Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-03-19
IE!S

uer Tor thousand years. The small
NICE was rarely and exquistely mod
esed, but perhaps just now the salient
Characteristic OF her beauty (for the
salient characteristic seemed to be a
different thing at different times) was
fhe coloring, delicate glow under the
white skin, glow that bewitched him
In Its seeming to reflect the rich bene-
dieton OF the MONDAY sun that blazed
overhead.
: Once he had thought the way to the
Bs1scoe homestead rather a long walk,
but now the distance sped Indignantly.
Strolled they never so slow, it was less
chan a young birds futter from a
wood" With her acQuiescence he rolled
cigarette, and she began to hum light
" the air OF song. a song Of ineffably
gentle, slow movement.
That, and a reference OF the morning
and perhaps the smell of his tobacco
mingling with the fragrance of her
roses, awoke again the old reminis-
cence OF the night before. A clearly
outlined picture rose before him-the
high green slopes and cool cliff walls
OF the coast OF Maine and the sharp
little estuary waves he lazily watched
through half closed lids while the pale
smoke of his cigarette blew out under
the rail- OF n waxen deck where he Law
cushioned. And again a woman pelted
his face with handfuls of rose petals
and cried: up, lad. and at 'em! Yon-
Ger Is Winter Harborr' Again he sat
In the oak raftereG casino breathles
With pleasure, and heard u young girl
sing the ANGELS Serenade." a young
girl who looGt3 SO bravely unconscious
or the big, hus,sed crowd that listened.
looked so pure and bright and gentle
enc good, that he had spoken of her as
Sir Galahad's little sister," He had
been much taken with this child. but
he had not thought OF her from that
time to this, be supposed. He had al
most forgotten her. Mol Her face
suddenly stood out to his view as
though he saw her with his physical
e-e, sweet and vivacious cbild's face,
with light brown hair and gray eyes
and short upper lip like a curled rose
leaf. And the voice
He stopped short. "You are Tom
Meredith's little cousin"
THE great Harkless,' she answered
and stretched out her hand to him.
IL remember YOU"
'Isn't IL timer"
"Ah, but never forgot your he
cried 81 thought had. didn't know
who 1t was 1 was remembering. /
thought II was fancy, and II was mem
DRY. 1 never forgot your voice, sing
Ing. and 1 remembered your face. too,
though I thought 1 didn't" He drew
q deep breath. That was Why
TON has not forgotten you" she
said as he paused.
would you mind shaking hands
once morer' he asked.
She gave him her hand again. with
all my heart Why2"
''I'm making a record of 1t; that's
al. Thank YOU"
They called me Sir Galahad's UT
tie sister all one summer because the
great John Harkless called me that
You danced with Inc In the evening"
Ibid Ir'
-Ah." she said, shaking her head,
you were too busy being In love with
pretty Mrs. Van Skuyt to remember a
waltz with only me! / was allowed to
meet you as a reward for singing my
very best, and you-you bowed with
the indulgence OF a grandfather and
fskcd me to,dance"
Like a grandfather! How young I
was thenl How time changes usw
I'm afraid my conversation did not
make great impression upon YOU"
shc continued
"But it did. am remembering very
fast. Ii you will wait q moment / will
tell you some of the things you said
The girl laughed merrily. Whenever
she laughed he realized that 1t was be-
coming terribly difficult not to tell her
how adorable she was. 'I wouldn't
risk 1t IL / were you" she warned him,
because l didn't speak to you at all.
i shut my lips tight and trembled all
over every bit of the time was dane
ing with you. 1 did not sleep that
night and | was unhappy, wondering
what the great HAIRLESS would think
or me. knew he thought me unutter-
ably stupid because | couldn't talk to
him. | wanted to send him word that
! knew l had bored him. | couldn't
endure that he shouldn't know that
knew | had. But he was not thinking
OF me in any way. He had gone to
sea again in his white boat the I'M
grateful pirate, cruising with Mrs. Van
Skuyt"
How time does change usw said
Aohn. You are wrong, though. / did
think OF you. | have all
Yes" she interrupted, tossing her
head in airy travesty of the stage CO.
quette. you think SOL mean, you say
so-now. Away with you and your
slarneying?'
And 80 they went through the warm
noontide, and little he cared for the
neat that wilted the fat mullen leaves
and made the barefoot boy who passed
Oy skip gingerly through the burning
dust with anguished mouth and watery
eye Little he knew of the katydid that
suddenly whirred its mills of shrillness
IN the maple tree and sounded so hot.