The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1920-01-02
An Impossible
Story
By BESS PLAIN
1918. by the Mcclure Nsws-
paper eyndicste.D

tCopyrsht. 1913. by the Mcclure News
paper syndicsteb
And the foggy wind blew the
spray 81 the waves about these two
~ they stood together on the rocky
shore. Suddenly she turned 10 him
uDd grnsppd his hnnd 10 hers. small.
cold and damp with the breath Of the
sea.
"Do you reipemher." she said. ut
wns here. years ogo. when we were
oh, 80 young, you-you once said you
loved me1"
Yes" he answered with quiet ten.
derDess. II remember"
Tell me-" she said quickly, ",ei,
mel no you still1 want you to-
oh. how want you tot"
Dearest. dearest OF all, you know
I DO"
Then kiss me-" she whispered.
lie bent his head 10 hers. and their
souls seemed to meet. trembling. upon
their lips
The waves heat their rhythmic thun.
der upon the rugged shore. spraying
high over the rocks. Ms though attempt.
Ing to lihprnie themselves from the
eternal bondage ~ the sea. md dash
into the mlsis. free ms the mir that
swirlcd ubout the two indistlnc, hg.
ures.
The End
A. the sound NJ his voice ceased
he closed the book softly. and there
wns n moment " silence She stood
NJ lnnRuidly and gnzcd wlstfully out
over the black sea.
"Not bad story. III sny." he ven.
tured "in fact rather liked H. ~.
pecinlly good for n Weekend swim.
ming party. when lis tnn cold 10 swim
and evcryhody sticks Indoors"
"Evcryboiyf" she questioned arch.
~. Thanks"
swell everybody except girl
you've known 50 long that she'd he In.
suited II you tried amy romance"
$50 you take her out on the vernndn
In the fog md read an impossible
story to herr"
"ImpossIhle story! I think TIA n
mighty good one: true 20 life. and
rrnl."
That's where you're wrong. II
isn't true to life or natural ut nii."
hnshing u look NJ literary superiority
NJ him ar course ! like the way
you rcnd md oil that: hut ! do hate
these bookcy.books. with the things
that never happen except In some
starving authors brain. Imagine n
woman asking man n he still Cared
for her" she continued. srornfully.
was dying 10 know. And then, on top
of that. without waiting for nm m.
swer. she not only admits she wants
him TO. but practically bcGs him 10.
Poohl It's too ridiculous" she IN.
ished with unexpected heat. and. step.
ping from the vcranda. started To walk
toward the lcnplng breakers
A look NJ mild surprise came over
his face. Hui rs he watched her slcn.
der figure retr.ntlng through the grny
fog deep tenderness Oiled his eyes.
unhid,ien now Tint she was not there
10 htfs wv llN'NEN' " l'lh-
iniscently. md then grim deiermina'
tion. Ike m habltunl mask, lined his
features rs he made n slight. uncon.
-cIous gesture. as though casting away
something futile.
Coming To himself. he tossed the
book 10 the wicker tabnret. and strod"
after. In q few steps he was M 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 iso
lated them from the conven'lonnlizing
touch Of Its presence. the touch TINT
builds up walls and barriers and keeps
people from one another. The trees,
farther IN from the shore. rose In dark
outline. md moved In the wind like
vaguely gestlculating phantoms, arous.
ing a sensation ~ strangeness md
distance from the present. like blurred
figures surging out OF the past.
~ don't suppose they'll worry nbout
our being unchnperoned." he TESTED.
"NO one ever worries about chap.
eroning u.s." she answered, with per
haps the faintest hint Of irritation.
"They all know I'm platonic and
harmless"
40 they1 That's why Mrs. Hostess
appeared on the veranda last night
with some totally superHuous refresh
ment when you were sitting out q
dance with that new girl"
"Oh, you mean the wonderful bru'
nette. with the lovely"
"You needn't describe her" she cut
In quickly. ~ remember how she looks,
No one could help noticing how you
singled her out. The refreshment was
probably TO prevent a premature pro
posai-or something of the sort. You
danced six dances with her"
"was Il really SKIP he asked limo
Gently.
"Six."
"And the only other one ! danced,