The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-05-04
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Window Shopping
BY R. A BAKER.

A..
Org, as they turned a corner which
took them of Main street onto a
residential thoroughtare. "We'ye
been at 1t more than an hour and
q halt, but how far have we gone, ]
ask you? BY the time we get to
your home 1t will be exactly six
blpckh-one to get downtown, four
20 cover both sides OF the street in
the retail section and one to re.
turn. And It wasn't really a walk;
was Just a poke, with you drag
ging me to every window TO stare
Il. at the flnery displayed"
Ruth,a mouth became firm and
her dimples disappeared, and fire
dashed from her eyes.
That's too bad" she said sar.
castically. Strange you wouldn't
want me TO enjoy myself a little.
can't have all those handsome
gowns and things. but you shouldn't
want to deprive me the pleasure Of
looking at them. Just because I'm
going to be your wlfe-maybe-is
no reason you can start In right
now to take all the Joy out Of my
lie. I've enjoyed myself this aft
eEnoon, only now you had to go and
spoil everything. l dearly love to
look In the windows, especially
when the spring styles are on dis
play. The trouble with you Is you
don't appreciate art, and those dis.
plays are art, and the men that
trim the windows arc artists.
You're too prosaic, With your dirty
cid Job In a musty printing shop,
and you haven't the finer sensIbili.
es to be affected by the more re.
lined efforts Of men who dress we'll
and keep their hands and face free
fgem printers ink"
window shopping is a great oc.
cnpation," John returned Just as
sarcastically. I'm shut up all day
IN g print shop, and when l spg.
i gest q little fresh air and some ex'
efcise on a Sunday afternoon YOU
drag me down to the stores and
make me cape into the windows
Ike a country Rube. Well, you got
fooled at one place-Hecksteeth's-
because they had the window COW
cred with a curtain"
Just the same I'd get a look into
that window II i could" Ruth do
rlnred, somewhat savagely, land
you and all the printers IN town
couldn't stop me. II you're SO fond
81 exercise and fresh air, you can
Keep on walking right past my
home, and you needn't ever walk
back this way"
s0f course" John returned, his
own eyes splitting fire, "if that's the
way you feel about it, I'll do just
From which 1t might seem that
Ruth Paige and her fiance were
mated about as well as two posi-.
tive poles OF a magnet. On the
contrary, this was their first quar-.
rel during the year they had been
acquainted. They were both pos
sessed OF stubborn dispositions,
with fiery tempers, but they were
sffiuinely in love with each other
and had c%ooperated to prevent
clashes. It Just happened, how.
ever. that John was peevish this
Sunday afternoon, and his peevish.
ness happened to strike Ruth when
Abe was in an exceptionally irrita.
bic mood.
After each had expressed him
self and herself, they walked in 81.
tlence the remainder OF the dis.
tance to her home. At the entrance
toAthe house they paused.
"Surely you aren't coming in
when there Is 10 much fresh air
outdoors" she said cuttingly, un.
able TO resist the temptation for a
final fling.
sot course not" he responded,
and lifted his hat, as he moved of
down the street. "Good.by." he
called, and did not once look back.
Ruth stood looking after her de-
parted fiance for d moment, then
walked briskly into the house. In
stead Of popping corn or making
fudge she flounced to her room and
held a private session with her
self, in which a few teardrops
flowed.
It looked like an irreparahlt
break, for with their obstinate dis
positions neither Ruth nor John
would take the first step 10 effect
q reconciliation. Ruth's makeup
was such that she would permit
her heart to be wrung dry by mis-
cry before she would yield one lot,
and Johns Temperament was con
Instructed of the same kind OF ma.
terial. They were both wrong, but
they couldn't help It. What was
NEEDED was a clever mediator who
could bring them together appar
emily by chance. However, there
was little likelihood Of this, be
cause Ruth kept her own counsel
and John was tactiturn about his
affairs. Asian example Of this he
had been calling on Ruth for about
two months before she even had an
mixing US to his means Of making
q living.
With John out OF, her life, Ruth
took up with Susie Atterson, who
worked In the stenographic depart
I1ent with her at Miller Brothers
Wholesale paper house. Every eve
ming at the close Of the days worI
they walked together, for thell
homes were not far apart, and they
window shopped to their hearts
content. Susie suspected some
thing was wrong with Ruth ant
John, because the latter no Longer
called for the former and escorted
her home, but rather adroit ques
tioning failed TO bring enllghten
nlent.
Hecksteeth's department. stort
proved a mystery to both the girls