The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-12-05
FILE DAILY
.sH:O..!R STORY
Hope
BY JESSIE DOUGLAS.

!, stsNs nS4t tbTGut iMHNes
The sea water Rlistened on her
cheeks, her blue eyes gparkled, het
little patient mouth smiled sudden.
~
She forgot that she was tust
spending two weeks alone at Noise
Beachi she forgot that she was acil.
ing tngeyery part Of her brain ami
snsr body from WEAKNESS. Now,
Tor this afternoon, she was part
Sot the sea and the sky and the
sand. The waves that rolled In
were no more playful than she, tho
white caps tossed no more frothy
fpray than her sudden laugh.
Oh, she could swim! And she
wanted to- swim ont, out, out to tho
tut Of green island that laughed
under the sunl But WREN she had
zone half way and felt her breath
come harder, she was frightened
suddenly Terribly frightened; 40
though the sea had turned cruel
and those waves roaring in had
some evil intent in their touch.
The glistaning dome OF the sky
smut her in like great smotherlng
bowl Of blue.
She turned over very delibe.ats.
y and foated. She seemed to float
for a long, long time: she felt as
though cons must have passed her
pNe shen she opened her eyes slow.
~ and saw that she had drIftci
back-to the white sand,
you, pluclty little thing!"
Hope turned.
What she saw sent a sudden wild
hnttef through her heart. He was
aseoung man with a brown skin
and q pair Of eyes that laughed
OF her and admired her and mock,
ed her all at once.
iii race yon to the edge of the
stirt.H he said, studying her.
Now she was conscious OF how
she looked in his eyes. She glanc.
ed down hurriedly at her old black
suit with It's long, dlsfigurins
eleoyes, at the cotton stockings
that wrtnkled about her ankles:
she put upIa timld hand to the knot
q dingy black that kept her hair
from wetting.
9Coming?'
Hone hesitated. Then she swal.
lowed all her prejudlces. all her
hmidtttes and gave him a shy
smile. II was She who took the
tirst breaker ahead, 1t was he who
won the race; but as they came
gasping back TO the beach oncs
more, he said slowly:
How Jolly you'd look without
all5 those bulky thingg to hinder
You from swimmIng!"
Good:by," she answered, and
lied surreptitlously up the beach
70 the house on the edge Of the
sand where she had her room and
board.
That night almost guiltily she sa !
down and wrote to big depart.
ment store and ordered d new
bathing ssuit<f.ilTh two .daystla..
er, she tried 1t On before her mir.
rors and saw the soft satin of ii
CLEAN and crinkle beneath her car.
esstna fingers, 4 sudden feeling OF
having wings came to her. AL
most 'Euiltily che, crept down to
the yellow sand.
He was. there.
i've been waiting for you" ne
4 d, grayely, for two days"
AThen his eyes fell on her satin
figure He was laughing at hes.
i Hope could see It and she blush,
ed hotly and made a sudden run
for the sea. The blue waves spark.
led and dance, and she laid n rosy
cheek against their salty caress.
DO you think" he smiled catch
Ing up to her in two strokes, Z" that
You could swim to the sandbar?"
When at least they sat on the
strip of moist sand, dangling their
toes In the sea, he said grayely
Take Off that BIT OF faded ribbon
from wour hair!"
obediantiy her hand obeyed him,
and as the sun caught the red IN
her brown braid he gave a salts
fled sigh.
with a bit OF gold ribbon about
your hair" he said slowly.
When they reached the beach
again he had not asked her name
She did not know his. She said
good:by a trifle Breathlessly.
The next morning she bought a
BIT Of gold ribbon. She tied Il
about her thick braid, wound cor,
onet fashbH. across her white
forehead, and went fearfully down
toEthe beach.
He3was not there.
She went slowly down to the
sea All the sparkle had left the
waves, the breakers -roared in, lik1
white seahorses, their foamy man
Is blowing their breath salt sal
lite. She shivered as the cold wat,
on touch her body.
Funny how lonely the world was.
Flow like brassy ball the sun,
how empty a waste that white
stretch Of sand! Very slowly she
\ walked back to the house, SILVER.
ing IN all the heat Of that long at.
al supper her landlsdy Joined
her.
Heard that young .Marlow's
been seen?r she asked. "You know,
NARROW, who's been house.breakIns
hereabouts. Him with the blue
eyes and the brown skin and the
pleasant way with him. l amt
had light nor sight Of hIm!"
" Hope lowered her face over hes
plate. Her cheeks 'wereS blazing
hot; she lifted her fork, with o