The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-05-23
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Out of the Darkness.
BY DORA II. NOLAN.
Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure
Newsnaner Syndicafel


= UST tiny bit of Connecticut's
tween two rocky lodges. "A narrow
crescent OF glistening white sand
stretched between curling blue waters
and weather-beaten boardwalk. A
soft lap-lapping of tiny waves. The
shrieks Of circling seagulls. The dis
tant chug-chug of engines as an Eagle
boat, closely followed by q subma-
rfne, emerging from the nearby har-
Dor. 1t was the first day Of spring,
the equinox, but there was nothing
70 indicate the wild upheayal of nature
that had preceded and made this
miracle of a day possible but some
scattered debris of the deep, long
curls of brown seaweed, queer shells
and creatures strewn over the sand.
A blind man reclined on q steamer
chair on the broad veranda OF one OF
the many cottages which lined the
boardwalk. He listened intently and
from the sounds he heard tried to re-
construct the scene. It was more
than two years since he had seen It,
this beautiful spot where all his boy.
hood and college vacations had been
spent. Perhaps that was why he had
chosen II for what he called his re-
construction period" and withdrawn
here at . time when he knew It would
be practically deserted, with only his
old nurse and housekeeper, Aunty
Kate, TO look out for him.
Not one bit Of shrinking, only un-
daunted courage, entered into this
mans acceptance Of the result of the
supreme sacrifice he had offered his
country and humanfty-only desire
to be alone for while, to think things
out, TO formulate some philosophy Of
life to replace the ambitions which
now must be relinquished forever.
Footsteps sounded on the board
walk. Annty Kate, looking out Of her
Kitchen window, saw two women ap-
proaohtng, one elderly, with frelful
6ace, the other young. piQuRnt and
GaT6od In the uniform of a nurse.
mo bind man heard two voices, one
young and fresh:
ooh, Mrs. Bently. II you had only
come out here yegterday-just mass
Of tumbled waters, raging against the
gale, the huge waves breaking right
over this walkl"
A querulous voice answered: ct
never so out In storm II ! can help
It"
When the two women were out OF
earshot OF the man the younger re-
marked: That's Major Angre. He's
. very famous surgeon-or, rather,
was. He's blind now"
The querulous woman, reused for
the moment out Of her absorption in
imaginary Ills, asked: How did IL
happen7 IN this war;" The nurse
nodded.
well. It only goes to prove what
my father and his father before him
always said, that this country would
70 70 rack and ruin when the Re-
publican party went out Of power"
When the two women had passed
from sight Aunty Kate emerged from
her kitchen. Those must be the
people who are staying in that little
cottage back on the creek" she said,
where I've seen the light, nights.
The girl Is Q nurse and the older WON.
an her patient. evidently. Don't envy
her the Job. She looks like a fussy
old thing"
That night at 10 o'clock lights
ghone In two places IN the little beach
colony. Then, simultaneously, the
lightc vanished. In their living room
Aunty Kateywas reading aloud to her
charge stumbling through the long
words OF q medical magazine. She
stopped abruptly with THE electric
Lights are OUT
Then itn suD TO you to ruEtle out