The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-01
THE DAHL Y
SHORT sTORY.
Tie Good Luck Kllocker
By JANE OSBORN.

NSSH ~ GStOUeEs DHe WE uuyluk
I2tnc buib7 TO be planted row foT
1prInE iio1er;nG. T'h9 nntSsry-
man asked her II she did 10: want
70. So. on. any ch.ubs OF ANAL
lreee.
MIRA hesltatsa. 81 know the
place laeks shade dresdrully," she
saia, but 1t would he scvora!
years before they did anything"
You aren't thinking OF leaving,
are you?" smiled the OLD nursery
man good natptedly.
"oh, no." assured Myra, only
one hates to put a lot OF money
IN a place on schrubs and troes
when one isn't sure that one will
stay long enough to enjoy them.
get my appointment by the
school board only for a year at q
hme,p
Il guess there's no chance the
ichool board won't reappoint you, =
assured the nurseryman. who was
well informed in local politics.
why, there's Miss Shocks. She's
taught in the schools for forty
years"
Myra suppressed a sigh. Forty
yearsin she gasped. That's a
long, long time"
But she went home with her
bulbs without buying the shrubs.
Myra was twenty-four. She had
been appointed to teach English
IN the high school in Dalton two
years before when she left col
lege. and because she had no
family and didn't like boarding
houses and did like the shady
streets and quiet ways Of the lit
lie town OF Dalton, she had built
q little house on an available lot
pm one OF the newer streets OF tho
Town. She sometimes looked
upon the purchase as an invest
n1ent. Most Of her neighbors
though of 1t as a sign that Myra
Grimwade had decided to teach in
Dalton the rest of her life.
One day Myra was browsing
around little second-hanl furnl-
tpre shop in a rundown ne,yhbor-
siood Of old Dalton. She was l;oN-
ing for an inexpensive pair OF aud-
irons. She did not find TIE and
irons, but she did coma upon a
mnch-tarnished brass knocker
thrown in with other bits OF junk
In a decrepit old scuttls. She
bought 1t for a song, making no
comments that might induce the
dealer to raise It's price.
Its one OF those miserable old
things, commented the dealer.
at came of a house they tore
down somewhere around here.
Had to chop the door down,
almost, to get the knocker, but,
then the door was bust in, any
way. Nowadays they makes the
Knockers SO they screw on easy,
but this one has rivets that goes
right through. II 1t hadn't "a
been made SO queer I might "a
sold 1t before, But no, one wanted
to go TO all that fuss to fasten It
on
Myra waited until she reached
home to admire the knocker Mt
leisure. 1t was large and displayed
q griftin's head OF a stamp that
Myra had never seen on any mod
ern replicas. But she hesitated
about putting 1t on her front door.
Once 1t was attached, reasoned
Myra, 1t would have 10 remain in
place. II she left and sold her
house, future tenants would not
appreciate the old knocker; they
would not pay her what 1t was
worth. Besides, she wanted the
knocker herself.
Then one day after a rather
gloomy day at school and gloomier
visit from Miss Shocks, Myra gave
Instructions TO a nearby carpenter
to 20 to work and fasten the old
knocker on her front door. The
next day when she returned from
school he was waiting to finish the
Job. Before her supper the knock
en- was IN place, When II was
knocked 1t sent out a booming
sound that fairly shook the little
house.
@I'm going to stay Here the rest
Of my llfe," she told younger
teacher who called on her that
evening. 1--WE had the knocker
attached, so there is NO selling out
now. I'll be a second Miss Shocks
.Fiddlesticks, Myra," said her
companion. You'll marry Of course.
"Whom would | marry?" asked
Myra, with eyes wide open.
Don't ask me-" laughed the other
teacher. Every girl has two or
three men to choose from when the
time Jmes."
Il haven't said Myra simply.
,,Ths other teacher shrugged her
houlders and the matter seemed to
BE settled.
The next day a letter came from
Tom Jarrold, a letter that Myra had
Sbeen expecting for many months
But when she opened 1t and read
L she found that the letter said
more than she had expected Tom
Jarrold's letter would say. Briefly
he wanted to marry her. He had
been on long business trip. AT
fairs had shaped themselves, as
me would explain later He had
boon released from an old engage.
rnent and now offered himself and
BIS millions to Myra
dyTa al first felt resentment that
Tom had not relieve her anxiety by
writing before, then there was cur.
iosity concerning the other engage.
mont. OK which she had never
known. Latte. she was in a mood
rnriia n 1nttar that would