The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-06-30
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Toss Of a Coin
lIBy FREoERtcK HART.

- gopyftght, 1891, by the Mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.l
II the privacy OF her little room
Margaret Sears was giving way
: estrainedly to grief.
The cause Of her tears lay on the
: bed beside her, a tumhled mass Of
tulie and silk and satin. 1t was a
pieffette costume, dainty, allurlng,
crisp and fresh from the hands OF
the dfeBsmaker: beribboned and
bebow6d, with pompons on the slip.
pers and q tall pointed hat. also
decorated with pompons-a cos.
tune which any girl might be proud
70 wear Sat the last and best fancy.
dress party OF the most exclusive
club. press, stockings and hat alike
we're % . delicate shade OF pink.
sPtnkt moaned Margaret to her
Pillow ePink! And ! told him dis.
ttnctly that Il must be blue, and
now it's too late, and Billy will go
away and neyer see me any more!"
The explanation OF this some
what enigmatic remark was con-
tanned lin note, crumpled from
much reading, which lay on the
dainty dressing table at Margaret's
side. It contained only few
words:
Peggy: / realize that i've made
abfool OF myself and | ask your for.
giyeness. i am called away to Can
ada tonight to, be gone for two
months; no telling where letter
Will find me. wont have time TO
: see You before | so; but will get
i tomorrow mornings paper on the
train and read about your costume.
X you5wear blue I'll know that I'm
forgtyeng Ever, BILLY"
That note had arrived the day be.
fore. Billy was far on his way
now, and she had no address OF his;
she had at once ordered a blue
pierrette costume at the last min.
tite; III had arrived too late to-
change. and It was pink! There
was no eyading the dance--it was
~ social duty TO go, and she had to
gosin costume, and she had search.
ed the house In vain for blue rlh.
hors, blue tulle, blue anything.
! There was nothing Of the chosen
colorto be had-and now 1t was too
latel
She lieard a ring at the door. al
moment later her maid announced
the youth who was TO be her escort.
Tell him to wait" she said duly.
III he down In a minute"
She put on the pink pierrette
dress with hands that tremhlel at
tho hooks. There was nothing 10
do but so. Billy would see the next
morning that she had worn pink,
and would think that he was I'm.
forgiven, and he would not he back
for month"; Her eyes brImmed
With tears, Fate had indeed treat.
ed her badly.
Atsthesclub that evening it was
noticed that Peggy Sears was not
her usual buoyant self. She did
not seem to enter into the spirit
Of the occasion, and there was
some sossip-a bit OF tongue wag.
ging-to the effect that II Billy
Fahenstock had not been called
away SO suddenly Peggy'B smilesl
might have been more. visible. But
Peggy seemed as immune 20 gossip
as she WAS 10 the gayety OF the
party. Even when some dearest
9triends'' tried to whisper a few
lspointed remarks into her car she
Was unimpressed She had yield.
edstoifate. To make matters worse,
there was Helen Travis. clad en-
Rctly as Peggy was-in q bcwitch,
Ing shade OF blue! II It had been
any one else but Helen Travis.
Peggy would have asked her to Gx.
change but It was over Helen that
she had quarreled with Billy!
The society reporter put the last
touches to his copy and handed It
70 the might editor. I'm goin
home, he remarked. Then ha.add.
ed Funny thing about that party.
There were two girls there dressed
exactly alike, except ono was pink
and the other blue. couldn't tell
en- apart, except one was peppy
and the other seemed to have some.
thing on her mind. ! got their
names, but ! Tipped penny to see
which name I'd put for blue anu
which for pink"
ooh; well, 1t doesn't matter" sai1
the night editor. Ana the copy
went through.
AT II o'clock the next morning
Peggy Sears opened her eyes on a
dull world. 1t was raining outside
"a fit accompaniment for her feel.
ings. ia rap at the door-the maid
with her breakfast. Comet" said
Peggy listlessly.
The maid entered. On the tray
beside the shining coffee service
was q yellow envelope.
&c came Just this minute, Miss
J Peggy. said the maid. Her heart
heating with wild hope, Peggy
tore the telegram open. This is
what she read:
t.Happiest man In world; saw
paper. Will write soon.
"BnLY."
sHfida!n shrieked Peggy to the
startled maid, "get me the morning
paper- quick"
Under the headlines OF the &C.
count Of the tancy.dress ball she
:, read;
miss Margaret Sears and Miss
f53len Travis elected to appear as