The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-05-01

DI DRY.
Is
no RsBEs1vIrfYY2'S SAKE


M ~ e i well Bruce
and looking as fit 4 as anything
Stephen Hastings had risen and
Ssgasped both outstretched hands OF
II thestan, we'll knit e11ow who had
EEburst unceremontous1yS into his Oh
-.1fce and now stood before p I'm.
IS, i m home at last, Steve,
and you're the first old friend I've
VI Looked mp and believe me you Ger
tatn1y do3my eyes good Bruce
sathrew his long frame, spare but
from long months OF canoe
and 8sledgeF travel in the wilder
suesss of& theScopper mine, into the
chairs Stevetdrew forghim and fair
INs beamed at his host. Tell me
VA II @that8has happened during the
~ two years Il have been away. I've
had &noGnews to amount to any
ling and I'm as gossip-hungry as
ansold woman at her sewing circle Gle.
Fire !,
So steve tipped back in his
desk chair and did Athesbest
W. TO comply with his listeners de-
lssbroke in with an5eager questlo OF
startled e1clam ation Of wonder OF
sS dismay. So the Carter girl had
Seloped in the end bigSfire had
esgutted the business district! Old
caleb Rich was dead !sS
III length, after Steve had all
but#exhausted his supply Of news.
Bruce tentatively put the cues
ssSst on which had been on his lips
saEtnce he entered the room. Yet ne
to endowsit with the VI
stacasualness. q. s
Elsts Issay, steve, by the way, how
boW is you Z ward, Betty CTS
tty ~ repeated Steve. Why
expect, Bruce, you'll find Betty
I'M ch as you left her---sWeet, WIZ
ssome,, keyed to the joy Of living .s
IN q -no married, then, or en-
gaged2n Bruce didn't realize the
lawful anxiety in his eyes as ne
hung on Steve's answer. but the.
mostsindifferent observer could.
failed to notice the in
relief which 1eaped to them
Il ate the other'sSreply. No indeed
neither, p ruce. @.
There was moment of silence
& .insthe office. Then, quite sudden.
IN as ifI moved by some hidden I'M
pulse. Stephen S leaned forward
1--WE half a mind to tell you some
kstding Bruce, which concerns
@BettV. Being her guardian,
SSknow8her Affairs pretty well AND
S9ifSIs am in away, break king conf
sdence,sI am doing it for Betty's
|asak e.s''E
Bruce was frowning. uncertain
sWh ether he wished =ftl' Steve to con
SsIinue but the other allowed him
sn hoices
said that Betty is not engag-
Sad M That is true. She is not
ssbu she has been. Wait The fact
ssWas known only to a few, was
never pu blicIy Sannounced. The
sfSbreaking OF it caused no comment.
SsIt was very soon after you left
::@that Betty began to accept the att
mention of a man constdeEabl old
.erst han herself won't mention
81 name now. but leave that part
s ITO, Betty,sif she wishes to disclose.
The ffairsis oyer and he$ls on the
aeye&of leaving the country. u
Eather# that shc mistook certain
familiarity OF tastes and that sort
SsofE thing for love-or$ else as an
md equateEsu bstitute. And the man,
S:to do him justice, am sure was
sSyerys much in love with Betty.
sSEss..$1V ell, to cut the story short.
THE days went by with Betty grow
Sing quteter, more subdued than
WAS natural, almost as If she were
#sutfering from some inner malady-
sThen zone afternoon, so Il under
sss tand, he surprised her sitting be-
tore her fireplace, her face white
sands drawn. a newspaper crushed
dnaher$ hand
4. Gu estioned she reluctantly
showed him an account Of the re-
ported loss of your expedition,
with YOU declaredsto be missing,