The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-04-15
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
NEASTER EGG
ayFREpsR4cK HART


HyEFREDsRfcK HART
~ modern building the stair well
CONSTRUCTED to such a narrow
space that II one stands on the
Fwentieth or thIrtieth floor and
pokB down one will probably not
more than a lighted slit. with
suggestion OF the depth below.
Aforeime, however, when. people
we're not 50 cramped IN their build
ing-or In their souls-stair-wellsI
we're generous. In the old-fashlon-
ed four story mansion, now Al
foomfne house. where Florence.
Eidstdse lived, the stairs wound In
q stately fashion, around q space
afgood 8 feet square, reaching from
ground floor to root, Florence who.
lived on the third floor, could peek
over the banisters and see the Sec
o1d ana first floors go about their
business. She rather liked the
stairweli; It spoke to her Of ample.
days gone by. OF large, hospitality
and easy going lives, remote from.
the rush and roar OF modern times
Florence lived alone in a little.
room on the third floor. as we have.
said. on the second floor lived a.
nice young man. His name was
Arthur Hayden and he worked In.
an engineers office and got a per
fectiy amazing salary. He and
Florence had met over the mail
table in the lower hall, and ha6
passed BY csremonious degrees
from q simple Good morning to.
There's q letter for you. Aren't.
you the lucky one!' or some sucn
polite badinage.
aaThe stairwell remained tmpas-
lSse 10 any budding romance that.
dight or might not be b%hrgeoning
on II. II had seen too many brides
IN lie time TO grow excited over
two yodnE people Of opposite sexes
who we're getting acquainted in its
shadow. II seemed TO ga yto itself:
fttk those young folks don't arrive
NJ the point II isn't my fault. They
are Semlnently we'll suited. and 4
must say that the young lady ts by
ali means as lovely as any Of the
brides who have wendell their way
over f1ein DAYS gone by; but why
should | interfere? I am an aristo-
cratic stair well, and it's none or
my business. /" Thus did the stair
we'll commune with itself in the.
night hours. as stair wells do with
little Confidential creakihgs apd1
rustiihgs. Meanwhile Florence
and the nice young man continued
70 call each other Miss Elridge'
and Mr. Hayden aud to Joke
politely when they saw each other.
or mako a remark about the
weather, or something like that.
This vent On for some months.
Winter showed signs OF relaxing
INTO Spring. The cold was less in.
tensey The streets were slushy.s
The shops displayed new hats.
Everything pointed to the coming
OF The benign season. And Easter
was at hand,
Florence bought herself a new
hat In celebration d the annual.
festival. She also noted with somk'
cohGern that Mr.. Hayden showed
no islsn OF any springlike reaction.
He remained as impassive as evel.
His calmness before the advent Of.
the goddess Easter irritated Flor
enoe systematically. and she took.
to hanging over the stair-well when
hS went out or came in to see Ii
he had bought himself a bright
neektie, Nor instance, or had a.
flower III his huttonhole, or showed
any Of the signs by which the male
OF the species responds to the call
of the spring. The stair we'll wise
In It's generation, allowed Florence
to look without hindrahce. and
even warned her by sundry creak-
inks, when the nice Mr.. Hayden
was eomisg.
Mr.. Hayden, In fact, should have
bought a new hat. His winter
headptece was several seasons old
and showed It. It wasn't as though
he cotidn't afford It; he got, as We
have already said, a perfectly
amazing salary; but he Just didn't.
Some men are that way. He con-
titaad 70 wear his old felt. that
looked like a coal scuttle. Florence
Thought. She watched him anx-
t1onsly now. She really took an in
tetest In that hat, and waited to
see whether or not he would get a
new one. The stalr-well waited too.
seemed 10 say to itself: "That
young thing is falling in love with
that engineer and doesn't know It.
She thinks she Is interested in his
hat. Ha, ha!~W altand see
Came the Saturday before Eas-
ter. Florence returned at noon. In
her arms was a paper bag and In
the bag were six eggs, raw She
vas going to boil them that evei..
ing and draw little pictures on
them and give item, next day to
some young friends OF hers. She
mounted the sta;rs-they seemed
unusually cteaky that day, as
though they had somethlns to a
To- her-and was Just turning intG
her room when she heard foor-
steps below her ana knew that Mr..
Hayden was coming in.
wonder!" thought Florencu.
"Hasfhe bought a new hat for Eas.
tef, OF Is he still wearing that
Awful Old things" She rushed to
The banistsfs and leaned fer over
To- look at the ascending Mr.. Hay
den SEkes are unstable thingsI.
They have no corners and slip Very
easily. Anyway, the string on that
paper ftAg was not very tightly
tted. Florence. leaning over the
AtAir ifAll ntIAhnnlr nnr, With a