The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-13
TIE DAILY
St lORT STORY
ALL.
BY MARTHA MCCULLOUGH.
WILLIAMS.

BY MARTHA MCCULLOUGH.
WILLIAMS.
There must, after all, be some.
ming In a mans name. Else why
mould the excellent Miss Josefa
susset wrest living-room fate at
me point Of the needle, shears
helplng, OF course? This was
magnanimous, II that quality can
9e predicated, Of things inanimate,
since gussets came to the help OF
garment shapings In the older
times when shears were scsxce
ana costly possessions. Neck gus
sets, sleeve and tail gussets gave
Uses and stretches where plain
fabric would have quickly torn
% say nothing OF binding uncom-
Ieftably. Gussets, too. made for
economy-no small consideration
where every ell OF woven fabric
same from the hand-loom by help
% the spinning wheel.
Miss Joseta never thought Of
ueh things-she took life and liv-
ing on the surface-her name in
Slnaed: Not strange considering
tnat she knew precious little OF
gpssets actaal-lnstead she was
~ bondage, to patterns-tissue pa
per preferred, with holes, and
notehes so plain you could hard
y go wrong, unless you had been
norm with genius for mistakes.
Alice Lucy Lee. whose home name
Was All, derived from her initials,
mad that genius to an extent that
was heroic. Aunt Josefa said
piten if there were twenty ways
q doing thing wrong. All would
LTy every one Of them, but never
omnder on the right one.
In truth All, with her child
hands, her little dancing feet, Her
lons;lashed violet eyes and curls
OF true sun-gold, somehow did
NOT At into a workaday world.
Ihat was her shield. her saliva
uon-tf she had looked even half
way capable, yet done the things
she did, even family pride, plus
somewhat of affection, would
have broken under the strain.
The most that could be said for
heF hand sewing was that It
would never, no never, rip, albeit
aud stitches were never In line,
and no two exactly the same
length.
She surely tried hard 10 follow
patterns. II instead she had been
Tree 70 follow fancy, there might
4 have been another story, but hard
one with happier ending.
This came to pass through a
strenuous ordering OF chance.
Miss Josefa, witness to an impor-
tant will, was summoned to testi-
~ in q contest over 1t. when she
had said she couldn't leave home
Tor anything short Of Judgment
day. A fortnight OF rushing, due
to the big garden party at Judge
Leslie's, ought to have been over,
butwas not, through delay In get
ting the trimming for MadRme
Leslie.s new gown. 1t came only
the day before. BY sitting up past
midnight Miss Josefa got 1t on
II remained then only to set In
the sleeves, pick out hastings,
Mold and send the fateful garment.
Alls promised almost tearfully to
do that. GubbIns. the. caterer,
: wassfol call for, the package around
10o.clock, And she was so keen
to keep her promise she hardly
drew breath until she had the
splendid creation smoothed, fold
ed, tissue-wrapped, boxed and
labelled.
:, She had done her work almost
oYing1y; She loved the stuff, the
iinest silky crepe, periwinkle blue
in color, touched here and there
with cream white and gold. Only,
she had sighed,as shears slashed
and mangled it, she would have
so loved to dpape its softness
about Madame Leslie's Juno pro-
portions. That was her cherished
day.dream-one she hid as mortal
sin-one day to work her will on
! stuffs Of the sofest, rlch-colored
or faint. and turn them not into
lcostumes but creations. Inarti-
culately she felt her gift Of finger
'tips = luckily unsupported by
kind Aunty Joe. When the
caterers car had gone roaring on
It's way All sighed deeply be-
tween regret and relief.
Then she ate something be-
tween a breakfast and a luncheon.
tidied : things beautifully, lay
down for! five minutes, she told
herself, relaxing utterly, and went
sound asleep; quite regardless OF
wide-opep front door. The sleep
81 weary, healthy youth Is heavy
What wonder tnsistent phone calls
! did not arouse her? But reused
she was, urgently, by a mascue
line1Yoice shouting from the front
porch, II say, are you dead in