
not feel the wild citation of her heart
and spirit that she had so hopefully
anticipated. After ALL she reflected.
as she stood there, her cneeKs resting
lightly against his regularly beating
meant, she had gambled with odds
against her and she had won him. but
stie had lost the thrill Of that great
moment I'm every girls life when the
neat OF mans passion kindles the
tire OF her own. Suddenly she remen-
1ered old Grandma Winston's eagerly
proffered advice, 1.-Two people never
love each other in the same degree.
Els safer to marry a man that loves
you better than you love him"
You are going TO marry me, M1lly
dear Qrainf ~ a..
that rich, throatv voice of his TO which
the cords, OF her heart had always
responded like the strings of musis
cal instrument to the hands OF a mas
Hoh. yes. Dick, you know that will
have. always loved you,' she answer
Then she was hurt, numiliated over
her concession, for Dick had not said
that he loved her. He had merely
told her that she was the very finest
girl ne knew and that It would make
MIN very happy indeed if she would
marry him.
But he held her a little closer at
snat and q flush crept over his face.
thicklg, "but am going to try mighty
hard TO make you happy"
And Milly, with age-old wisdom out
OF the mother heart of every woman
who loves truly and is therefore for.
getful OF self, slipped her arms around
mis- Shoulders in utter abandonment
olpride TO help him through what she |.
lelt was a trying situation. He was
giving her the best that he could offer
Fate hau cheated him just as It was
cheating her, and more than anything
else IN the world she wanted her love
tor him to help him to comfort him,
70 mako him forget the girl who had
held the priceless boon OF his love
SO lightly.
What kind of a ring do you want
dear?p he asked then. 81 want you to
pight Il he smiled down at her within
sicallyg III YOU vii. do me the honor
TO wear It then
nh love to wear It Dick. want al
solitaire II that suits you. A gold band
but the. stone mounted in platinum,
she answered directly.
You're so sensible, Milly. You'r9
going to make me- wonderful wffe.f
She knew why he wanted her tt
have the ring before the next night.
Juanita would be there, home fronY
six-laontbs visit in New York where
she had promptly taken herself aft Ter
economical than she really needed to
be, and when her mother chided her
about her lack of interest in I new
clothes, the girl had always told her
that she was going co be an old maid
and that her. parents, would have TO
support her as long as she lived. il
was not like having a daughter who
hands for life, she said.
Her mother. OF course, was thrilled
over her engagement. She was he
ginning to fear that Milly Would in
deed be an old maid, which state of
affairs invariably seems to hurt the
mother more than the daughter. II is
ps sort OF shock to their own pride to
feel that they have pi oduced some
thing which no man wants. Milly's
mother was delighted when the next,
morning at breakfast the Eiri ex-
pressed a desire for. a new evening
dress: Something really nice, moth
er, and handsome wrap"
No homely girl can dres VI, and sud-
denly appear to be ravishfhg beauty
but fine feathers truly make fine
birds and a masseuse. hairdresser and
really gifted buyer for a ready-to-
wear shop certainly did do wonders
10 Milly on. that momentous day. Dick
stood at the foot of the stairway and
watched her walk slowly down. She
wore an apple green tulle dress with
a long floating ven caught at the
shoulders and worn like a. court train,
Hcr yellow hair was heidi high on her
head by a man-shaped Spanish comb
and a string OF lustrous Bearis cfrcied
her slim throat: Dick folded the
heavy green velvet wrap with It's
short cape of ermine afound her and
then caught her close to him with arms
that trembled a little Happiness Iiebt
ed her eyes and curved her smiling
sIYou're beautiful, ldiliy," he said
and then added. unsteadrly. land
you're mine. You, make me think of
spring. eternal spring, and annie trees
in bloom"
She had made sood, beginning
Milly thought, as he slipped his arm
bending toward her whispered. Lets
all TO myself for q WHILE w ~"
But her period OF happiness was
doomed to be short Juanita was "a" sI.
ready IN the ballroom, regal. superb
IN sheathlike white satin and from
he time niflr pOfaro.Ii AAOih