The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-07-17
TsHE IOAH
5.SHOR $50
Without a Man
RysANME GARDNER


sy anne ARpNER
I'm not going Virginia gave
sSv1ciousGtug atthe stocking shewas
menaipg as though that settled the
aattsr.
Martha Carson. Wig orously poll
ss6ah4pE nails already pink and shiny
sssfopted short and stared at the
slim. fair-haired girl. opposite,
why, you're perfectly silly!
Curtains spfled with the towns
4 zine stirred lin the soft spring
,SBreeze, The sunshine Of Satur-
day afternoon in May seeped
sthraugh the window of the moder-
asa9eAiIed room the two girls loccu-
pffd together, because both. were
:;semployed by the Struthers Chemi-
ssTcaIeCompany.a giant concern whose
tngfygo over the city of Btrmtngton.
Twas the annual outing of the
clerical force to be held Monday
Eat agcountry club some miles dis
sIss5tant thattvirgini and Martha were.
noW& discussing. For lively little
n martha, Wit Thu her never varying
Epink%complexion and her ready.
lin" with the boys; 1t was some
Sfhing to he looked forward to Gag
Ssrly; for Virginia. whose skin was
5ra1esan who never knew what to
say6toS a young man who exclaimed
little due EN- 1t was diff
SIeEent mat ter:
&c Martha used her nail buffer ella
know. It,s-it's be-
Scausef none Of the boys asked you
\ ride out there with him. =
There was a hot nusl on the
Spale, clear skin. Martha was not
really unkind, but Virginia read
%books about chemistry on the side.
Virginia had been steadily advanc-
s2edeVer since she came to Biz
ssm1ngton. It didn't seem fair.
The taller girl struggled to con-
tro1 her voice. There was almost
,sagbreak; In it,. Yes. Martha. what's
efhe#use @of trying to hide it? I'm
FIN ashamed to be seen without
saman.,r'
But you came last year: Last
@yearsyou didn't mind
Virginia did not answer right
away. She had walked oversto the
window and was looking out at the
at the hills and the
blue sky beyond them. Suddenly
zStfne determination in her wide-set
vi ~ 10
thigh She. was quite beautiful.
You're right. Martha Thank you
sfoESsaying that. Why should this
time be different from the last
time? am what I am. Why
should pretend to be som ethfng
else I'm going to the picnic. I'll
ge i'll have to take a book and
5sspendS the whole day reading.
Even as she flung out her sem
fences Virginia knew she was not
telling the truth. There was a rea-
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
the whole earth. The air
Has5sweet.with May and gay little
wild flowers edged the road over
which the big trucks of the chemi-
zeal company merrily Travelled:
SGfggles, repartee and the spirited
;makings ofsplans filled the grounds
s&ofs9t The Apple Tree Country Club as
atersa out OF the impromptu buses.
virginia tried to join In little,
for her heart. too, felt the spring
time. But the boys stood in awe
her
Sheawas shy and sensitive, So
4 sheawas primes especially was she
SpImg in the office of Richard Mas
sters,S the new young sales manager
from Chicago, whose private sec
rotary she had been made two
months ago.
M the general s4amble that fol
lowed the arrival at the grounds
o ofsSt things. Then gradually the
noisy, gayhearted group began to
break into particular cliques and
ssoonthe 4hfllsides were dotted with
the brfght-colored dresses of girls
men beside them trip
ping off inSvarious directions.
Just as the last couples were,
Virginia felt sure, about to invite
Il feeb1y to go along with them
I'D then hasten away, a little car
came#ratt1ing up the roadway. In
sunctiyeIy Virginia knew Richard
gsMasters would be in it. Now it was
forgotten-he was going to
know!sS Virginia wanted to pre-
tend to laugh and talk with the
Sother5 to go off with them even
they ask her. Yet this
twas Just what she had determined
Bsto face. She would not pretend
'ssto be5popu1ar. Without waiting to
rsspeakt to- him, she walked slowly
n off@by herself lin the full view of
& Richard Masters
All morn1ng long by the side OF
little brook Virginia read the book
She had actual brought. Read it
trying to lose her own
fheItache,dnsit pages. Sometimes
So err eyes wandered. It was hard
mot to- Der! Toward noon
she became restless and decided to
take little walk. Her footsteps
the rfvu1et's bank
NJ Ntream wfdened as she went
sonls The water was suntf1ecked
and the branches hung over It in
shadows. Virginia ghed.
TheSworldSw very beautiful. On
bridge that tretched across the