The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-05-02

SHOE OR
Reforming Jimmie
.r.zYMy wansoI

Il
4 1swRMA Hnad RaEsm I'm lowe with
Jimmie OToo1e ana the
re- = whole town held its breath.
Shell fall out OF love az 9 W -
rs she came in-2J i'm ME IL see 10
6sf:,' prophesfed her younger
brother, George
sa1tsg an awful diegrave. wall
ed her sister Marie. The veTy
NJ re-! We, of the best old family
IN che county, the ar1stocfat1c
NaYeheads-and Jimmie oIooie'
L no black sheep of even such
family as the O'Toole's! Besloe9'
RES younger than She
3tsUtterIy incomprehenslble 10
"a Z, Il ecIared the mother gravely-
- t<Aiviua has always been 50 con
III territorial, almost too much, ana SO
very particular with whom she as
The door opened and the fam,
Nv looked somewhat embarrasseo
as a slim young woman. her reiin-
ed sweet features fairly snlnths
with happiness, came INTO 'he
y room. s,..e;ne
81 ne. I611,t deny it, she laughed.
J, ], tl7s..My dear. the whole town is
discussing you." her sister de-
p1ored. aae
y 10y don't care. Nelthel uoe'
4 Jimmie" With defiant good hu-
NOR. -, a
ri q ototiety.'
~ If A1vfna WINGED no one not1eeo
V except her mother. NY dear,
A.aaid the latter gently. am very
n mich concerned about you JIM
rnie&o,TooIe has not the best OF
regulations and I cannot see nov
such a marriage will bring you any
"; happiness. I'm not saying that ne
Sg5 eE8st bad sort. just that you two DO
not fit; there's too much differ
May I had a wordt- asked the
w brother and. without waiting Tor
m permission, you'll never marry
him, because Jimmie isn't the
sticking kind. He's flattered at
s nraseut} that he has been aole TO
y y sfs-EsoI nvar the most conservative
" girl In town.
;5s Alvina,s quick eyes went from
~. Sne to the other. You all nave
forgotten one thing, that we love
each other. There's another thlns'
Il too, I'm going to reform jimmie
4 We've talked it over and hes pro
( missed faithfully. No more talk
ing to his old cronies. no more
Us cigarettes, no pool playing-Oh!
there's a whole list of things" she
II smiled at them triumphantly.
Things went along beautifully
snr a week or two, A1vina glowing
Nth happiness, the town and her
ISfanfly still skeptical- Then one
8eYening Jimmie missed an engage
" r1ert and A1yina waited in vain.
TT yras C Gorge who brought the
rad news. well, Jimmie's fallen
s q knew it, with a grim
laugh
aAOf course. + did, too" came
,9 .Alyina's surprising reply; ne IS
s5SS no angeI-it's difficult to break
BAD habits all at once. I've been
5sfauite PREPARED Tor one OF W.
4. siipbacks! =
The family only sighed. The
3s next day Jimmie appeared repent
V ant. full of new promises.
There are several more slip
hacks and AlTina's face became
slightly drawn and anxious. She
was very stanch and loyal though,
would not listen to word against
II him and redoubled her efforts to
reform him. She dragged him to
the best concerts, nudged him
when ne showed signs of falling
asleep, bought the best magazines
n for him, lent him classic gems,
y even read. aloud to him by the
hour and fed him candy when he
became restless, almost irritable.
Us Jim mics calls became less fire.
< <rue1,t and the family felt that the
Fl end OF Afvina's love affair was
near, while -Alvina herself grew
pale and pinched-looking.
It happened one evening Whe1
@&tAIyina waited with growing nerv-
BUSINESS for Jimmie. They were
TO hear lecture on thought-con-
troll. and he had promised faith
~ af nth
A1vina waited her nervousness
tanned by the family's remarks.
The clock struck eight, eight
!. thirty and no Jimmy in sight. At
Prime O'Clock Alvina burst into
Y.tears and went to her room, lock-
Wing the door.
think she's writing him
1etter.breakins the engagemene,
remarked her mother to the other
two, etpoor child and she loved
him so much!"
The next morning different
S:Alvina came down to breakfast
Not a trace of nervousness, anzl-
, BUSINESS or hurry in her manner
/ She surprised the family by eating
4 hearty breakfast and afterward
y instead OF playing her usual half
Y hour Of scales on the piano, launch
ed into gay song and wound UP
with q bit of jazz:
After an hours shopping she
called up Jimmie and asked him
4 to take her for lunch.
Gsi.l5ses Jimmie" AIvina was saying at
a tucked-away table in tea
room, "I've given up reforming
your
s9cs"That means good-by, I guess"
ue deducted with q sigh half re-
Geyed, half unhappy. Not that I
Blame you, Alvina, you've been an
angel and I'm not good enough to
buckle your shoes. But I want to
say this much, dear that all you've
done has not been entirely for
VI sothiuE There always was a rem
nant of seIf-re5pect in me, a love