The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-11-03
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
An Impossible Story.
(copyright 1919, by the Mcclure
NeWspaper .syndIcate.l

ND the ioggy wind blew the spray
~ OF the waves about these two as
- they. stood together on the rocky
shore. Suddenly she turned to him
and gTasped his hand In hers, small,
cold and damp with the breath OF tie
sea.
''Do you remember" she said, ut
was here, years ago, when weNwere,
oh, 50 young -you-you once said you
loved meg' =
Yes he answered. with quiet ten
derness, II remember"
TEL me-" she said quickly, ten
mel Do you still? want you to-
oh, how want you to-!
Dearest, dearest of all, you know
'Then kiss me-" she whispered.
He bent his head to hers, and their
FOULS seemed to meet, trembling, upon
their lips.
The waves beat their rhythmic
thunder upon the rugged shore, spray
ing high over the rocks, as though at
tempting to liberate themselves from
the eternal bondage of the sea, and
dash into the mists, free as the air
that swirled about the two indistinct
figures.
The End
As the sound Of his voice ceased he
closed the book softly, and there was
moment Of silence. She stood up
lapguidly and gazed Wistfully out over
the bleak sea,
"Not a bad story, I'll say" he ven
tured. Sin fact, l rather liked it. Es-
pecially good for a weekend swim
ming party, when it's too cold to swim
and everybody sticks indoors" ..
Everybody" she questioned arch
ly. "ThankslR
"Well everybody except girl you've
known so long that. she'd be insulted
II you tried any romance"
$50 you take her out on the veran-
da in the fog and read an impossible
story to her%
Impossible story! think it's a
mighty good one; true to life, and
real"
THAT'S where you're wrong. 1t isn't
true to life or natural at all" flashing
look of literary superiority at him.
"of course, like the-way you read
and all that; but do hate these
bookey.books, with the things that
never happen except in some starving
authors brain. Imagine woman
asking man if he still cared for her. y
she continued, scornfully. I'D never
ask man that-not If was dying to
know. And then, on top Of that, with
out waiting for an answer she not only
admits she wants him to, but practi-
cally begs him to. Pooh! It's too
ridicubus!" she finished with unex-
pected heat, and, stepping from the
yeranda, Started to, walk toward the
leaping breakers.
A look of mild surprise came over
his face. But as he watched her slen-
der figure retreating through the gray
fog deep tenderness filled his eyes,
unhidden now that she was not there
to see. He thought for moment rem
iiiscently, and then grim determine
ton, like an habitual mask, lined his
features as he made a slight, uncon-
scious gesture, as though casting away
something futile.
Coming to himself, he tossed the
book to the wicker tabaret, and strobe
after her. In a few steps he was up
20 her, and linked his arm in hers in q
familiar way She made no sign, but
continued slowly along the shore.
The mist, billowing in from the re-
mote mystery of the ocean, soon hid
the house they had just left, and isolat-
ed them from the conyentfonalizing
touch Of its presence, the touch that
builds up walls and barriers and keeps
people from one another. The trees,
farther in from the shore, rose in dark
outline, and moved in the wind like
vaguely gesticulating phantoms, arous.
ing sensation of strangeness and dis
lance from the present, like blurred
figures surging out of the past.
II don't suppose they'll worry about
our being unchaperoned," he TESTED.
mo one ever worries about chap
eroning US" she answered, with per-
haps the faintest hint of irritation. !.
HThey all know I'm platonic and
harmless"
"Do they? That's why Mrs. Hostess
appeared on the veranda last night
with some totally superflpous refresh
nent when you were sitting out a
dance with that new girl"
"Oh, you mean the wonderful bru-
nette, with the Lovely"
'You needn't describe her, she cut
In quickly. II remember how she looks.
No one could help noticing how you
singled her out The refreshment was
probably to prevent a premature pro-
pesal-or something of the sort. You
danced six dances with her"
@Was it really six?" he asked inno-
asix."
2 ..And the only other one l danced.
was with you"
'iTha was self sacrificing"
More so than you think"
Please elucidate."
whats the use?-oh, we'll! It's
lust this, / never dance with any one
else after having danced with you;
make you my last partner. When i
have one with you, want more-hut
don't ask; so my evening is through"
Her eyes admitted her surprise at
this. Her cheeks flushed, a little
Passing wave of rose, as though his re-
mark had made her heart beat sud-
denly faster. But only for a moment
Then she asked with apparently indit-
ffent interest:
why won't you ask me for anoth-
SIR