Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-27
Evening Star S
Daily Story
THE EARLY WORM
BY CLARENCE MORTON.

Katrina Lake.
hatrina was not alone. Surround
ing her were several white hanneled
) youths of Dicky's general appear
ance. One admirer carried her para
sol over her head, another dangled
her sillxen workbag, third bore her
sweater coat, a fourth talked to her,
much to the bitter amusement of the
burden bearers and Dicky Webb, who
should by all rights of devotion have
been counted among the group, had
been passed by with merely a cool
nod
1t was unpleasant, to say the least!
Thus Dicly unused, while he rumpled
his fiaxen hair into a frenzied mop
and stared resentfully after the
naughty Miss Lake and her attendant
SWANS.
.She's a heartless coquette!" he
muttered between clenched teeth.
: mot worth a serious thought" Still
he sat there staring out at sea, where
white sails flickered in the sunshine
and romping waves smacked the
bathing floats to perilous rocking.
Behind him to the left was the
Great summer hotel; to the right
stretched miles of sandy beach and
heaped up boulders. Beyond the
first heap of gray boulders Miss
Lake sank gracefully to the sand and
her young men reluctantly gave up
their booty.
Dicky shrugged his shoulders.
turned to a serious contemplation of
the sand at his feet, and goomily
wished that his four weeks vacation
We're at an end. But he had prom
ised his mother and sister to remain
with them at Salt Beach until the
first of September, and that desir-
able date was still ten days off. And
he must see Katrina every day at
breakfast, luncheon and dinner, on
bathing beach and promenade and
in the ballroom at night. And for
some unknown reason Katrina, who
had been SO endearingly kind In the
beginning, was snubbing him most
numerically nowadays.
Dickys sister came tripping down
4 the sand unescorted, because her
heart was in the keeping of hard
working young broker, who escaped
from the tolls of the stock ticker
every Friday night to spend the
weekend with his sweetheart. So
Lena's love affairs having been set
tied satisfactorily, she merely ex-
listed from Monday till Friday night,
and had plenty of time between
writing letters to her beloved to de-
vote 10 lJlCky uillOIluildle Woolh-
of Miss Katrina Lake.
Lena Webb, who was fond of Kat
rina Lake, took in the situation at
glance; in fact, she had witnessed the
naughty passing of Miss Lake from
the hotel piazza and had flown to her
brothers rescue.
What's the matter, Dicky?" she
demanded.
"Oh, nothingn sighed Dicky, gus
tily.
Rubbish" shifted Lena. 81 thought
/ saw you with Katrina few min
utes ago.
Dicky regarded her pityingly. mo,
my dear, you did not see me" he said
deliberately. You really should have
your eyes examined, Lena. What you
did see cavorting around Katrina
were five young idiots, instead Of one.
Your beloved brother has been thrown
down-down-way down.
He punched the sand savagely as he
spoke
HAS she refused your" she asked
breathlessly.
Dicky grew red around the ears.
1--WE never asked her." he admitted
hotly. "But she's certainly freezing
me out; passed me just now with the
coolest nod you ever saw-and-l-l-
she treats me like a worn1i" he ended
chokingly.
"a worm!' unused Lena with dane
ing eyes. IF she treats you like
worm, Dick, be worm. Now, listen
and I'll tell you a secret: Every
morning about 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 1 haven't the
courage to get up so early; nor has
anyone else; but if you-well,
should think the sunrise would be as
romantic as the sunset"
Dicky groaned. Five a. M, Lena?
You know l get 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
mental 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, fear
ing the approach of some malady,
saw her son go to bed at 8 o'clock,
and it was Lena who treasured her
parent concerning the health of the
Gee! But this is great!" exclaimed
> Dicky Webb at 5 o'clock the next
morning when he appeared on the
piazza of the Salt House and sur
veyed the primrose eastern sky and
the fiat gold surface of the ocean.
Servants were washing down the
porches and he made a hasty depart
ure. Far down the beach he saw a
slim, white figure vanishing around
the first group of boulders.
by jove, she's off already ex-
claimed Dicly, and darted after her
When he was within hundred yards
of Miss Lake he came down to dis
Greet walk and essayed a joyous
whistle. Sort of a happy plswboy
whistle, you know he confided to
Lena afterward. Just a merry
tune"
turned sharply, saw him, hesitated,
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
lovely rosy flush, but a glance at the
eastern sky banished that theory
There was plenty of primrose vel
low in the sky. but no rose color
Miss Katrina Lake had blushed on
seeing hin-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 y
Dicky blushed-there was no mere
al, bn aT.la CHI