The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-12-13
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
ne Fifteenth Guest
ey MARIE "a RoouE

TN moldinE board Of the spacious
low ceilinEed kitchen Of the Mel
bourne house. There was a deli
ciouB fragrance OF browning pump
y kin and mince pies In the oven
Vegetables and fruit sent late IN
the afternoon were piled high on
I a table IN one corner of the room
and through the open door that LED
to the dining room you might nave
caught the aroma Of pine and
spruce that Nellie Melbourne was
weaving into garlands and hang
ing about the old w%aInscoted room.
Get everything you possibly
can done tonight" Nellie called 70
Miss Samson. the houseKeperi
our company Is coming early
"Our company" said Polly Sam
son With a little gruffness that
could not have offended any one
who knew tho good heart that lay
beneath the somewhat blunt e1'
terror OF Polly. "You can't call 1t
our company whom you won't even
tell a body who is coming. Must be
an army from tho dInntr you have
ordered"
Nellie Melbourne's laugh sound
ed high and clear from the dining
room, THAT'S my little secret
Polly Samson, so you needn't be
SO snappy about It.. You'll know
socu enough"
Then Nellie went into the rooms
beyond to continue her work OF
decking the old house with green's,
The wind that was driving drifts
Of SNOW in the darkness outside,
kept up n racket, but Polly prick
/ cd her ears when she thought she
heard footsteps on the walk beside
sShe kitchen. She opened the back
diPor and peered out.
y'ot, it's you, is IT," she called
rather sottly. BLESS my soul, but
you're a. sight"
81 only thought saw u light
out here. so 1 came to look around.
Don't usually keep working in the
kitchen SO late"
It was Mr.. Robinson, the old
Eatchman who answered, and be.
fore he kAew4it; allysSamson had
got him~in the kitchen, having first
brushed off the snow In the entry
way. She told him he was cold
and pretty nearly exhausted, which
he did not deny. Moreover, she
told him that, Waterman or no
wntchman he had no right to
spend the night outdoors on a night
like that. He sat down at first re-
Nctantly, While Polly busted her
self making fresh coffee for him
and cutting a wedge ron one OF
the many pies that had already
come from the oven. 1t was but ma.
ftural that Mr.. RobinsGl asked
SSaIly for whom the feast was being
prepared and looked surprised
when she told him that she did not
lbSnow.
ut can't be for any relatives. for
she hasn't got any said Polly.
dWhen her father died eight
smonths ago he was the last leaf OH
the tree, except Nellie, OF course. !
didn't think she'd stay on here In
the old house. PH,nty of money not
thirty" These remarks were
uttered crisply between vigorous
applications Of the rolling pin. "Dnt
she knows her own mind, and Of
course I'm glad she's staying. Don't
know what I'D do away from this
old house,"
Funny she hasn't ever married,
said the watchman, a man OF sixty,
who bore more OF the semblance OF
a genial college professor or coun'
try doctor than a Waterman.
Polly leaned heavily on the roll.
ing plntoward Mr.. Robinson. "Peo-
pie don't know Nellie when they
say she has no heart" she whis-
oered. "Of course there is lots that
have wanted her, but that's not hor
j fault. She's the kind that only
loves once. I guess, Anyway there
was a young fellow she went with
in the college here: I guess they
were enHaGed-Enow they were, In
fact we'll, her folks objected. He
was fixing to be a lawyer, he was.
30 they did what parents some
, times think they have a right to do
maybe they meddled with the
letters. ! don't know. All l know
Is that he never came back and
that Nellie never married and It
isn't cause she hasn't had some
grand offers"
The whispering stopped suddenly
as Nellie Melbourne came through
tho door.
"Hello there. Mr.. Robinson" she
cried with obvious pleasure u
thought Polly must be talking to
herself out here. You're Just the
man I'VE been looking for" She
fastened a little spring of holly In
The lapel of his coat and then stood
off to admire It. what you going
10 do for Christmas dinner? l
thought you'de be going home.
J She paused, wishing that she had
not spoken the word, for Nellie,
liqe the rest OF the people for,whom
MIR. Robinson acted as Waterman
knew very little about him. He had.
dropped into the little town Of
Thatcher seemingly from nowhere.
vouched for only by an old resident
who had never said anything about
the old mans personal affairs.
Mr.. Robinson looked confused
only for a moment. "Why, I
haven't made very definite plans
vet.n he said with a smile. "You
sac, I haven't any family exactly,
only" He paused and It was clear
that he did not wish to continue