The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-29
teii them the i, result u of ner dedueS

tell them ne esult of her dedue
tons
e. have never heard hin speak
Tor spoken & 10 him, yet believe b.
is from New England possibly
Boston Z, she said s5 Z He: wears a
wrist watch and that sort of man
wouldn't wear a wrist watch unless
he had got In the habit in the
service. He was I'm the world war
Il think in France. >Of course. h
is a college man-you can tell that
from his fraternity pin. He's the
kind Of man who's proud he Went
to college or he wouldn't wear his
fraternity pin TO business. That's
simple He isn't married, but he
doesn't think Of his life as being
just what it ought to be until he is.
He's probably got a lot of idealistic
notions about women. He'd be
mighty good to the girl he married,
but he'd expect sympathy and de
votion in return. He is just little
suspicious about the modern girl.
Yet she interests him"
That night Joan remained little
after to finish some letters. AS
she stood in the hall waiting for the
elevator to take her down to the
street, Mr.. Davis stepped from a
bend in the corridor, where it was
quite obvious he had been waiting,
and Joined her.
AS they both lived up town it
was a simple thing to begin the
practice of going in the subway
together. Once when it was a lit
tie late Mr.. Davis suggested that
Joan dine with him before they
start on their subway trip. That
seemed to seal their friendship.
but it gave Joan little opportuni-
ty to make actual verification of
her character reading.
One evening several weeks
later when Joan and the constant
Mr.. Davis were jolted along to-
gether in the subway, Mr. Davis
suddenly looked at Joan with an
air of annoyance Clearly he was
disturbed, apparently piqued and
disappointed Followed much con-
fusion on the part of Joan.
II know what you are annoyed
about said Joan Il can't ex-
you all about it. 1t wouldn't do
here in the subway, some one
might hear u.s.
Then I'll get out of the sub
way with you and see you to your
home. I should very much like to
have you tell me about it, was
Mr.. Davis" serious reply.
you were annoyed, said Joan,
as soon as they were in the open,
because you thought l was star
ing at that self-satisfied young
floorwalker opposite
You did seem to be interested
but how do you know he was
a floorwalker?"
1--WE were in the subway late
for the office crowd" explained
Joan. Most of these people were
store workers. That man wore a.
cutaway coat. He wasn't the type
Of man who'd have a cutaway
coat unless it was part of his
job
81 guess you're right" agreed
Mr.. Davis. "But the important
thing to me is that you were OBJ
viously interested in him. You
don't look like the sort of young
woman who would invite &C
quaintance with strangers. L
guess I don't understand you.
you don't think 1 was trying to
flirt, do your, gasped Joan.
81 don't want to think so. I'm
going to be frank. When firsl
came to the office I noticed you,
picked YOU out as different from
most girls in offices. l flatter my
self 1 am able usually to size peo-
pie UP on sight. Any one with
keen eye and ordinary intelligence
can do it. From the first You were
a contradiction. You seemed al
most demure. and yet that very
first week you-well, you know
how you used to look out at me,
I wouldn't have dared to wait for
you that first evening if it hadn't
been for that. 1t was challenge.
And now. Joan. I have grown more
than fond of you. Somehow feel
that you are the kind OF girl l
would like to marry. But of course
# you would rather flirt with every
other man you see, l.
Joan did not let Mr.. Davis fin
ish his sentence. She explained
then and there, with perfect salts
apparent bo1dness. She told him,
too, of the trip to the character
reader with Maud and Margaret.
cone thing he did say" admit
ted Joan, that I wasn't quite sure
Of That was that I would meet
the man I could really care for"
She told the whole story to Maud
and Margaret when she told them
of her engagement to Mr.. Davis.
"And just to think" sighed Mar
garet to Maud, "if one of us had
tried our hand at character read
ing we might have vamped Mr..
Davis instead of Joan"
Copyright, 1922, by the Mcclure
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