The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-10-27
THE DAILY
sF4ORTSTORY
A Word Out of Season.
BY MARTHA MecuLLoucH.wIL
llAMS.

Ettare's name was the puzzle o.:
Brush Creek ncIghborhood Why
had a girl baby been afflicted with
anything 50 affected as that iina!
IL? Why hadn't she been chris,
Ntened Rosetta or Marietta or even
Clairette, all Of which studded tho
pages Of history and fiction, espe.
cially the best seller sort? Even
Mrs Conyers, the god.mother., dill
not know; she had simply found
the name upon a printed scrap, RI.
peated It, giving final full value,
then bestowed 1t upon the helpless
brothers orphan baby-in result.
here was Ettare Brent.
a quicksilver girl, elusive az
sunlight, always smiling, unless
she frowned or pouted. No mid.
die ways for her-thIngs we're thus
and so or not thus and so. AS
Spoor young Richard franklin wai
to learn TO his confusion and dis.
may. To say that he was her alb.
1ect slave does not in any way dis.
tinEuish him. Brush Creeks youn;
men. even its outland visitors. sut
Tered chemically that condition.
HOW could that be helped when
Ettare had such a way with her?
= Witch way, said Nine. franklin.
Richard had been abnormally sen.
sible-gallant enough on The sur.
race, but holding aloof from car
ittvtty, until he came, saw and wa.
ss9aenquered. At first he was nearly
~ angry as his mother over thu
tact OF his captivity. It was ridicu
lous-a country.bred girl. with
treekles plain to view. who hadn't
single accomplishment save rid.
ing like Cent1ur and dancing likA
ne wind that shook the barley
Cooking. OF course, was no accom-.
plishment-rather an integral paIt
81 the feminine curriculum. But
IN some fashion she not only caugh.
1, lut so held his fancy he forgot her
Nffesular profile and quite failed
to see the freckles. ExtArnols no
longer mattered. Hts dav begar
With the thought OF her, night low.
cred when. as sometimes happened
sne shut herself willfully away from
phis consciousness,
Bush Creek said he "hod 4,
mighty bad" rather chucklln..
over the situation. Still--it aid
not willtully conspire against hin,
That lies at the door o: Tony Gray
plus opportunity. Tony had =
sister, Ellen, of whom he greatly
desired to be rid. Now Ellen chose
70 peak and pine for Richard With
more than justification than val
enunes. Christmas books and or
ends When she came TO the Junior
FROM. He had given her whirl
there with the best will in the
world. but with no thought Of
anything TO follow. Since t"e
Grays had Brent cross It was ma.
tliral enough to pay along visit 10
Ettare's father Tony had afors-
time stnSed his wings In the flnme
Of Ettare-and recovered. Eut
ne had not lost appreciation IL.
sf,hef very handsome inheritance. II
+ was. her mothers money--nont Of
ne later broodN, conld claim a
aare in it, Tony. who loved get
AAas money only little less than
spendinS It. thought It clca?
providence that 1t should be so
From Halloween to Lent Bush
4 Greek went the pace--and ~
breathless It set everybody gasp
Ing: The Brent house of course.
, was the storm csnter-with two
. gay girls In residence. and dozen
eligible males circlinS moth-likc
about them. Tony played the game
q beautifully-took on himself the
burden Of keeping things COINS.
Motor rides and dances that ran
to- daylight, private theatricaIs
and trips to real playhouses In the
nearest city came hot on the heels
Of one another. The Christmas
dance outdid anything ever known
in those rural precincts-Tonv
had got a band from the city aEi
wonderful things for the tree. It
was set up In the big Brent hall
with a backlog glowing in the
huge fireplace and pine. holly ana
mistletoe wherever a spray could
hang. Dancing there was out OF
the question-wlth the night out
\ side halnly as in May. But no.