The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-07-20
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arney; the hi dern Midas
st he 1Dfgp atch Y calls him. don't
Know who Midas was. IL gu esq I
sSadon,tsread the Bible as close as
snould. But T should Judge that
/ he must have been pretty we'll OF
III The was anything like this
George Varney-',
twas John varney who spo ke.
~ third, orr fourth cousin Of! the
Varney who had Mfdas's touch or
gold .#5 J ohn had n OF prospered So
The Yarney j industry he mao IN
Iierited q as generously as George
sEarney, but with#itSa com binat1on
oR @shortsighte dness and II oyer-caon-
lid ence that resulted in what ) ohn
called EHtp1umb bad luck. Now az
fifty "a seasons bad crops had
brougll t him face to face Win the
grim fact that after he had PAID
Interest on his mortgage he would
.ShayeS to approach the winter and
hts needs with exactly S SO ahead a.1
Undou btedlys som ething had to
gbe done and that without delay.
II I was mite younger I'd
sgo up to the city and see this
cousin George John Varney tod
sShfs daughter Lucy. See ms as II
ANY one that can make money SO
SS$fast as he can ought to De ape
Ito show me how to get little,
Sstoo IL I had a son, now, "a SEND send
;5SShim$ up there and get him t ,,iat,,,
sduce himself. as a kin OF his vs. and
learn the game. I'D i ---------' 4
S8t..I'm sorry said Lucy, as u
SIS ffelts someho w her father blam-
Esed her for being a girl. - m sorry
ssthat + didn't go to normal and
get a teachers license SO + should
sSShaye been able to bring in real
money. But someh ow It always
seemed i was needed at home
sss Don't fret about that, broke
lin: the father. 1t wasn't your
fault. our mother and al
ways though it was nice to see q
II girl kept at home, learning now
to keep house, helping her own
IN IN other That was my idea and
wouldn't have it otherwise
s ssSs The next day Lucy Varney sur
#prised her father and mother into
speechlessness when she appear
@ed at breakfast in her blue serge
suit and her neat .tbest" hat. she
was ready, she said, to go up to
the city. She was going to see
George Svarney-not to beg.
money, but to get him to show her
Y how to earn it.. The city lay 2oo
miles away and Lucy intended de-.
Sfraying the expenses by money
she had earned and saved from
taking n magazine su So .1
among the farmers in the county
This would only be enough to
take her to the city. She wouldn't
cone home until she had earned
enoug Oh to- pay her trip back ana
TO ii de%oyer for the winter. 50
positive was she that this was the
. only thing to do that her parents
@acquiesced n before they had had
time to take In the situation co m
pIetely. Neither father nor
mother nor Lucy had ever oeeh
the city. If Lucy had IN
II ounced, her intention Of going g
China or the South Sea Isles me,
could hardly. have been more more SIT SUI
Sprised.
treat money. maker. George Varney,
4 for two hours, and it Twas tlnally
ssnnlyE the magic name OF Varney on
N erg printed card that she presented
TO the receiving clerk thai. secured
For her an interview with MT. var
Sney's private secretary. Three days
later. after considerable insisting
\ ma MON fses not to keep Mr.. Var
new more than five minutes at the
most. Lucy was granted an inter-
view. She was made to understand
q that twas only because OF her.
claim to relationship that such
sSprivilege had been awarded.
sssEsVarney of the Midas touch rathe r
. enjoyed having his employees regard
him as slightly eccentric-eccee'ntt1ric
in "a $distln guished way. This repu-
tation gave him privileges Us 70
Sabrsuptness and unexpected decl-
&sfons that might have been dispu--
;:SsaId I'm a man not so generally ex-
h nected to act in an original man
sner. +,
warned the private secretary, usher
ssIn5g Iuoy into Mr.. Varney's room,
s.if shes his abrupt with you. Re
4 member you have asked for this IN
{ terview. and you must take the con
sequences" #s
sssssa So Lucy was In a measure pre-
5nared. She told her story simply
ssa1id directly to Varney, SO much in
sSterested in making it quite clear
Efhat neither she nor her father was
ksk!ng for a gift or loan. but only
Koran opp Crtun!tyt 70 earn the HUI
sSey needed, that she did not notice
how closely the eccentric man
4 scrutintzed her, drawing his conclu-
ssions with analysis Of a detec-
s$tive ~
As are you trained to dog
" asked Varney-
thing, said Lucy.
lat IS bad. Isn't there any
III I'M. $Sscjl$ do We'll 2f'
Rs.s'.I can cook and keep house; I
Il believe can make as good cake
land pie and bread as any one In
n the country. I have taken first
gBprizes at county fairs. You see I
Il never had a chance to go to normal
school, but could
f4.. stop talking said George Var.