The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-09-07
The Girl Without a
Man
BY ANNE LARDNER

paG6oceaooreocaoeocs OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES |
20. is22. by Mcclure Newspaper syndieate)
Tn not going" Virginia gave n |
vicious tug at the stocking she was
mendlng as though that settled the
matter.
Martha Carson, vigorously polishing
nails already pink and shiny, stopped
short and glared at the slim, fair
haired girl opposite. "Why, you're
perfectly slllyp
Curtains soiled with the towns
CRIME stirred in the soft spring breeze.
The sunshine of a Saturday afternoon
In May seeped through the window of
the moderate sized room the two girls
occupied together because both were
employed by the Struthers Chemical
company a giant concern whose red
brick smokestack rose toweringly over
the city of Birmingham. 1t was the
annual outing of the clerical force TO
be held Monday at country club
some miles distant that Virginia and
Martha were now discussing. For
lively little Martha, with her never
varying pink complexion and her
ready Zine" with the boys, II was
something to be looked forward to
eagerly; for Virginia, whose skin was
pale and who never knew what to say
to young man who exclaimed, "Some
little queen" It was a different mat
ter.
Martha used her nail buffer elab.
orately. ~ know. lists because
none OF the boys asked you TO ride
out there with him"
There was hot flush on the pale.
clear skin. Martha was not really
unkind, but Virginia read books about
chemistry on the side. Virginia had
been steadily advanced ever since she
came to Birmingham. II didn't seem
fair.
The taller girl struggled to control
her voice. There was almost a break
in 1t. "Yes, Martha, what's the use
Of trying to hide It? Pm-rm
ashamed to be seen without a man"
"But you came last year. Last
year you didn't mind"
Virginia did not answer right away.
She had walked over to the window
and was looking out at the smoke
stacks, at the hills and the blue sky
beyond them. Suddenly she wheeled
around. There was fine determIna-
tion in her wide-set gray eyes. She
flung her head high. She was quite
beautiful. you're right Martha.
Thank you for saying that. Why
should this time be different from the
last time? / am what l am. Why
should pretend to be something else ?
I'm going to the picnic. I'll go II /
have to take book and spend the
whole day readlng"
Even as she flung out her sentences
Virginia knew she was not telling the
truth. There was a reason why this
spring was different from any other
in the twenty-one years of her whole
existence.
The day OF the outing dawned fine
and clear A flawless blue sky cano
, pied the whole earth. The air was
sweet with May and gay little wild
, flowers edged the road over which
, the big trucks of the chemical com
, pany merrily Travelled. Glggles, rep
, artee and the spirited making Of
; plans filled the grounds of the Appl,
> Tree Country club as 100 young peo
, pie piled helter-skelter out Of tn,
4 lmpromptu busses. Virginia tried I,
, join in a little, for her heart, too, fel
3 the sprlngtime. But the boys stoo,
e In awe of her.
Y She was shy and sensitive. So sh
|. was prlm-especlall was she prim 4
Y the office of Richard Masters, the ney
e young sales manager from Chicago
4 whose private secretary she had bee
II made two months ago.
is In the general scramble that 70
lowed the arrival at the grounds Vii
ginia did not feel so much out O
r things. Then gradually the nols!
! gay-hearted group began to break u
into particular cliques and soon tn
m hillsides were dotted with the brigh
colored dresses of girls with youn
men beside them, tripping off In VI
rious directions.
IN Just as the last couples were, vi
e. ginla felt sure about to invite hC
ly feebly to go along with them and the
e. hasten away, little car came ra
,: tling up the roadway. Ilstinctivel
p, Virginia knew Richard Masters wou
ee be in It. Now 1t was going 10 hal
H. pen-just as she had feared. He WI
IT. going to see her deserted, forgott'
he was going to know! Virgin
er wanted to pretend to laugh and Ia
'r- with the others, to go off with the
80 even II they didn't ask her Yet tn
ed was just what she had determined
Ill face. She would not pretend to
rt popular without waiting to speak
him, she walked slowly off by herse
er In the full view of Richard Masters.
All morning long by the side OF
little brook Virginia read the book s.
.R had actually brought Read 1t few
ishly, trying to lose her own hea
a | ocha in ifs nanpc Sometimes her pV