The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-26
FHE DAILY
SHORT STORY
More Than He Bargained
For
b. b. LOUISE RAYBoLp

= don't care to marry a cow.
aFdie The words flashed forth
from the white lips OF an impe,-
ious girl who erouehed in the
stern Of the cat-boat and held out
angle-stoned ring to the man
Eho faced her astounded.
But. Mllllcent. I'm not atrail
toF myself. Can't you understand?
lts OF you I'm thinking" Wade
NORRIS had never seen Ibis flance
e 9 temper before, and the ex.
pe5lence was unpleasantIy dIscon-
Serting and dlsillusIoning. Then
re too, set his lips. I'VE are 20.
las back nevertheless"
Am I to understand that II /
1erent here you " uld keep on?"
aepanded the girl.
Wade threw a glance at tho
aafkened sky above, then out
coward the horizon, where a
sharply defined black line speck-
sied With white indicated advance
ing wind. mo, l h-rdly think /
Eould% he admitted frankly.
There, you see!" Her tone was
rpelly triumphant. Did she real.
q SUPPOSE that caution was syn
9nymous with cowardIce? MILL
cent herself was an up.to-date lit
ne daredevil. but surely that dIl
not justify his taking her into un-
doubted danger. and for 30 unIm.
2ortant an affair rs a dance at
Nmball Point.
Some moments later, Wade as.
sisted a silent girl to the dock and
amseh silent. watched her run up
me path to the Shermaps' summer
nome. Then, angrlly, he handed
up the sail again. There was
nothing left to do but to show hor
now little afraid he personally
was. Straight into the white
quaii he carcened and Mlllicent
turning. perhaps reientingly, on
the top step. saw the Waterblrd
senddltng seaward at an omlnous
pitch.
Wade was too much occupied in
managing his small craft to
Worry very much about What tho
outcome of the wIld.ride would be.
Tong ago he had passed the posi-
iion where he would naturally
nave tackled for Kimball's Point
md nothing nov interviewed be.
tween him and the open sea.
Momentarlly, expecting the ces.
sauon Of what, at worst, he hal
supposed to be a summer squall,
ne lifted his eyes at last to the
west, only to be dumfounded at
the solidarity OF the cloudbanS
ithere; Something chill and omin-
Gus about the wind at the same
lnomont forced itself upon his at
tentton.
This was more than he had bar.
gained for. He must swing about
q the earliest possible moment.
But before that moment cana,
catastrophe had overtaken him. a
sudden. violent gust, a SILVER Ot
the entire boat, and the malnmast
snapped in two, dragging the sail
u the water Ike the wipEs,of "a,
Wounded bird.
Wade all his life afterward re.
rdsrniiered that night OF agony, tos-
sing at the mercy of the waves
.drenched with spray, half frozen
Morning brought cessation OF the
storm but no hope, for the sun
Tose upon a shoreless waste Of wa
Yer Nevertheless, Wade pluckily
set u work with the scullIng oar,
partly to get some warmth INFO
him, partly In desperate effort to
raise land or a lighthouse
Well on toward noon, when Wade
was feeling the effects OF his long
fast and unusual exertions, he
caught a glimpse far away OF what
was undoubtedly a boat. Wade,
Wondered II, after all, Millicent had
lseen his reckless departure and II,
when he failed to appear again,
she would have started out re.
cuing party. Very likely the boat
he had sighted was looking for him.
Anxiously he waited. though at
one time its crew had not observed
his frensied signalling. Then. sud.