The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-04-03
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
jim Takes His Lunch


yantages Tor Jim. u was pleasant
10 think that one az his own kin
would sit across from him III din
ner In the dining room OF the
4partmcnt hotel where he made
Aia home. " was not 80 pleasant
10 have 10 burden hitnselfwfth the
duty Of teiephoning 10 Aunt Sally
when he would be halt an hour
late. Il was pleasant totthink that
his socks would be regularly
darned and that ali missing but
tons would be replaced on his
shirts. It was not 10 pleasant
when Aunt saiiy became solicit
tious and l~nqrIsitiye regarding
Jim's matrimonia1 prospects.
There was not q giris picture on
his bureau or desks There were
no feminine letters ingthe mail or
In inns coat pockets Nor did
Jim have any evening engage
ments save those he explained as
of business Importance.
All this solicitation was tire
some. ? Even more tiresome did
Aunt sally become Concerning
Itm'a lunches. She figured out
from the results ~ persistent
questioning Just how much It must
cost Jim to buy his lunches at q
restaurant. She estimated how
much this would amount to In a
year. Then at Breakfast one day,
sally said. beatning
Jim, ! found out that they put
up lunches here for the boarders.
And they don't charge for them.
You know You nay for lunch
Iwhether YOU eat tt or not. You're
eahtied to IL SO | toidsthe waiter
to have yours put up With the
rest.h Then Jim saw Win a sfnse
ing heart the manfl1a paper bag,
large and bulky beside Aunt
saits's plate. Here u is, Jim.
Don't forget Il.
' Jim offered 4 few objections,
but In vain. 50 he started of
With his bag ~ lunch IT seemed
chiidiah tofdeposIt II in an ashcan
on the way 10 the subway. Be
sides. there was q strain OF thrift
In Jim's makeup that had for a
moment responded to Aunt saliy's
figurine. His salary did not neces-
state greater economy than he
now praeticed, but he would at
least give the plan d trial. It
would give file men In the Office
something 10 tease him about.
However the lunches did not
appeal toiJim. Cheese sandwiches
became rather dry and tasteFess
by 10 O'Clock Jim was strongly
of the opinion thsN the luncheS
were put up the night before. II
was not easy to eat astough-skin-
ned orange at his desk, The cake
crumbled and he found yestiges
OF IT among his papers all the
AFTERNOON But Jim continued TO
carry his bag ot lunch though he
no longer ate ii Aunt Sally would
he with him onty5a month more.
He preferred nptIst to raise any
STRONG objection
Jimis habit was TO lay the bag
OF luncheon beside his desk. One
day ne was so busy with outside
business through The first hours
Of the day that when he retnrnef
about II occurred to him for the
tirst time that he had had no
luncheon. He had no time to so
then, but he was hungry and 1t
occurred 10 him that even one Of
those cheese sandwiches would be
paiatabte. Andsthat was when he
noticed for the first time that his
lunch bag disappeared before
lunch time. once lie found crumbs
on the floor Another time the
bag remained but the lunch was
gcne-ai1 save theAbanana.
Apparently my lunch eater
does mot like bananas, thought
he. That was about the only clew
he had to work ION. The problem
was really interesting. At times
1t troubled him 70 think that an-
one working Tor the concern Of
which he was ainnior partner unu
from which he drew stich a Satis-
factory salary should be SO badly
paid as to be willing to eat taosa
6asteiess lunches. Especially when
do so ecessitatedfconsidsrahlo
skeaith. 0bYio1sl TIDE euipnt-if
toltake a lunch tiatwouIdE other
&iss be thrown IN theltfash basket
was culpabte watched the door
of his Office carefully in order to
get the lunch when he was away
Jim studied The faces o. the
office boys, irving to single out
the one with tie hungFiest, most
Epinched expression as the probable
lunch snatcher Thenshe gpied on
ythe boys a little, but found that
they were all IN the habit OF
launching at q iittie Greek lunch
counter arotiru the corner Never
had one been known 10 eat in.
Once he asked Miss Baldwin,
Eho took his dictation; whether
She had any s1spieIons on the
subject.
Don't think, he said. that /
object at all Whoever takes il
probably knows that don't want
il anyway. / am only concerned
to- think that any one working
here has such 4 nat purse as to
need such a tagte1ess lunch. Id
J take Il up with the salary commit
tee n thought we didn't pay.
enough.
Pretty Molly BALDWIN looked re-
hecttvely at the end OF her pencil
and her eyes were lowered .Don't
you think that there might be
some n whe-weils some one
who had enough money TO spend
who still liked to be economically.
she--ho might be heiptne some
ms NJ home, on saving, orysome-
Jthinr ondIao ntrtf bn rI6dSS6 iaa+