Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-08-17
ON The sand
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

DICK SIX lllneS repeated nau Indue leu
tired. Add to that scOrching July
sun, the inviting shade of beach
chair, and natural propensity for
sleep at any time and under all cOndi-
tions, and you can readily understand
why morpheus found him an easy VIC
tim that eventful morning.
Suddenly something hit him with
sickening force in the solar plexus.
Then something said softly: Goo"
and, with few delighted gurgles,
"Goo!" again. A baby looked up at
him with placid blue eyes and twisted
the corners of its little rosebud mouth
into a thousand smiles.
"Hello, there, mister or miss or
whatever you are!" Ted exclaimed.
"Where did you come from?'
Baby gurgled an answer.
you don't say so! Well, if you had
only sent word l might have been bet
ter prepared to receive you. l sup
pose" Ted looked around and saw
no one who appeared to have lost q
baby recently, or who might in any
way be associated with one. II sup
pose" he said, that you fell out Of
the chair seeing that you had such
nice soft thing to land on!"
"When you smile at me so sweetly,
| think you're girl. The girls all
like me to pieces. Honor bright - The
wide-Open blue eyes searched him In.
- She
doesn't think I'm worth two for cent.
But it's all because she doesn't know
me. We have never been introduced.
BY Jove, here she comes now"
A variety of reasons caused him to
pick the baby up just then-either to
hide the confusion which he always
felt when the girl came near, or be-
cause it looked heartess to let beau
tiful, embroidered, shell-pink baby lie
unprotected on the sand.
The girl passed, but not before she
had taken in the stage setting and the
chief performers of the little act.
To go back, Ted and the girl were
staying at the same hotel. He had
tried to meet her--as he had explained
to the baby-but no mutual friend had
50 far appeared.
The girl walked along with her COM
panlon. but turned back as she saw
something lying on the sand. Ted's
heart nearly stopped when he saw her
coming, and he almost dropped the
baby, but he clutched it tightly, desper-
ately, when she picked up the toy and
handed it to him, with: Here Is your
babys rattle!" and, half-stopping add
ed: "Cute little thing-looks like
your!
She was gone with that, and Ted
suddenly wished the sands would swal-
low him up and spare him any further
torment of living. His baby! Merci-
full heavens!
He laid baby in its soft nest, gave
It the rattle and tried to collect his
scattered senses by another swim to
the bar. When he returned baby was
gone. He breathed more freely then.
Another day Ted came out Of
movie just as woman passed wheel
ing a baby perambulator. Something
flew out of the carriage and landed at
his feet. He recognized the blue rattle
Of his friend, the baby, and handed 1t
over.
"Oh, thank you!" beamed the mother.
"Shes always throwing it out She
was young and pretty-scarcely more
than girl. 1t occurred to Ted to re-
late the episode of the baby's fall, and
he did So sultlng his step to her own.
OF course, the girl passed just then.
as the young mother was listening with
all attention to Ted.
"Darn!" he exclaimed, stopping.
II beg your pardon" ~~'
He apologized profusely. II forgot
something, and must 60 back If you
will excuse me-" he said, as he lifted
his hat and turned in the direction the
girl had taken.
He followed, unabashed desperate!
Ted came up beside her, and after
an irresolute minute spoke: II should
like to talk with you just minute, II
you don't object!"
She looked up. "Object? Well, I'll
have to listen, suppose. Go ahead
"That baby isn't mine!"
81 know it isn't"
"What! Excuse mel didn't un!er-
stand. l thought you thought"
"He thought, we thought, you
thought, they thought" she finished
mockingly,
Ted was very red in the face by this
time.
'"Now listen," said the girl. II am
that baby's aunt. l was only teasing
you, so don't worry about it any more.'
He digested this. "Why don't you
like me?" he went on. ITS been SO
evident in hundred ways that you
don't. I'm really curious about 1t. Do
you mind telling me?"
Mercy" she cried. Il have GER
tainly developed into regular bureau
of information. But I'll tell you that,
too! It's because you are here having
good time for month while George
Bronson, your partner, who happens
to be my brother-in-law and that ba-
by's father, Is at home working his
head off in q hot Office when he is
dying to be here with his family. He
can't leave as long as you are away!"
Ted was speechless "But I'd have
gone a week ago if-if--it hadn't been
for you!" he declared suddenly.
Then the girl smiled, the very sort
of q smile he wanted to see. ITS
wicked for me to keep George away
from May and the baby, isn't itT' she
said. "Ill go home tomorrow
"Then I'll go, too" smiled Ted.
lConyriRht 1916 by the Mcclure NeWspa-