The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-05-31
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Robins and People.
BY LOUISE OLIVER.
Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndlcate.J

Katharine Lang raised her blue eyes
to the brown ones above her inquiring
ly. Then she arose and smiled pleas
antly as the tall young man handed
her his requisition slip.
Most people smiled at Homer Bra
den. His frank. courageous face and
brown eyes which looked so fearlessly
at the world were always paid back In
the coin they gave---a smile for q
smile. Just now they looked with open
admiration at the pretty little girl with
the golden hair and blue eyes, her
youthfulness accumulated by her navy
blue frock with white collar and
cuffs.
II am sorry. Mr.. Braden." glancing
at the name on the slip. "but you are
minute too late. The last Scientific
American has Just been given out.
Will anything else do?"
mo, thank you. will Just look over
the want ads In the papers. Where
shall l find them, please?'
"They are all on file at the long ia.
BILE to the right. l hope you will find
what you are looking for" she added
,hesitatingly. AS rule she did not
converse with the patrons of the read.
Ing room, but somehow with this one II
was different. She felt an underlined
sympathy and interest in him.
THANK you, hope SO, too" and
with a pleasant nod he turned and
made his way through the maze OF
chairs. tables and low lights Of the
large room to the table indicated.
The next day he came again. This
time the desired periodical was In and
he seated himself at table beside
the desk of the pretty librarian. At
the end of half an hour, however. he
could have told more about pair OF
wonderful blue eyes and the wave of
certain girls bright hair than about
the newest process Of producing tan.
talum.
He returned the paper, but she no.
ticed that he again scanned the want
ads anxiously before he left. After
that he came every day. always ask.
ing for some magazine of science, and
then aIxiously scanning the adver.
tisement pages of the daily papers. But
of late he had hurried first to the table
with the papers.
Her interest In the man deepened
when the anxious look grew more in.
tense. His face had grown thinner
aud his linen frayed. although always
immaculate. Katharine found herself
worrying for him, watching his face
anxiously as he persued the columns,
evidently In vain.
One day he did not appear at the
usual hour and although Katharine
watched the green baize doors expect.
antly all afternoon he did not come,
When she went home she felt that the
day had been incomplete and insuffer.
ably dull. ut must be the spring
weather." she told herself, "but It is
early In the year for one to feel so out
OF sorts suppose a tonic is what
need" with soft little sigh.
The next day the same-and the
next A week went by and still
the stranger did not come. Katharine
resolutely turned her attention to the
tonic and ceased wondering about the
man--as much as possible. The effect
was not great success and her work
dragged more heavily each day.
One Saturday, she left the library
at noon. 1t was her time for shopping.
AS she made her way through the
throngs on the busy streets she watch.
ed every face eagerly as she passed.
But whom am seeking?" she asked
herself angrily and a slow, selfcon.
scious flush dyed her cheeks"
The day was warm and bright, the
sky blue. and in tho atmosphere was
q soft, mysterious something which
tells of coming summer. Katharine
took deep breath of the delicious air,
and desire to see more OF the mira.
cles Of spring seized her. She decided
to walk home. since It was not far
and most Of the way was through the
park.
AS she came to the lake, a fussine
and ckattering among the birds
brought her to standstill beside a
bed of opening tulips. She watched
an unfair fight between dozen spar.
rows and two huge redbreasts with
blazing eyes. The robins finally few
for protection to the top branches of
red budding maple and the sparrows
confiscated the few wisps Of straw
they had left on the ground