The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-13
TIE DAILY
ISHORT STORY
Mrs. Maxfield Disposes.
By WILL I. AMEs

s%sBy%StjEE
sLettia Maxfdeld smiled the
Smallest or amused little smiles
cover her Knitting as she stole a
covert glance at Albert Grafts
gacrossSt the living room center table.
The center table, survival OIL a
period when there must be cen
table quite as necessarily as
aHToof was exhibit B in the, evil
aence Rthat5L ettie Maxfield was lot
the%ruicr OF the household. Elk
EEhibft consisted of Mrs Max
field who did rule it. No one, no.
matter how great a stranger, could
spend an hour in the presence OF
#Lettit M axifeld Snd her mother
without becoming aware that tne
latter tryannized her daush
ter unremittingly, shamelessly. by
the device ofIexaggerated selt-rc-
nunciation. The center table pres
@9ented a lease in point. AlperL
Crafts. now bestowed uncomfort-
ably in the c~ane-seated rocker with
the curved back. wishing TO good
mess that Mrs. Maxfield would go
toFfbeds or.iat least get up from that
~$distressing ~wretched white-enam-
e1ed Gchair in which she was por-
5NAl pSlllS III ~ 1871
Mother Lefty had said a long
time go,"Let's Danish this dread
ful@tabIe and shift things around
in#this room so a. to make it just
theFlast bit like a home
.7Very wen, my dears," Mrs.
Maxfiel1 had answered with all
1.-The woes Of a whole generation OF
mankind registered in her long
0,, ~, - y - ~ 1.y- n NJ We !.
e fit to do, do, of course. II
isnotsto be expected that it would
make any great difference to you
8thatthis is the way your poor
Sdear&father knew u home. You
Were quite young"-Lettie as a
matter of fact, was in her fourth
Near8when Mr.. Maxfield went to
his reSs:trd&4 "and changing fash
ions naturally + more important
ITO you than his memory. Do what
like with the room. but please
do@not ask m to use. it after
ward,
SO, Of curse, Lefty being Lefty,
The room remained as it was. cen
e table, and all. an zgsit:F-,y
dreadful latter-yictorian ness.
Likewise, in the case of Albert
Gratis. Ten years ago, when Lettie
was slighter and prettier-if not
$50 handsome-Mrs. Maatfield dis
the imminent likelihood OF
AAlbert.s suit carrying the girl off
her feet So she began to be IN
$speakably -saddened by the inevit-
able prospect that some lay, OF
couse,&her#one eve lamb would be
@going away out of her life and
everything all barren and
empty and cold and so on. All Of
being actuated by no suspi-
cion IN the. world that such disas-
@terimmediately impended, SO far
asSthe lamb knew, served to
make tender hearted Lefty feel
lfk something that deseryd to be
shot at sunrise.
And so it had been. With the
suit that Lefty Maxfield. in course
ToftiIne, came to hold creed that
ssto think Of herself the very least.
#orSto fail to put her mother not
SonlyAfirst% but second and third and
fal1. way down to about tentIas
was to be an unworthy, miserabei
This is the road hat runs
the land of Spinsterhood
sto the deserted village Of Lonely
collage In nine cases out of every
stem 1T just happened, however,
stlIat the love of Albert Crafts for
Ills self-sacrificing sweetheart was
snot mere calf love. He "a q
&man, this slow moving young fell
low, and he never gave UP. Year
afteryear he kept up the steady,
1undespairing thought not over
hopeful pnrsuit@of the particular
brand Of Happiness on which he
~hadasetShis heart in the beginning.
Its no use. Albert" Lettie
would say, II shall not marry. L
will not leave mother"
.But I've told you a hundred
times dear" Albert would protest.
that there need be no separation"
Always Lefty shook her head at
this point. She would not formu-
late words, even to herself. h
lrealization that somehow it would
Abe unfair to subject smother life
8fogthe same carkins influence that
chad so Emanac1ed her own. This
kyas because Letty's brain knew
Stiat#her8 mother was a selfish try
Sant,sthe very while lei heart kept
insisting that that mother was a
SsIMgGt1l%a2E -TEh