The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-02

5jOF / ST. ] I DRY !: }
I CI.Il1G ING VINE.
D ~ Il. KAY BAkER

BY r. RAY BAKER
N i'm Reynolds was in a guam
ySS Diary, and 1t was because he
~ loved a girl.
The quandary arose from the
Tact that she was not Of the type
l#of modern woman he always had
admired, the kind he had set his
heart on marryins-if he ever
married. Indeed she was the re-
Verse; she was the soft, fluffy. vel
yety, cIin ging-vfne sort, and for
that species he never had had any
N time.
lin ad mired the capable, prac-
teal, str1ding. self-re1iant type OF
II girl who can stand up to man
and read him the riot act" (Jim' S
own term for it,, anG, II need pc,
give him a punch on the nose. Inc
y young woman that rowed ,skated,
swan and performed gymnastlc
#feats always had appealed TO MN
whenever the idea feminine recelV-
ed any consideration from his ac-
Tive business mind.
He was a bachelor of thirty, not
Sversed in the ways of the fair, and
not8particularly interests. He was
VI assistant manager of the Wells
Electric Pump company, and his
duties kept him busy from break
fast to dinner. But in the evening
snewspaper he would read about
some woman sticking hatpip into
footpad another routing a
with a rolling pin or
knocking "masher" off
5fhes sidewalk, and he would ex-
"A claim: Bravo! That's the kind
sofs girl for. me"
But as Jim was neither foot
pad, porch-climber or masher. he
never came in contact with such
an admirable person. The be-
girls who played engineer to type
writers in the pump office were
3 his only feminine associates; and,
sStG1ike fool" as he rebuked him
sell many times, he went and foil
hat over shoes in love with one of
Them, Maize Holmes by name.
Jim fought against it, but to no
iSaYail He was not master OF his
Down destiny Maize was to all
3appearances soft, fluffy, velvety,
SS,c15ng ing vine, but also she was
graceful, smily, and
altogether charming.
Against his better jud Sment,
Jim Just couldn't help taking
Eonce he oyer-stepped all bounds OF
reason and entertained her at
theatre When he got home he
sberated himself in harsh terms all
sStfe time he was undressing, and
aIISnight long he tossed and tuna-
bled& and hated hi,nes1f. And in
1.-THE m orning went down to the
office with crouch against the
lost it when Maize
into the room
Hence the quandary. Jim's
Marry Maize and his
COMMON sense. bolstered by that
desire for a cap
able self-reliant mate, said: Have
care, she's a clinging vine"
Of5course. he did not know that
he could marry Maize, but he be-
she cared for him. Indeed.
they were quite chummy," and
d twice jim had been on the point
.gof proposing only to be dissuaded
cold, calculating judgment
lsthat had made him a good bust
[#ness man He was rather nice
A#Iooking himself, and although he
7sEHas not conceited, he was quite
sure that Maize would have him if
She pressed his case. Between you
sand me he was right; she loved
ashinl,Stoo.
Along came a two weeks vaca-
tion, and Jim decided :the oppor-
tunity was at hand to escape the
clutches of the clinging vine. He
went fishing with a friend. dressed
Sin old clothes, smoked strong to-
bacco, and had a rough rest. When
he returned he was confident that
the spell Maize had cast over him
was broken
THE night before returning to
work he had dinner with the COM
8panion of the fishing excursion,
and8was invited to spend the night
ssesirh the spare bed. The friend lived
In big apartment house all by
/ III self, not a great distance from
" the office.
Seated in a comfortable chair,
while the friend played music Ia
disc Jim eagerly diSested paper.
sHe had been separated so long
&from the busy world that news
81 actad on his brain like porterhouse
an empty stomach
S s@aThat's the stuff" Jim sudden
,1fs exclaimed i'm the midst of a
Grand opera concert. Here's a
85gfrl found burglar in her apart
sment held a. revolver against his
ribs with one hand, called the
police with the other, and brought