The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-02-15
THE DAILY
IsFIORTSTORY
In the Flood
BY FRANK II. WILLIAMS.

nRETTY Dorothy Gordon press.
ed her pretty face against the
window pane and looked
through the gusts Of rain and sleet
to the swollen river some little dis
lance beyond tho house.
1t was q wild night, The river
had risen steadily since morning
and now spread in the distance, a
Fainswept, ugly. moody lake whose
farther shore was lost In the dark.
ness OF the early twilight. The riv.
or babe fair to be up to the house
by midnight.
Dorothy shIVered slightly as she
sazed at this dismal scene. She
was worrled-not about herself, for
4 motor boat riding at ease on tho
riding waters near the house gave
her q sure means OF escape, but be-
cause OF Howard Freeman, her
swestheart, who was immured in an
office building on tho other side o,
the river. Some moments ago
Howard had telephoned that the
building was surrounded by water
! and that be was leaving by row.
boat. Dorothy had pleaded with
him; to let her come for him in the
motorboat hut he had refused. Per
haps now at this very moment he
was getting into tho rowboat. or
course there was no danger, but the
current In the center Of the stream.
was swift, tho river was filled with
floating logs and debris. Would he
be able TO win the shore in his fra,
gle boat without trouble?
To Dorothy, who had lived there
by the river all her life, the flood
was a normal occurrence. Every
:. year the river overlooked It's banks
sf-not as extensively as this present
flood, of course, but enough TO IA.
miliarize those people who lived
near the stream with the character
tistics Of flood time. So Dorothy
did not fear the flood SO far as she
Fherself was concerned. 1t was only
because OF Howard's unfamiliarity
with flood conditions. owing to the
recentness'of his arrival in the city,
that she was worried.
That and another thing which
Kept beating at the back OF. Dor.
iothy's mind and which she reso
Autely tried to keep from her were
Athe causes Of her worries.
or the two worries, this thing al
the back OF her mind was much The
greater. Despite her efforts 10
Keep 1t down it rose up and fright.
ehed hor. She tapped resuessly on
THE window PIANO with the tips Of
lheF fingers as she continued gaz.
ing out at the flood. What should
9sha dot Howard's message had
lEheen expllcit-she should remain
where she was and not come to
him. He would DO angry II she
yentured out into the flood and
storm TO come to him. There had
been no question about the SINGER.
1ity with which he had said this.
III And yet--Dorothy came to q sud.
den resolution. She swung back
into the dlmpIy lighted room.
Tin going out in the boat" she
cried 70 her stepmother, the only
i HtlGI OSCutduL VI Tue house, VINO
J was swaying agitatedly back and
forth In rocking chair near the
center table.
81 wouldn't" was tho reply. TITS
dangerous"
z dad will be here any minute
now in the other motor boat" said
Dorothy. i've got to so. that's oil.
VI can't stand it any longer"
The rain dashed at Dorothy and a
chill wind butfeted her as she raced
from the house toward the. boat,
iI1er feet sank into the soft earth as
tshe ran, slowing her speed consld.
erably.
Now that she had come to this de.
Sision and was actually launched
on 4he thing she had been longing
to do all afternoon, she was afro
with eagerness. She wanted 10 &c,
to Howard just as quickly as she
possibly could.
Fortunately the launch started a
once. Dorothy heaved up the an
Choir which had moored the boat
close to the house in little bayou
made by the advancing waters, anu
switching on the soarchlight, start.
led up stream against the swift cur.
Is-so-e-~>~-o--~~~-~~-~