The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-01-18
III DAILY
SHORT STORY
Her Prophetic Name
y MarlNa MecuIIoah. WInlSms

1900
By Martha Mecultoeh Williams
A fsiht; silken, ruftling breath,
* TOO fgiIt 10 be called wind,
hrpught the heiiotrope scent.
hot and almphd.sweet TO the ham:
mock Hero lay prone in Il, half
bare Arms locked lightly beneath
her head, one absurdH small foot
dangling almost to earth, the other
thrust i%nppfently upward where
the hammock began TO rise! Lacy,
sui-fiecked shadows played over
her white garments; now and
againa Specially tricky beam made
a high gold light in her tumbled
hair. Shutting the Yindblown
scent she said and aloud. ocan
I've he sweeter? / wonderl
suppese you adventure and.
find ont Tossing half whispered
over her head. He had crept upon
her ao9 silently she did not
dreamSof his presence. Yet she did
not stir for 1t. Instead she shut
her eyes, murmuring drowsily:
Beauty sleep is what 7 needI
fGo plya with MACPHERSON Ttotoe.
She's moving heaven and earth
and the Backyard fence getting
ready for tomorrow's demonstra-
lion y
4 what sort Is it," Tossing queir-
led. Hero half opened her eyes as
che lung at him reproachfully:
Am d Encyclopedia? Dol look It?
MOI Wei, then, why ask such a
qpestiop2 Maybe It's pigs, or poul.
try. or canning, or conserving or
quilting, or some other absurdity.
When all the worlds a club or
else 3 der1onstrator I'm wondering
little what It will do for more
asubiectg 10 demonstrate"
Possibly Il will tackle counting
then Tossing flung hack airly;
one horribly neglected science
right about this present time"
Such tglorance!" Hero shot
! back at him. .As though anybody,
even with all the letters OF the
alphabet after her name, could.
4 demonstrate what can neither be
taught nor learned.
spisttliing the wisdom Of expert.
ence-eht Losing answered.
moving 80 he could look her full
fan her face. Heavens innocence
%was in II yet the ghost OF a tricksy
smile fnrseds in her deepest dimple
one in the left cheek. silken
iashes. long, dark and curling, lay
Lightly upon seashell cheeks. The
single Coral eardrop visible was
not 9 clearer scarlet than the
mouth half Shut over small white
teeth No wonder Hero was SO
full Of sparkle and WHISKY,
thought Tossing. She had known
ever since she. first sat alone how
beautiful she was. How could she
help II against a background Of
poor, lumbersome May!, May
Blossom Hero'ssname for her, was
witty rather than kind.
They were almost twins-a bare
year between chem. SAs un1ike,
though, as an ugly duckling. and q
bird OF paradise. May. younger by
date vas years older by nature;
also stouter, more work-a.day in
build, manner and temperament,
and always the willing and leyot.
4 I'd slave Of her elder. Hero. she
md insisted should be sent to q
finishing school, to come home all
Accomplished; also and further she
must have all that betitted such
going away, quite regardless OF
hef 6whgneadB. She did not matter
\ -neysf would, indeed. Her live.
Hest HOPE waste love, sorve and
Shield die flower OF the family.
nate. turned cynic, sometimes
psets the most altruistIc en-
sdeaygfB, Thus II foil out-that when
thfpngh the bhne Of honest men,
snfstE evil tbefGll the LangdonS
hguseheldg sc waS not the accom-.
pitshea Hero, but May, the stout
ind ~ftspur6etul. that routed the
welf from the door. She knew
gardening by heart, made q fine
mt Of canning, could outcook the
county raise more and finer poul.
Try With less per cent OF loss make
butter better than E!lt-edge. and
tato prizes at the state fair for
simple plain sewing SO, In spite
Of tho M.bFed proyerb, won much
honor IN her own county that she
sas ehrewd witted enough to turn
into cold cash.
Clubs ot all sorts sprang as by
magic wherever she was heard
the result thereof, turned into
money orffnoney's worth OF better
living, still further exalted her.
Also the hacl4wash brought profit
10 Hero--caprtcious though ~she
was and selfrtndulgent. she yet had
D real fibre that forbade her to be.
a millstone about the famil&neck.
She might have married out OF
hand. but for her reluctance to
play the game on the neck-or
nothing principle. It was fought
teachtng dancing to younglings
with no music in their souls. or
music to thise whose idea Of,
harmony was Jazz on the ukelele,
but then divorce from those things
was SO safe and easy-neithef
scandal nor expense, nor even hard
thoughts.
Tossing knew all about that -
knew fufther that right now Hero's
soul yearned for extra and easy
money. I'D commit murder-al.
most riatrimony-for an even hun.
dred dellars right in hand" she
aad contdedst to him yesterday.
nce his temperance today,
tch She had immediately post.
cIttitIsnext week He drew her