The Lamar register., 1920-02-11
Love and Breakfast
By SHIRLEY MONROE
.. 1919. By Msci.ss Newspaper syndic.,s.l

over the eastern hills, there came
down the steep. narrow path which
led, between thickets OF sweet fern
and bayberry. to the pebbly shore be-
low. . maiden fair as any queen of
fairy tale fame. Her slim little frock
seemed to have borrowed Its color
from the rosy dawn.
A wandering ray OF sunshine found
her hair and transformed 1t into
crown OF nnsspun. virgin gold. Her
daintily shod feet appeared TO barely
touch the ground. yet they brought
her quickly down TO the beach. There
she threw wide her sun-browned arms
and took long brsaths Of the sen
washed air.
Everything IL perfect this morning
yes. everythingi" She spoke aloud.
A klngfisher successfully camouiaged
against the rain-bleached limb OF
dead tree near By turned startled
eye In her direction for the thousandth
part OF an instant, perhaps, then con
csntrated again on the sparkling water
beneath him.
The girl looked At the tiny jeweled
uBA W hCT WilsAs s'lF NfhAfh
herself. carefully smoothing out her
rrock that II might not be wrlnkled.
and. picking up handfulls Of the shin
ing pebbles, let them trlckle slowly
back to the ground. talking 10 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 tnle as
old as the spectacle Of the dawn. yet
ever as new and marvellous To one who
experiences 1t for the nrst time.
Only the evening before had 1t hap
psned-ths miracle-when he had
taken her into his arms and Of q sud
den It had come and she know that she
loved himl II would end In marriage.
u course; but she didn't want to think
sf that now. only of the utter perfse-
nsn Of her prince and Of the bsauu-
ful. beautiful world, which was such q
happy place to live in.
On parting they had agreed to meet
% the secluded beach, out OF sight OF
he hotel, before breakfast. She had
anticipated the time set, for the night
hal been slseplsss and the glorious
msrning called. But at any moment.
now, there might come the sound Of
footsteps down the narrow path.
Instead Of q sudden step there was
q splash In the water few feet from
shore. The girl turned In time TO see
o fountain Of rainbow-hued drops and
emerging from It . gray bird with .
white collar around his throat. carry
ing In his beak q small silver ish. The
bird few 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
he girl. startled from the tale she
was relating to the shining pebbles,
- eat up that beautiful little nsh who
wasn't doing you one bit Of harm
and on a glorious morning like this.
whom every living creature must be
a,isd with Joy at being alivef'
In the sedge grass. q few feet away.
q lump which she had taken for
brown stone moved cautiously for
ward. step by step. There was an In
dsscrfbsbly quick motion Of slnuous
neck. q glitter OF silver. then lump
moving down the long throat as some
thing was hastily swallowed. IL took
but an instant for the tragedy; the
murderer resolved again into a brown
stone. cesselesly watching its chance.
In disgust the girl turned her back
on the kingtisher and on the marsh
hen and. nfter neeting glance up the
ssssp path. turned to the sparkling
waves breaking almost at her feet.
At least there was one creature on
shat beach who could enjoy the fair
beauty Of the morning without think
ing stsrnaliy and only Of eating. she
soliloquized. Something grotesque and
horrid of form was moving sideways
and with difficulty out of the water.
With one ugly claw 1t was pushing be-
fore 1t an object almost as big as IT.
self, which fsebly struggled.
As the girl gazed, fascinated, the
Thing took a great mouthful Of Its liv-
ing prey in Its free claw and crammed
II into Its mouth. 1t was only that
ssmmon occurrence, one crab eating,
with relish, q disabled brother; but to
shs GIRL looking on there came a
naussating rsvulsion Of feeling and
,ha nlhal ttIt ha drnppad