The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-06-06
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
Only Human Nature
sY r. RAY BAKER

BY r. RAY BAKER
JASPER HUNTINGTON went
through the portals OF the First
~ National bank feeling very In.
@ignlticant, gazing with a feeling OF
ave at the massive columns among
which he passed.
Il was q new building and every
thing taboutit was significant Of the
huge sums Of money that furnished
d foundation. Yes, Casper felt lost
He had little acquaintance wtth
banks and was not here now OF his
own choice. He had been summon.
ed5by1a letter which he found at his
roomswhen he returned home after
calling on Bertha Walton.
Threading his way among the Pill:
lars and busy people Casper found
the presidents office and that Of
fetal In company with the vice pres
ident greeted him SO etfusively that
J no was taken back and could not
comprehend the meaning OF 1t.
Some time later when Casper
vent ont through those same portals
he was vaguely conscious OF a feel.
ing Or disdain for the grandeur that
surrounded him. His steps were no
longer hesitant; he seemed walking
ON Air. Instead OF feeling instgniti-
snt@ he felt superior 10 htose about
dim. There was q million dollars
% his credit in the First National.
Heswalked dow nthe street and
his / pycurled up as he waited for .
Ihandsone automobile to sail past
| He wouId.haye a better one-tomor-
row! He went 10 his rooming house
and for the first time he noticed
cracks in the wall paper and cell
ing and the frayed corner OF the
rug. He sat In the only char
arailabie and pondered, bewldefea
! over the sudden fortune that hao
dropped from the clouds.
what could he 90 with a million?
Wen. the first thing, Of course.
would beSto resign his position. the
next would be to buy the most ex-
nensiye car in town. Then %hats
rhese Nominations recalled 70 MS
mind a conversation in which he
Mad taken part last night at Ber-
ass home. Mr.. Walton had been
hiding something in the paper
about millionaire. and had paused
10 ask that question which Is asked
50 often;
sWhat would you do Il you should
fall heir to s1,0o0,ooof"
casper had told them he would
use Il in philanthroplc work ana
bertha had listened with glowing
.heeks and proud, glistening eyes
wiiie Mr.. Walton had laughed and
aid
rel. YOU would. That's what you
but IL you should fall heir to.
fllion you'd forget about phil
snthorpy8and spend It for your own
1 comfort and pleasure. It's only hui
man nature"
But he had meant it-then. He
md thought little further on the
subject. because the possibility OF
lsfs possessing a million or even q
lt~thonsanl dollars had seemed so re-
mote. Not even the letter he had
btonndain his room had recalled his
conversation.
an you will call tomorrow after:
noonsa the First National Bank and
sst Tor The president you will learn
something tof benefit to you" That
Was the way the letter read.
Now he smiled at the ideas he
adSexpressed at Bertha's home. Yes
-,f course. he would engage In philan
thropi6 efforts but they could wait;
while. He must invest in an au-
tomobile and then he must travel.
And Bertha? Well, he was engaged
20 her hut she could walt too. He;
was really ID a different stratum OF
ne. and perhaps he had better give
her up altogether. That reminded
him that he had an engagement 10
Etake her to the theatre that eve.
nin, 50 he called her up at the
offieelwhere she worked and plead
! ed fiame excuse.
Yofseourse it's all right" she as
sired him, hut she did not prolong
the conversation. 1t was just as
WE'LL Perhaps II would be better
now for him to form the acquain-
tanceship OF a girl In his own social
sphere 1,
casper decided to keep his good
fortune d secret for a while but In
This he was frustrated by the news
napers who managed to find out
Everything somehow. Reporters
staftedScalling on him that very eve.
ming and he was forced to give in
sergiaws telling them how the nancy
\ had some from an estate in Scot
yhich he had heard of when a
it had forgotten about as he
new up. The next morning he was
spread all over the front page.
i Bertha solved the problem OF his
matrimonial obligation by writing
him q brief note in which she con-
eratulated him on his good fortune
md voluntarily broke their engage
Rent /.
fYou are on a different plane Of
fffeSnow,p she wrote. "and it u only
human nature under such conditions
ID formffriendships among the veal.
nv class. SO I'll say good-hy."
she was right and he was glad
she looked at It that way, he told
aimseif and went out to take posses
SION Of the expensive automobile he
hadsofdered. The car business was