The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-07-09
|.., TEE !, P "a ~ Z
A suecessflll Failure
syEREpERtcK HART

room ahs had no premonition
d failure. The neighborhoodi
where she had rented her two small
rooms was quiet but populous; and
there scanned 70 her TO be q good
chance for q placs that advertised
home cooking and dainty surround.
inss she had d lIttle money
enough she was sure, % keep go
lng until the credit side Of her new
ledger should show q balance n her
Iayor. Her cooking she ives sure
pts her home training had made
her wafflss lannon's. There would
30 40 difficulty IN training any one
sho nigh obtain as assistant. Her
heart beat high with hope; and
when she paid tho first months
rent 10 HE agent and taken pos
session Of the little place with her
shiny nav key shc experienced a
thrill Of PRIDE.
The expenses Of the tfrBtiinstalla.
ton were heavier than sho had i'm
Agined her helper demanded pay
naent III advance. and largo pay
naent AZ that; the furniture she
bought at secondhand stores, her
rood taste standing her in g0od
stead; silver, ehlp1, ETC.; Kitchen
utensils he had q very slender
kaiancs Iii the bank when ale had
tinished writing The checkI. but
Tor thesnrst two weeks OF her
month people came in streams to
the little tea room, as they always
do to O new place, and Margaret's
linysrying service and the fame Of
her afties carried her through the
breakers 3trirmph9ntly. II the at.
tendance went on like this she was
assured of success. Her eyes we're
brighter and her, heart very happy
as she balanced her books at the
end OF The first month.
Among the customers whom she
mad begun to designate as "regu-
lars asa young man who appear
~ for two meals breakfast and.
Dime every day. He was pune.
tualatosthe minutes o'clock sharp
tor brea kfasts and 7:15 in the eve
ming for dinner, He was quiet
sndpplite and never joked with her
n with Hilda the maid, as some Of
the others did; this fact Margaret
stbconsc iously5 noted in his favor.
Hespent his hrea kfast time looking
over the morning paper. and his
evening meal seemed to be devoted
IS much to figuring as to eating;
Ne would draw diagrams on slip
% paper which he invariably car.
led IN his pocket, eating mechan.
Ieaily the while; Margaret even
experienced a feeling OF plque as
aeonee allowed her watfles to get
,olud, SO absorbed was he in his
strange sheiroglyphics. She laugh.
sdat herself torlthis interest In him
which came to her against her will,
Tor she had determined never to
step oyer the line established by
convention between the proprietor
of q tea fooms and .onesot its guests
but she excused herself on the
ground that he was the most regu-
lsr of The regulars. and that she
could always count OF him. mo one
could blame me for being inter-
esteds in my. best customer" she
said tc herself:
One morning well on in the third
month Of Margaret's adventure. he
kppeared as usual for breakfast;
day passed; 2 o'clock arrived,
q the tables began to fill; 7:l5--
"a Margaret found herself looking
& the door, expecting her "star
board Ter, as she called him in her
mind But he did not appear. Seven
thirty still no star boafder. At 8
she gave him us, supposlng that he
ead gefa elsewhere gave him up
d pang Vat her heart which sur
her and sdld not please her.
sillly5thihSg!" she said, adj
ding herself. He's nothing to
q. What Sdotyou care whether or
not ne comes, here AGAIN. Hes
yes sir eighty, ninety. 6pe dollar
GOOD night This last aloud to 8
departttg customer.
But he was not there the next
morning; nor All that day IN fact,
and when two days had passed With
out his fsappeat rance Margaret Gave
him up for lost and attended, To har
other customers Ma
H,a aenaFt,,re seemed ~ have \.
Ind sffast ~ lher fortuna bawaveS y
tor whom "a balaneed her ijeolSs Ak
theend cf;the month she found her