Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-04-16
LucyJane'S
Birthday ~
By SARA LINDSAY COLEMAN
OoDynght. i0aa. ey Daily story Pub. O.,

ECSTASIZING over the loneliness
IL or the dress Lucy Jane was fash
tonanB for her eighteenth birthnigbt
party the girl. at the risk of a min in
the neck from the dressmaker's scis-
sors, wriggled around viewing herself
In the cracked little mirror that was so
Unfair to her young fairness and said:
Nfs lovely. you dear Lucy Jane. Isn't
beautiful world?"
Yes" said Lucy Jane. softly. when
one rs Is and loves it is
AL" said the girl. nobody under
stands as | do. \ on have been
there yourself. il you are an old maid.
And ISN'T it fun? Did one ever threat
En- 10 fling himself into the river and
almost brighten you into saying 1t?
And did another snip off a strand of
yoE hair quick? And did he, he, Lucy
Jane. take one dozen instead of only
Just onei"
Lucy Jane leaned over the girl
breathiessly; for the moment they were
girls together
Yes" she said. jrst over her breath.
II WAS on my eighteenth birthnight."
Thea why. why?" the girl stammer-
cd. her eyes questioning Lucy James.
Never mind" said the woman gent
~. She opened the door for the girl
20 pass out aid put an impulsive hand
on her shoulder. ct hope you will be
happy. DEAR" she said.
Lucy Jane went back to her work
but presently the girls birthday gown
fem from her hands to the floor and lay
thcro II was Lucy James birthday
s0e was 20. Her eyes wore a faraway
look n she gazed down the long road
she had Travelled since that eighteenth
bkthday. The stones cut her feet ths
Susa eholSed her as she went with menu
CRY over It
At q knock at the door she started
from nor reverie. 1t was more dresses,
NO Doubt She was thankful for work,
OF course. But sometimes. when the
house was piled ceiling high with work
that never seemed to come to a finish
and bred back and nerves cried for
rest, she wondered wearily II the VII
layers would ever give her time to die.
AZ The dooY pink roses were thrust In
her face by little black messenger.
Who beat hasty retreat
8he recognized the roses-only one
garden In the village produced such
she recognized the messenger. and al
though she wondered at the unusual
ness & the occurrence, she shifted
chem deiiehtediy. She loved flowers as
her neiyhSors loved their babies.
WHcn Lucy Jane drew a card from
among the roses and read: eff it's yes.
wear SAese." she was almost stified by
her hearts swift beatings. Her lips
trembled: her eyes blurred. The rough |
road Of her life had turn in II and she !
saw glimpse of the blue sky, caught |
. snatch OF song from the birds glad |
throat
There had never been a time when |
Lucy Jane hadn't loved the sender of |
those roses. Their laughing little faces
had kissed each other through a bro
ken paling in the fence; they had sto- :
len out on snowy mornings to their
rabbit trap-ft was on his sled she had .
coasted. and later their voices had
mingled In the village choir.
Lucy James eyes went back to the
written words-one couldn't doubt
written words. She had waited.
wearied. wondered. watched; then, see
ing her faded face In the mirror. she
had crushed the dreams into a tight
little ball down In the bottom of her
heart and gone through her days In
colorless content.
As Lawyer Coates awaited Lucy Jane
In her prim little parlor he fidgeted.
His GRAND was an awkward one. He
had come to explain about the roses
and some old time memories had over
taken him. He had loved Lucy Jane
since their babyhood days when he had
pulled the palings off the back fence
that divided them; she had given him
letters to mail to his rival with such
persistence that he had ceased his at
tentions to her
As he sat there he remembered tho
mad whirl of love and anger that had
swept over him, and he smiled somewhat
gr1mfy as he told himself that the fire
OF that old love had burnt itself ONT !
Poor Lucy Jane! Life had taken tba
roses out of her cheeks before thew fairly
doomed. He wondered for the tbou-
sandh time who was the mysterious
Jim jackson. and what had come no
tween them
When Lucy Jane greeted the LAWYER
she wore roses in her cheeks. in her hair
aho nestled in the belt of her gown