The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-11-16
The Love Affair Of a Dreamer

BY FRED JACKSON

Billy's heart throbbed painfully as
he raised his voice with hers. To be
singing with her. To be singing with
her. He bent low over his book in
the corner lest the other boys see
how his face flushed; he was sensi-
tive about showing his emotions
Billy. His wonderfully sweet tenor,
still Uniformed, of course, but SO true,
rang out clearly with her trained So
prano. She stood up at the choir
loft to sing. but he sat always behind
the curtain. he looked so very little
beside her, you see, for he was only
eleven.
When the duet was finished, a sigh
passed from many lips. She never
got applause, of course-she sang
church music-but she saw the wrapt
expression on the faces below her,
and heard the sigh; that was enough,
that "a very much indeed. Billy
saw not even this; he saw the glow
In her eyes, though. as she took her
seat, and that was enough for him,
for Billy was in love.
Thank you, DEAR" she whispered
softly across to him. "You make 1t
so easy for me when you sing like
that" A light flashed suddenly into
the boys eyes. his cheeks went very
pink, and she wondered that so
meager and thin a little face could
become so beautiful at times. Billy
bowed his head in his arms and whis-
pered the words over and over to
himself. They were a wondrous re-
ward for his love, those words, for
the first love of his pure little heart
the unquestioning, confident, trust
ing love that asks no return, only to
worship from afar.
His little love story had been most
simple. He saw her and loved her.
Sometimes she smiled at him, and
that day was glorious to Billy; 1t be-
came a jewel In his memory box.
Sometimes she looked sad, or did not
recognize him; that day was dark
SO very, very gloomy; the sunshine
wasn't bright at all.
Billy's life wasn't happy. How the
tiny aesthetic came to be in his fam
lily Is a mystery. They didn't know
what beauty love is, his people, they
couldn't understand a boy that pre-
ferred to read, or sing, or sit and
dream instead of playing baseball and
hockey like the others; they were in
clined to feel a bit ashamed of Billy.
But he sat apart unmindful, creating
himself a dream world, building up
new illusions as fast as the old ones
went; he was an idealist. Then she
came into his life, forming the basis
to build dreams on. making it quite
easy for him to be happy. She never
quite realized what her smiles were
to that little starved heart, what her
wistful eyes and frowns cost him;
thus it is in this world, ever. So
Billy loved and dreamed in peace.
Billy sat on the carriage step in the
moonlight, his elbow on his knee, his
chin In his hand. Opposite him back
from the road a bit was a house-her
house. There was a light s~omewheres
upstairs, maybe in her room-
Il beg your pordon,' said a grave
voice suddenly, ARE you sick?" A
man was standing by Billy, a big man,
very tall and most broad. Billy didn't
like men.
NO" he said, I'm not sick" With
the last word came an odd little sigh.
Live here?" asked the man. indi-
eating the house.
mo" said Billy.
"Near here?"
mo"
Very far away?" persisted the
man.
No"
Where do you liver The man was
the stone with his stick and
at Billy with interest. Billy
looked up and met a friendly compan-
ionable smile in the blue eyes fixed
on him, 1t was his kind-the man
was akin.
"Of there" said Billy, ION Decker
You don't know it."