Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1907-05-23
OUT OF
THE PAST
By MILDRED GRAHAM

NNoPSishe' oy Odiiy 5tory EuD- Coz
He was handsome as a god in his
uniform Of black and gold. He stood
In 1.-the grace at his post, with the
August sun tanning his fair skin, and
smiling daringly at the dark-eyed girl
In the front row of the grand-stand.
He was q prepossessing young fell
low, and spoiled by the attentions Of
women until he thought himself IRE
sistible. The scorecard limited IN
kind things about his playing, and
the papers ventured that his release
was matter Of time; but for all
that he was the ladies favorite." and
many a dainty floral offering, and
many a perfumed note found it's way
to that Dear Nick"
He was only a professional" and
too fond Of drink to rise in the game.
Brought close, his handsome face
showed telltale lines, and his eyes
were-not NIGEL And yet-he was fas-
cinating.
valerie was young in those days
brown-eyed schoolgirl in the early
teens. She was an enthusiast, and ad-
mired all the baseball fellows" with
girlish hero-worship. 1t had been
all very well until Nick signed. She
had worshiped from afar. and none
OF the players had cared to notice the
girl with the shadowy eyes. who wore
a costume in the colors of their uni
form when she dared. Most Of them
grew deadly tired of the notice of
women in the course of a season. But
Nick was young to the game, and
knew he was handsome. And one day
one Of the fellows pointed out the girl
in her yellow blouse, with a laugh for
her infatuation. That was the begin
ming.
Valerie was beautiful even then
her color was warm and rare her full
lips mutinous, her eyes somber-mar-
velous. He was "out for fun" in his
careless way-that was all. II re-
CURED but little maneuvering-he met
her-and to Valerie 1t was the realiza-
ton OF dream! He suggested that
she say nothing at home of their
neutrality-suspicious. were so maligned.
he told herr She saw no danger in
the warning, and she was happy, with
uuISdSOnluS happiness.
But soon-he never meant tit
was weakness in him-and he thought
how the other fellows would guy him
II they knew-but somehow those
somber eyes took strange hold upon
his heart. The day came when the
game went i'll, and errors thickened.
II she was not there to watch his
every gesture on the field The flow
ers and smiles and languishing
glances of the others fell dead. He
cared only for the tribute of dusky
eyes, lighting with admiration for her
hero. A sort of new manliness pos
sessed him-a feeling of protection
toward her, and he could not laugh it
away.
To Valerie the world was rose-hued
She was scarce 16, and she knew no
world beyond the school.room. Home
life was uncongenial-or she fancied
so, in impatience of restraint-she had
only to lock her secret in her heart
and dream away the hours they must
be parted. She loved him, and the
days were sweet and all too short.
1t was about this time that he re-
ceived the fall. He was running
bases-some said he was not quite
''in condition" that day. He slipped
and wrenched his knee A slight hurt
only. He walked to the bench and
smiled at the stand. He was ION the
bench" for few days, and then they
knew that 1t was serious.
1t was bitter to him when he found
that he could play no more. The day
that they released him, he had a hard
hour, alone with his pain, and his flu
ture. He thought Of Valerie, a little
shocked to know how much farther he
had gone than he had meant to go.
and regretted with a pity he could not
still
When he found he must go east for
treatment, he sent for her She was
white, and cold, and still, and her
eyes frightened him. He told her ten
derby, almost forgetting that it had
been an idle thing-the amusement of
summer hour. He told her that