The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-06-02
| THE DAILY
IsHORTSTCRY
In the Rebound
BY MARTHA MecuLLocH
WILLIAMS.

~
ming TO disprove the axiom?
Be sure 1t was no question OF hts
Ashng-hc did not, indeed, realize
ts existence. He was, you see,
self;Bufticient with malice afore-
Thought, hence took no account OF
the winds Of chance.
Yet they had blown him through
painfully meager college years TO
AsseholaFly success that he felt as.
trfed success still greater Thus
BE had had no time for playing,
still less for the pretty game OF
lore+makins-there expressed con.
eretely in expensive things like
flowers, candy, auto and theatre
parties, not TO mention giddy raj.
hient OF the latest mode. Girls
meant all these-so imperatively
Penntng had stoically passed them
an Notwithstanding he did not
lack sex-conaciousness-but II was
50 braided in with thrift and am.
billion that he had held 1t rightly
N check. Yet In the backmost cor.
ner OF his mind, where he visioned
2 future Of eminence, he stored an
appraisal OF Persis Moon, not
strictly Of the college set, her faith
or being only an adjunct professor
IN the letharglc law branch OF the
university. Persis looked thrift
personified-and lived up to It,
yet owned a delicate small pretti.
ness and a gently clipt speech that
wasted no breadth in undue EN-.
phasis.
K he did not tell her so outright
he knew she understood-as is the
privilege OF such ingrowing ma.
ttires. SO when he plunged into
the world of affairs, got a foothold,
onlgto be swept from 1t by the war
sfioods he felt that only an III"
v stood between them. Several ifs,
M faet--it she lacked patience, II
another man desired her, II he him.
eelf found out somebody more to
his adyantRge-eYen the dazzling II
OF sudden success that would set
him beyond hor notentiaIities-all
these he ppndered, but ended by
lsaylns his mind clouded with
mints, only now and then roseate.
Luck lay In walt for MIN. Home
from the wars, with never a
scratch, she opened a way for him,
not ;silt-tdged but gilt'paved. 1t
led 70 millions, some few years
ahead. Meantime he had to get &C.
climated in the atmosphere OF
wealth-learn to dress with such
QUIET elegance 1t all but amounted
10 camouflage, to forget the name
of money, except when he seemed
70 htmselt to squander it-and to
do 1.-The squandering with the gay.
Sest good will. He caught quickly
the disparaging implication OF
9ightwad." There Poppy was a
foeS OF refuge. Poppy being the
5nonym OF a supernatural buddy,
n~nreasonably rich and reasonably
ssnsible. Through the medium OF
his own hearty sincerity he saw
Bennins as a wonder. Therefore
ne was glad to sponsor him social
" even 10 make him known TO Me.
lttta Vane, the queen OF his own at
tecttons. ,
M6lftta was, after a sort, com.
nopnded OF saint and siren. Vivid.
~ beautiful, alive TO her finger
tins, dancing like a menad and
singing like a thrush IN June, she
had undisputed right TO be first In
the hearts OF her countrymen. Ben.
ming had no intention OF disputing
the right-when 1t came Poppy
Sanders, there was another story.
Poppy had already more than he
deseryed-besides, he could not
possibly need Melitta as Bennlng
himself did. Hence, therefore ana
because, Benning set himself sedu.
lnisly to the supplanting Of his
friend. At first cannily, covertly.
hut soon by open and eager pur-
suit He haunted her waking hours.
wrote to her daily or oItener, sent
tue, snail, well.chosen gifts upon
any occasion, or none, and by clev.
81 maneuvering made himself her
social complement upon tho mos.
part OF important affairs.
Fate appeared to have taken tho
tase for him. Somehow there was
! growing distance hetwixt Melitta
ard Poppy. Not an open break,
hut q withdrawing from con-,
faderie. Poppy had spells Of being
actually taciturn, but Melitta, away
from him, was gayer than ever
Renning f1attered himself that it
was because OF him-a woman's
heart, like the moon, thought he,
had always a man In 1t. No other
man should have a chance 10 set his
image In Melitta's breast. Since
two bodies cannot occupy the same
spaee, Benning was relying a lot
unon preemptions. The sense Of
security they bred in him went to
his hesd-he not only spent with
both hands almost ostentatiously
hut got a mad Joy from the spend.
fng. Melitta loved l%uxury-he
wanted TO prove to her that with
his potentiaitties capitalized, as was
easily possible, as his wife she
would need only to wish for a thing
and have 1t.
he fancied her ambitious, there
tore he played upon her skIllfulIy,
bit without oeaslng in full stream,
all the celebrities with whom he
had touch, social or official. Also
ne let her know indirectly that he
bad not yet reached apogee. II he
chose he could slide into politiCo-
leapitalistic life, where his brains,
Mus Influence, would soon exalt
fhim greatly, He visioned MelIttR
an ambassadress, presented and
lpfesenting at courts, a cabinet lady,
even dimly, first lady of the land,
she would grace any station-he