Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-19

nave WdllGd a liNllC AOAiSCA ShON5A -
course it would have made no differ
ence; 1 should have said Never"
even If he had never spoken!
And he chose the wrong place ana
the wrong time.
True, the trees surrounded US, ana
they were young and green; but the
sun shone boldly through their
branches; there were people every
where, talking and laughing. L wanted
TO look at the womens dresses, and the
men would look at me. The walters
passed TO and fro continually, tempt
ing US with everything unreasonable
and Turing me to skip fascinating
French dishes for the sake of the red
strawberries. whose color he COM
pared to my lips.
mental man, though he does not look
il. He is nice in his way, healthy and
kind-just a little stupid, l think, be-
cause he missed many opportunities
But 1 could never, never do what he
asked me.
The idea is absurd; really, l have
never given 1t another thought' anu a
he had not suggested putting teellnSs
into words 1 should not have written
this ,-,..s 80
| would not promise what he asked TO
INV man OF course, If Jack
had suggested it, and been as serious
and obstinate as he, l daresay l shoulu
have grown very angry, and nave lei'
worried for quite a long time.
Jack is impulsive, and When l an,
with him | feel impulsNIii; 'vopoan
such close-friends and, well, woman
can never quite explain these thlhgs'
but women would understand.
The idea is, | frankly admit, tascl-
mating. II never temp. me, even 10
the extent the Strawberries ala; put l
rather enjoyed considering the posslpl-
itv. The impracticable, like the lhpos,
siRie ia always delightful. Ruby and
Rliss and Maisie call me a little duner,
hut so many people depend on me- anu
| am responsible for them.
feel TOO. there is something else
am responsible for, but for whlch nave nav
no name. l WONDER now Io,,1
he really was? l would ike 10 mia aid
OF course he did not mean all ne saIu
MANY men have said the same thlnss
r. me only differently. And 1t was
easier to laugh at them, 10 prelenu
ives" knowing they understood no
II is so easy to pretend when arti-
ficial lights chase strange slauo%o
across the table, and play hide-and-
oa,, T,ith eves and lips; when the wine
bubbles red or yellow in the slasses
and the cigarettes cast a pale gray log
over everything, emphasizing, the uh-
reality: when every one is WhispeIMins ms
the story that is always told Wnen Ine
dav rests its head in the lap OF hlsh''
like a tired child going to sleep. md
II is the approach of sleep-tlIle S. ailu
silence which encourages one 10 nslSt
90 the foolish things men say; nlgnl
a. Aatterar. and one likes 10 listen
20 aattery when she is near. MoIe
over II is the hour when dreams cIoMe cIa
ohont the chair and nestle IN ohe
hair. and SO all the foolish, iasclila,e .,
inc things that are said When tno
iights are low and the music WhlspSis
ore no more dangerous thah S .n
dreams that will follow us TO Deo any any
carry rs off to the NeVer-NeVer L' ne
for with the dawn we awake do .,o
fail asleep. rather the gamers tnah @ tnr' eno
losers by the brief sojourn INTO 'ie A
hidden country. A,s dream
ant when ne unwove ms Ieraht otea
there was no music ana the reth
threw black shadows across the ;Ptfail
oe life. clearly outlining san npcinice
and snare, marking wen lhe
and the pit. ,,..o,aa He was en-
,Sra9ad He must have peeh III
ounast or the sunlight would nay t,se
eaiehtened him. 1 was. afrald-Ior 'n'
nnaent His voice thrilled me- n,o
~ imnertinent thrush sang IN lnv
- that overshadowed the paicolIS
.,,Sore our table was spread 'ah
VIA her nest was hidden IN panrd
salu sa,aod we listened ana heaiu
t,'e little ones chattering. ,.,e o1,er
'np Presently his hand folded NselL ~
- When Jack takes my hana !