The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-06-03
THE DAILY
STORY.
Folding The Claim
eyFREpERtcK HART.

11ViulltS tLie SldMI4
81 EsEpEatck HART.
etTs ynkveF katsn sucn delicious
Rathesls exclaimed stephen
Haftfidge as he gazed regret
fully 1t i clean swept plate. do
tell me, Me. Ward, how you man:
sge ~ get them 20 light and
Mfs. Ward beamed on her prize
boatdef stephen Hartridge was a
young mining, engineer who had
been sent BY a great corporation
Into the back country TO inyestt.
gAte the mineral resources OF the
region: he was young and good.
leoiang, and; there had been some
competitibn among the keepers OF
boarding houses for the honor
and ptotlt-of his trade. Stephen
rad tried them all, and after one
trial IL MIRA. Wards had remained
81 i permanSat gust. He lived
down al his little shack, where he
spent his time making out reports
and testing soils and unpromising
looking rocks; but for his meals
be never tailed TO report to Mrs.
Ward promptly on the dot. HIS
remark about the waffles was but
ons Of many admiring comments
which he had given.
sHiSss you, Mr.. Hartridge. l don't
make them Watfles. I'm no hand TO
cook j Just run the place and see
that eyerybody gets served. It's my
daughter, Mary, that's the cook.
sheIchrr take a little flour and some
milk and an egg or SO and make
you think you're sitting right at
our mothers own tablet"
aReaily3 Why haven't met THIS
narAEbn N the kitchen? You are
kseItiSn. Mrs. Ward"
From another man the implleu
request might have made Mrs.
Wardiankfy, but her fayortte board
err Could 40 no wrong.
aYou just set where you are, sir,
!. and III ask her to come IN" q
Replied genially. Then calling TO
Gae back 6t the house:
MAfyi oh, Mary! Come here q
sYss, mother" replied a voice. In
a moment the door swung open anu
Mary entered. Stephen rose from
his seat and waited expectantly.
MIR, this Is Mr.. Hartrtdge, the
enainesr down at the river shack"
hearaed Mrs. Ward. can this is my
dauEhfes, Mr. Hartridge-the one
that makes them waftles you Ike
so much.s
MAY blushed and laughed de-
dghttuliyG Stephen Hartridge look
ca AZ her more closely. Above the
shronding apron that covered her
Top1 shoulders to ankles ne saw
4 roguish face, lighted by her
smiiS. With two merry blue eyes
and cnflihg light hair that even the
HANDKERCHIEF knotted about 1t could
>not entirely keep in order. And
she, al she looked at his sun
Drowned countenance and saw his
,r55feet OF Strength and poise, felt
IL for the first time in her lie
She had met q real man. But the
4ghts iii both their minds were
not EXPRESSED. Stephen said:
" liked your waffles so much
that i couldn't resist the ternpta'
tion to- cry Author! Autnor!'"
Aust go you don't ask me to
make d curtain speech" she laugh
led! Tfn sure l don't mind appear.
ing and bowing." And she suited
the action to the word.
Stephen was delighted. He had
not EXPECTED her to understand his
theatrical a1lusion. but Bhe not only
undefstoodsit, but capped It as well.
Hew would have said more, but that
the fed rs the kitchen to attend to
the wapts Of something or Other
that was In the oven. Stephen sat
back withta siEh.
Mrs, Wood" he said, "you must
lei ne come to call some evening"
I'D love to have you" replied
the niotherly old soul. "And I'm
sure Mary'd like It, too. You come
right along any time you feel like
That was the beginning OF their
acquaintance that quickly ripened
into warm friendship. Stephen
found Mary delightful in every
way aud she In turn learned to
think often Of the bronzed young
Oengineer who spoke go quietly and
} mcFed Do gracefully and comport-
ed himself in spch manner as she
Rid aiWsys IMAGINED a gentleman
Then one day stephen failed to
appear ct meal time. The day
passed and another, and still no
STEPHEN. Mrs. Ward, anxious,
madeS inquiry and discovered from
some sffzIied miners that Stephen
EasShoidinE 4 claim he had located
for his company a job that necessi.
tatedShis staying on the land night
ana day TIL the proper papers
cohlasb be made out.
But he hasn't anything to eat!"
erfed Mary ID disuiay.
sch, she'll git along somehow or
ber; replied the miner. Il see
sbokln' onct er twict as |
SEQ his shanty. Got any more
them griddle cakes, Mis- ward?"
That night-the fourth Of Ste.
.Pnhenps absence-R cold rain set In.