The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-08-16
THE DAILY
SEIOR STORY
An Epidemic
aIartha Mcculloeh. Williap,s.

r. IVY HAppeH no reHegblVH he{s
W divine Providence"
eeFhep how" Basil began.
Edna interrupted What you see
d IKE q Christmas tree-the ulti-
nate Of aecretIon. Joslinda puts
thlngh more things, other things,
on and on and on, till there isn't
room for another. Bear witness
her hair. EVERY bit natural, she
isye---and truly. You can all but
eeekoR her age by the varying col
srs Of her switches, transf6rna-
lions and 30 on"
s94t!N Basil commented severely,
nut pndld the severity BY giggle,
Riaen ran on; ~ must have q close
hisnEQf course you'll present NET"
aGepldn't hell tiff 1 tried
aaFd,p Edna flung back. and you
snpw I wouldn't try. Home is like
The law-ali men and women asked
70 II aresfer the time being equal.
ghaeEstang=I'm not making fun
II y eslinda merely explaining her"
PITY she can't see she makes fun
q herself Basil said, cycling, mar;
roYly a fawboned outline, tall and
broad, vet lank, without a soften
Ing curve, clothed in loud plaid blue
silk. low cut, with elbow sleeyes
And fairly bristling back and front
Ciwith tag ends OF ribbon, ruffles,
-ieadssnd fringe, thereby doing dis.
credlt To some really fine lace. A
SCARLET crepe shawl, richly EN-.
broidayed, was draped from the
Shoulders to fall over a solid form.
ltfialf ambushed the bertha Of rose
point which was caught In bun
die at the middle with cameo
brooch three inches across. Girlish
strands Of coral Rugged the lean
throat, topping a string OF gold
beads, below which rama thin gold
erhajn with q single big diamond az
pendant. Many manners Of brace.
lets, mostly cheap and ugly, half
covered the lean forcarms but did
mo- quite reach the single button
gloves, Noting all which, Edna
hreathed in Basil ear; "All her
feitleons but two-grandma's gold
4nufbox and grandpa's silver punch
howl. ] look to see that some time
instead Of hat. Joslinda says
Eshe does q like to be individual
in dress"
4 Must be rich,p Basil commented.
Has been, you mean" Edna re.
turned, ~ laugh at her because !
safilt help but inside I'm sorry
gsscan be-She so Graves the fine
hings she feels herself to have
been born to-gets herself up this
waysas a sort Of defiance OF Fate"
1T is right down pltiful-if you
COX under the surface" Basil an
swered, rising with her, Two min.
- ltes later he was shaking hands
with Joslinda-who babe him call
her by chat name-"samc as my
other friends" She was fearfully'
md wonderfully made up-rouged
almost to the eyes, whitened be.
yend any sepulcher, scented Of law
ender, cheap essence and moth
balls. 'tYou better take care
Neddy Is the baddest of all US
girls" she said archly, glancing at
Edna. "She looks love at every
s ssss. Don't you never believe her
"Thanky ma'am for telling me
tA9Sh - 5uAu nAFc ~ w NY GOiI'
science that she is breaking her
heart for me-" Basil answered. with
his most solemn accent. "You had
better tell Brother Nixon, too. I'm.
less you do, fear he'll be running
} away from his conquest before he
as half through converting all US
sinners
ashe-she-can't be trying
d wefl! A flirt will try anything"
Joslinda said acridly. You'd
think she'd let alone poor widow
er-with two children-almost
fsbles, in fact
gu know men are often caught
in the rebound. You seem to me
thevery moral of a preachers wife
--ritaybe /. you hadn't been so high
with him Basil paused signifi.
santly, then dropped shamcd eyes
as he saw the flush that spread
over neck and forehead, despite
the whitening. His chance shot
had told-hit the white indeed.
Ioslinda swallowed hard, then
blurted out: what makes you say
that? Anybody tell you anything?
NIEdHAGu HE-Vt1,
pshaw! l mustn't talk foolishness
But ] do wish you'd tell him."
WHAT" Basil asked very low.
eThe-the truth" Joslinda an.
swered low, You know--about me
and you and Neddy. You're the
one for her-lvc known it ever so
long-any caution was all in fun.
And you can tell him, too; ! won't
mind dressing plain. know what
Scripture says about gold and cost
" apparel. I'll sell all the hen
house. I've been told they are
worth enough money to clear off
my mortgage-but you see, girl
has to look well unless she wants to
bean old maid"
"of course" Basil returned,
ehucklingly. .Joslinda was obvi.
ously beyond middle age. Still he
nwed her an enormous debt of graf
ttude. If she did know Edna's
htart-if she had spoken even half
truth, he would take heart to pro.
pose to his dear for the magic
seventh time.
In the joyous relief Of that un.
outstanding he was ready for any.
ching, Nixon, the evangelist, was
fine, genial fellow, younger posi-.
bly, than Joslinda, but greatly in
need Of a wife. Her plantation,
mortgage free, would be fine
haven, whence he could sally to
fight the world, the flesh and the
devil. Joslinda, minus heirlooms,
in clean, crisp cotton frocks, would
be comforting if not highly deco.
rative. Then there were the
Sbabies-how she would cherish and