The Washington herald., 1914-11-27
DAILY SHORT STORY

nut sne , certainly freeZlnR me OUT
passed me just now with the coolest nod
you ever saw-and-I-she treats me like
worm!' he ended chokingly.
"A worm!" unused Lena with dancing
eyes. "If she treats you like a worm.
Dick. be a worm. Now, listen and I'll tell
you a secret: Every morning about 5
O'Clock Katrina gets up and takes a
three-mile walk over to White Stone
Cove. I've been with her once or twice.
but l haven't the courage to get up SO
early; nor has any one else: but IL you
well. should think the sunrise would be
as romantic as the sunset"
Dicky groaned. Five n. m. Lena?
You know l ger my best sleep them"
Lena shrugged impatiently.
sleep, then, worm she chided. BE
sure of one thing: You will never be
caught-by early bIrds!''
Dicky, left alone, pursued by slow men
tai processes the thought Of the early
worm. At last he smiled slowly and,
shaking the sand from his clothes, went
back to the hotel to dress for an early
dinner without one backward glance in
the direction of Miss Katrina Lake and
her adorers.
That night at the hotel hop Mr.. Richard
Webb was absent from the ballroom. His
anxious mother, fearing the approach OF
some malady, saw her son go to bed at
2 o'clock, and IL was Lena who reas-
sured her parent concerning the health
of the son and brother.
Gee! But this is great!' exclaimed
Dicky webb at O'Clock the next morn
ing. when he appeared on the piazza OF
the Salt House and surveyed the prim-
rose eastern sky and the fiat gold sur
face OF the ocean.
Servants were washing down the
nr.1 kA l. aGtwF AaF1u FNNN
Far down the beach he saw a slim white
figure vanishing around the first group Of
powders.
by jove she's OF already" exclaimed
Dicky, and darted after her. When he
was within a hundred yards Of Miss Lake
he came down to a discreet walk and
essayed a joyous whistle. Sort Of
happy plowboy whistle, you know" he
Confided to Lena afterwards. Just a
merry tune"
At sound OF the whistle Miss Lake
turned sharply. saw him. hssitated,
walked on a few steps and then waited.
When Dicky came up to her he saw
that the sun must have risen, for her
face was covered with a lovely rosy
flush. but a glance at the eastern sky
banished that theory. There was plenty
of primrose yellow in the sky, but no
rose color. Miss Katrina Lake had
blushed on seeing him-why? Perhaps
from anger at his presumption. suggested
his timid heart But there was no more
time for speculation: Miss Lake was
speaking.
"Oh, good morning. Mr.. Webb! Who
would have dreamed OF seeing you out
here at sunrise?'
Dicky blushed-there was no mere
blush about the scarlet that showed even
under his sun-tanned skin. He looked
very handsome and very young at that
moment, and a peculiar look came into
Katrina's eyes.
When she looked at him that way
Dicky lost his head completely.
Did you come out to see the sun rise:'
she asked foolishly.
81 came out because-oh, thunderation-
l came out because I'm the early worm!'
spluttered Dicky.
The early worm? How absurd"' Kat
rina went on into a gale of delicious
laughter. and her face was waved with
color so that poor Dicky could not dis
criminate between fushes and blushes.
She looked like an angel, he decided mis-
erably, and she was laughing at him!
He was a cheerful idiot, anyway, to make
her laugh like that!
Yes, I'm the early worm," he stam-
mered. "I-you see-I had a foolish idea
that the early bird might take a fancy
TO me-I'm really a very nice worm"
The early bird? Oh. yes" blushed and
stammered the well-poised Katrina But
IL the worm-wasn't such a stupid, runa-
way worm-afraid of other worms not
nearly. so nice as himself-the early bird
might have caught the early worm long
ago-or the early worm might have
caught the foolish bird-she Is so foolish.
Dicky!"
She turned her face away. perhaps be-
cause the sun had risen and her eyes
were dazzled. Perhaps she turned her
head away from the sun so that she
could look into Dicky's eyes, for by this
time he was holding her in his arms and
nonsense in her ears. And
the sun rose in glory and they mover saw
1t, because of the glory of complete hap
piness that .encompassed them.