The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-11-21
TIE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Making 1t Unanimous
By .Msrtha MecuIIeeh.WiIIIaml

BY Martin meculIeeh.willlams
MNrietts caught her breath as,
Y Unfolding the check that had just
zdropped from the letter, she saw
II was for q hundred dollars. She
| cared at st doubtfully-the sum
Vas 50 far past belief. And she
had expected nothing beyond the
warm thanks rendered by those
stronge motor folk for the small
help she had rendered. She could
not understand what had moved
her to run out into tho highway
and tell them OF the bridge de-
stroyed, tho nile OF road lett I'M
passable BY the recent flood and
direct them to the old turnpike
high on the hillside by which
they had vanished. Evidently
ehey had got her name from the
pest box. Tho note ran:
we hope, my brother and /,
that you will accept the Enclosure,
and buy with II something ynn
may care to have and keep In
\ memory OF your immesurable seI-
A4yice 20 IA. But or your kindness,
1--WE could not have reached tho
z Ibestsof fathers before the end.
Please do not think VIC offering
pay for two arc only putting
ourselves in your place US far ~
1--WE may; to US a concerto token os
b good deed could not be unwel-
}ome.
.wishing you all the beautiful
N Digs you, deserve, We ask yoi
( toS believe US, always.
"Gtatetully your friends,
.'ALECE AND LINDSAY WARE"
Again Mariette caught her
bfeath. SO they were not married,
as she had thought almost enyious'
ihlfe-it must be so fine to so with
~ one you loved best all through
a summer world, with no care be
ynnd roads and weather. No sucn
! luck for her-she would die as she
I had been born, poor. thwarted,
1ampered by fate and the soma
hing within that would not let her
Alinch from tho weight laid upon
her. A weight irritatingly COM
Imonplace-filling In chlnks, stop
Fptng gaps in the household that
ran 80 siacKiy under Aunt Ems
sway II only she had free hand
but Aunt En- was "tetchy" re
gardiuS her prerogatiyes, also oil
an explosive temper regarding AZ.
fronts to her dignity. Marietta
stayed with her. an unpaid, I'm.
thanked servant, trying to pay d
|kdebt she was mover allowed to for
get-the money Aunt En- had spent
20 keep Varieties father comfort.
able In the hospital until he dlOd
% his broken back. That had TAX.
en- two years, so the charge was
really something considerable, But
saw Elm her mind, Mrs. Emma Gray.
son Twyning did not feel 1t. A
eliildiessi widow, with a fine farm
and money ahead, she had no need
even to be thrifty. Thrifty, how
ever. she was-the neIghbnrs said,
among themselves, "as close as the
bark to a tree" Except toward
Luke TwynIng, her husbands
BTsndson-. him She pampered inv.
ishiy, not reckoning the cost.
Nriette got food. good food.
clothes that were mostly second
hand, and the rgliest. stuffiest oS
\ The upstairs rooms c"amful OF tag.
4 ends Of furniture. She had now
shoes once q y=ar-Aunt Ems old
small feet. But tho shoes came
kar small feet. But the shoes cana
it OF the egg money-which Mari.
alto earned several times over.
GhristmSsds and birthdays she 90;
tive dollar bills Luke had tried
once 10 thrust ten into her hand
and had had It returned to him
along With singing slap. Mari
ette would not have given It hRI
Sshe dreamed what would come of
IT. Luke. who had regarded ha'
meroly with lordly patronage de-.
sselaped keen interest In her upon
finding she wlthstood him.
He was SO persistent, attorly so
ysurgent, fhe had felt there mus
somehow be hrcakaway. Aunt
En- would stand BY him. whatever
!, he might say or Io-continuous
fduting Of him Marietta knew might
be dangerous. Until now she had
been hopeless Of escape. Nobody
within walking range would har
Dor her or give her paying work;
! her scant savings would not take
htr far and leave anything over for
food and shelter. Not a valuable
remained to her. Even her silver
pap-spon and her mothers wedding
ring had gone into tho nav Of hos
pital expenses. Scanning the
eheck, unseeingly she folded It and
sllpped tho letter Inside her blouse,
Ebare1y in time As she gathered 10.
the miscellaneous heap CT
mail resting at her feet, Luke
refined In yard away, saying In
lordly manner: What's there?
Anybody left me million this
morning?"
Wore you expecting it," Ma