Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1903-03-14
Kent1and's
Devotion ~
BY HENRY HumIsToN.


woods proposal that they all so over
to the park and skate ON the lagoon.
kcntland looked around the snug lit
tie dca on the second floor. with the
open CRATE fre burning eheerily IN one
cOrner- He glanced through the half
drawn curtains into the billiard room
beyond. which was foggy with smoke,
and which reSoUndcd 20 the merry
click OF the billiard balls and the laugh
ter Of Mr.. Van Dolah and Judge Stern,
who were IN the old peoples class. and.
therefore. exempt from going 10 skat-
ing parties when they didn't want TO
20. lie looked rusfully az the dim little
alcove al the head Of tho stairs and
thought Of how be had planned. after
he hSC beaten all OF the conceit out Of
Mr.. Van Dolah and Judge Stern az bill
hards and smoked three pipefuis Of to-
bacco. TO sit in this alcove and have n
nice. long. quiet talk with Violet Then
be pulled aside the curtain and looked
cut into the dark winter night with
the Caslights faring in the wind and
the. snow sitting gently down The
winter spectacle was more than he
could bear. Kentland groaned and
dropped the curtain with n shudder.
tom Kentland." said a voice at the
door. Il think you're an idiot"
kentiand looked up 20 where Kitty
Clover was standing in the doorway.
%, thanks" he, said. in his slow
dr&vL You're too kind"
y don't care. went OF Kitty; some
body had TO tell YOU"
And YOU considered yourself the
chosen instrument"
Well" said Kitty. as she came into
the den and sat down by Tom, Il really
believe 7 am have known YOU so long.
o. ages and ages, and because I am such
an old friend I can say things 10 you
that others don't
50 careless OF the others said
Tom. as he gazed sadly at the sparkling
ERE.
Tom Kitty looked at him severely;
Il know that you are much in love with
Violet
Fancy said Kentland.
yes. You are. and there's no use de-
J uyiug 81 And know she likes you very
much"
Does she - said Tom. so much
I that she looks at me about three times
a day. Where is she now, sitting Oh
| the steps with that little Harvard boy
or singing at the piano while that fell
/ low Towuer. or whatever his name is.
Turns the music and looks like cow
whenever she happens TO glance up al
him2~
Its your own fault. said Kitty. "A
man Is supposed TO Try and please the
woman he loves. He should study what
she Likes and doesn't like and govern
himself accordingly. While you. with
al your supposed experience. act as
though you didn't know the frat prin-
ciples Of love making"
NO admitted Ksntiand. IT suppose
am what they call poor performer.
1T would be so easy" went on Kitty.
Violet adores devotion more than
anything else That is why she likes
that Harvard boy. as you call him. and
AR. Towner. They are devotion Itself
while you--wel. you don't know what
devotion means"
Devotion" said Kentland. means
the state OF being devoted 10 any on,
thing person or object. Strong at
t@chment. Ardent love OF affection
=. T.. Of Latin devovere, de-vovere
to
%. nonsense put in Kitty. ~why
can't you be sensible? Other men ar,
devoted 20 Violet. She has grown Il
expect il. II man isn't devoted 10 hei
, theD she thinks he doesn't care. You
are 30 exasperating. Now. just al.
other evening, when we were talking
. about the fires and the Harvard DO,
had told how he had rescued q chun
! from the third Aoor Of blazing dor
. u.itory. and Violet had asked II anyon.
J would rescue her in case the hous.
burnt Up. and al the men had eagerI,
volunteered. what did you say2''
4 don't know" said KentIand. shak
) ing his head. Something silly, I'll b
! bound"
y should say IL was said Kitty
p '-Hou said you wouldn't rescue her an
B less she was IN tobacco ,yarehouss
b because you didn't ike any smoke ex
E cept tobacco smoke. Then. 70 make /
q worse. You said you didn't believe Il
}. reocuing people anyhow. That tina
was what aTeTnen were paid for. an,
= that You belonged 10 q union an
3 couldn't rescue people because so
Z were forbidden BY your rules 10 q
r the work Of other union men. uhic
inrludcd the Amalgamafed Fsreme
and Rescuers' afsociation, and that
J. this house burned you would be com
PEELED 20 sit IN q saloon across IA
street and watch a fat fireman Ina
= gurn coat and a black helmet 49,.