The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-07-24
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Branding Mary.


tnard your garden wall
Bare little Cupie. snoopy fairy
Fina " gets them all.
And IN your breast he'll shaft his dart;
swear this unto you
And pierce your now rebellious heart.
For he's contrary. too"
~ AIRY RAYBURN knelt In her
M:anoe and chung breathlessly 10
A'Ahe low.hanelng branches over
head that screened her as she
watched the singer lift his paddle and
suddenly with one long sweeping
stroke drive his own canoe into the
hiding place beside hers.
"A-h," he smiled. at last"
Mary was startled and only stared.
Afier all this time" he went on.
I've found you
"Why-have you been looking for
me-" she at last found her tongue.
Don't you remember" he chided
her. Don't you remember that day ]
saw you on the beach at Coranado;
You wore a blue bathing suit and a
yellow cap"
she shook her head. "rve never
been there"
And n Frisco. I saw you. too he
vent on. "You were coming out Of a
theatre snd you smiled At ne. Down
iu<IIorida one winter you came up out
q the sea, your hair was yellow that
time and your eyes seA green. Don't
yon remember how you laughed when
! tried 10 catch you? And in New
Orleans at the MarH Gras you threw
me q rose from your balcony-and
oct m Nevada once We sat together
ana wotehed the starlight on the des-
EFT. Don't you remember?
ohe shook her head and smiled visit
fuzzy. 1--WE never been to any Of those
places. Only New York and Boston
% you see, I'm not the girl"
"Oh, yes you are" he assured her
"Youf name IA Mary and you've al
vays been wherever I've been and I've
been pretty much all over" He ges-
.tuFsd vaguely with his bronIed arm.
II gucSs you're mistaken" she said
e. he hummed the air Of his song smil'
in0ly, "and-and think I'd better be
going"
Hhe half arose 10 distangle a dead
braach that had caught over the bow
OF her canoe-it tilted and with little
aasD Of chilled surprise she found her.
ssIf'in he water. Almost instantly he
vs. beside her; the water was only to
his waist, 20 Il was IN no wise a
rescue. and with q laugh he lifted
her I'D into her canoe and tilted the
w1ler out OF Il. Then he took hold OF
her and held her high in his arms.
"You-you needn't hold me 30 long"
so protested Indignantly.
LONG he chuckled, I'm only let
tlng you drain before put you back in
he canoe. Believe me. you're one wet
woman"
And finally he hunched over and sat
her down n her canoe.
Here" he ordered. Drag my canoe
along behind and I'll tow US up around
TIE bend where there's a sand bar we
cSn land on"
Noekly she reacher out and took his
canoe By the bow while he waded a.
head hauling the two canoes after
him. And when they reached the bar
he the canoes up on the sand and
h r out Of hers. From his own
ht led . bathing suit and a rain
coas.
Go back up there somewhere" he
directed. "and put on these dry things,
Then bring your things back here and
spread them out on that bush. This
sun1l dry 'em In q couple Of hours"
she studied him silently for a mo-
mont and then silently took the things
he Offered and went back toward the
thichly wooded shore. And a few mo-
ments later she returned with the
raineoat wrapped about her and her
hair tulnbled down her back.
"Cold!' he asked.
She shook her head brightly and set
10 sDreading out her wet things in the
sun, he seemed the right sort. and she
saw no reason Why she should be silly
about II. He got out a coffee pot and
q frying pan. talking in his droll way
entirely unconscious Of her shy re-
serve.
When he was searching for dry
twigs he discovered a curious hollow
IN the gravel Of the bar and predicted
that n she dug there carefully she
might find buried treasures.
"Oh," she exclaimed eagerly. as she
uncovered something white and round.
almost rs large as a walnut. Another
she found and another. There were
twenty eight AZ them in all.
NOW for turtle-egg omele:te!" he
laughed, and set to work over the pre-
paration Of the meal.
After they had eaten they sat there
while Chalmers smoked. She studied
him covertly At every opportunity as
they ehatted and talked. but she had
psgsIstentiy refused to give him any
knowledge OF herself other than the
frat name OF Mary. which he had
Guessed. She watched him curiousiy
e he took chsrred stick and marked
: mystic sign on the smoothe skin OF
her arm.
"What n IT," she asked looking
down on the circle he had made,fol
lowed by q dash.
'T've put my brand on you" he
smiled into her eyes. I've a ranch in
California. the Circle Bar-and that's
ny brand"
sOhi" she murmured. rubbing the
marx off with her hand. at the same
time realizing, regretfully that II was
time for her 70 go. So she gathered
up her clothes and went back into the