The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-07-25
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
On the Sand.
ICopyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
Newspaper ~Syndlcate.)
ey LOUISE OLIVER

The swim out to the sand bar and
back six times repeated had made Ted
tired. Add to that a scorching July
sun, the inviting shade OF a beach
chair and a natural prosensity for
sleep at any time and under all con-
dittons, and you can readily under.
stand why Morpheus found him an
easy victim that eyentful morning.
Suddenly something hit him with
sickening force in the solar plexus,
and he sat up before he was awake
with the dim idea that the largest pro-
1ectile Of Harvard bombardment had
selected him for a target.
Then something said softly, Goo!
and, with a few delighted gurgles, Cool
again. A baby looked up at him with
placid blue eyes and twisted the cor.
ners Of its little rosebud mouth into
o. thousand smiles. beating the air al
the same time with two pink fists that
fairly ylbrated with excitement.
Where did you come from, baby
dear? Out Of the everywhere into the
here! came into Ted's head.
Hello, there, mister or miss or what.
ever you are! he exclaimed. Where.
did you come from?
You don't say SO! Well, II you had
only sent word / might have been
better prepared to receive you. But
it seems to be the thing nowadays to
drop in Informally. l suppose Ted
looked around and saw no n who
appeared to have lost a baby recent.
ly, or who might in any way be as.
ISOLATED with I suppose. he said,
that you. fell out Of the chair, seeing
that you had such a nice soft thing
to land on!
Here-that won't do, as baby tried
to stuff q moist, s~and-coyered hand In
to its mouth. I'll bet you're a boyl
brushing 1t off and grabbing the other
Just in time to prevent q like accident.
Boys are always thinking of their
stomachs! But when you smile at
me so sweetly l think you're a girl.
The girl all like me to pieces. Honor
bright The wideopen blue eyes
searched him in%quiringly. All except
one. and she doesn't think I'm worth
two for a cent. But It's all because
she doesn't know me. We have never
been introduced. By Joye, 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 heartless to let a beau.
tiful, embroidered. shell.pink baby lie
unprotected On the sand. But, any.
way, he picked It up and laid It over
his shoulders in the way babies love,
as though he had been head nurse in
founding asylum all his life.
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
stoEthe baby-but no mutual friend had
SO far appeared. But he had managed
to let her know he was interested. She
had fairly to fall over him on her way
to the dining.room, he chose to battle
at the place where she took her daily
DIP, and at the same hour, and he fire..
Quented the amusements she likeo
best. On the other hand, the girl con-
tinually frowned her displeasure ut
his presence, and 1t was evident that
she was Just as keen to avoid meeting
him as he was anxious to meet her.
The girl walked along with her com.
penion, but turned back as she saw
so-1ething lying on the sand. Ted's
heart nearly stopped when he saw her
coming, and he almost dropped the