The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-10-17
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Love and Breakfast.
BY SHIRLEY MONROE.
Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure
Nawsnaner Syndicate)

(Copyright1 1913, py Cne MCS4ute
Newspaper syndicate)
AWHILE the dew was still on the
W grass and the sun not yet full
w orbed over the eastern hills,
there came down the steep, narrow
path which led, between thtckets OF
sweet fern and bayberry, to the pebbly
shore below, maiden fair as any
queen Of fairy tale famegEaSer slim
little frock seemed to have &ofTowed
It's color from the rosy dawn. y
A wandering ray of sunshine tounG
her hair and transformed 1t into a
crown Of Hne-spun, virgin gold. Her
dafntily shod feet appeared to barely
touch the ground, yet they brought
her quickly down to the beach. There
The threw wide her sun-browned arms
md took long breaths of the sea-
washed air.
"Eyerything is perfect this morning
yes, everything!" She spoke aloud.
A kingfisher successfully camouflaged
against the rain -bleached limb OF q
dead tree near by turned startled
eye IN her direction for the thou
Sandth part Of an instant, perhaps, then
concentrated again on the sparkling
water beneath him.
The girl looked at the tiny jeweleo
disk bound to her wrist. She seated
herself, carefully smoothing out her
trock that it might not be wrinkled,
and, picking up handfuls of the shin
ing pebbles, let them trickle slowly
back to the ground, talking to them
meanwhile.
Her happiness was OF the sort that
demanded expression, and at first
glance there was no animate thing
nearer than a-lonely osprey which cir.
cled high over the bay.
So the pebbles and sedge grass
heard her wonderful news--a tale as
Did as the spectacle Of the dawn, yet
ever as new and marvellous to one who
experiences 1t for the first time.
Only the evening before had it hap
pened-the miracle-when he had tax
en- her into his arms and of sudden
1t had come and she knew that she
loved him! 1t would end in marriage,
Of course; but she didn't want to
think of that now, only of the utter
perfection of her prince and Of the
beautiful, beautiful world, which was
such happy place TO live in.
On parting they had agreed to meet
On the secluded beach, out OF sight OF
the hotel, before breakfast She had
anticipated the Frne set, for the night
had been sleepl55s and the glorious
morning called But at any moment,
now, there mightS come the sound OF
footsteps down heinarrow path!
Instead OF a sudden there was a
splash in the waited u few feet from
shore, The girl turned in time to see
a fountain OF rainbow hued drops, and
emerging from it gray bind with q
white collar around his throat, carry
ing in his beak small silver fish.
The bird flew straight back to his
perch on the rain blanched limb of the
old dead tree, swallowed his booty and
resumed the watchful waiting.
"Why-you horrid thing!" exclaimed
the girl, startled from the tale she was
relating to the shining pebbles, ito eat
up that beautiful little fish who wasn't
doing you one bit of harm-and on
glorious morning like this, when every
living creature must be filled with joy
at being alive!"
In the sedge grass, few feet away,
lump which she had taken for a
brown stone moved cautiously for
ward, step by step. There was an in
describably quick motion of sinu-
Gus neck, a glitter of silver, then a
lump moving down the long throat as
something was hastily swallowed. 1t
took but an instant for the tragedy;
the murderer resolved again into a
brown stone, ceaselessly watching its
chance.
In disgust the girl turned her back
on the kingfisher and on the marsh
hen and after a fleeting glance up the
steep path turned to the sparkling
waves breaking almost at her feet.
At least there was one creature on
that beach who could enjoy the fair
beauty Of the morning without think
Ing eternally and only of eating, sh6I
soliloquized. Something grotesque and
horrid fof form was moving sideways
and with difficulty out of the water.
With one ugly claw it was pushing be-
tore it an object almost as big as it
self, which feebly struggled.
AS the girl gazed, fascinated, the
thing took great mouthful Of its lv-
Ing prey in its free claw and crammed
1t into, its mouth. 1t was only that
common occurrence, one crab eating,
with relish a disabled brother; but to
HE girl looking on there came nau-
/ seating revulsion of feeling and she
stoned the cannibal till he dropped his
Eictfm and scurried away.
How perfectly awful! Why, I'll
never eat another crab as long as II
tive-they're to disgusting. Nor an
other fish, either! Poor things; they
have enemies enough! oh, why need
such cruel things happen in such a
beautiful world?"
A loose pebble rolled down the path,
announcing the swift approach of an
pther human to the secluded beach.
The girl leaped to her feet; strong
I arms held her tight 1t was her prince,