The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-10-20
THE MAN BEHIND
BY JEANNE o. I1OIzEAU.

re ipieing In the fall spendor of the day and the
hg for sna walk In the woods He had been
able to get her the telephone. but as the phone
slsstem was out of order he concluded TO 20 OUT anu
see her.
1t not far jaunt to the funny old tree,
mot world have moderated, and as the young
man strobe thitherward he approved their taste hs
approved, in fact of everything about or connec.so
with Anne-her father, who liked him, her conser-
vave bulldog who was impartial old Macy .ne 100
pretty brown hand-and. very especially Anne ner-
self. who airiiy and firmly friendly, but whose
real hearts opinion of him was evidently not to be
come BY easily.
Anne, which very thoroughly hated. This was
Mr. John Macintosh. who was apparently In the lead
of the girls not brief procession Of lovers
AS James Portland neared the house. he saw that
which made him stop suddenly and swear oensa.h
with his blue car; and beside him, trim In tne oiue
suit that agreed with her eyes laughing and
He walked bitterly on past house not caring
now what became of his precious afternoon. 1t had
been going like this all summer He had always
been toe late; try as would she was either not
o be asked with him. or already promised
to some one else-usually Macintosh. 1t would
have been funny had 1t not been SO trasio-and at
twent,-th tragedy is--tragedy
But things had come to the point where he
had to do something He wondered II ne was q con-
oei,ed donkey to feel down in his heart that some
thing her answered to his appeal? Thought frank
and free and iaughing-it was as II she held him
off; she seldom let silence fall between tnen once
she a>d blushed like any rose when suddenly ner
glance met his adoring gaze in a moment when ne
had been off guard. lie not man to wear his
Then as he walked alone the autumn spendor
of the woods he began to wonder whether he had
made such a devoted fool of himself that he had no
chance with her? His sister had told him that no
girl wanted what she could trampe under foot He
had tried not be servile. obedient worshippinE-
the hardest task in the world. What should he 90!
ehiIdhoSd against him was she too used TO him
He felt that the old, sweet friendship had been rather
essened nothing given him in It's place,
TO increase the trouble loneliness the wooded
paths for him alone; men and maids In t"os
. passed him. gay, lifting gancss to each other
i
alone.
He turned into the woods and cut across a path
space Then he down, and for comfort put
his head against big birch While ne thought 1t OUT
closing his eyes the light which altered Itself to
greater yeliowness through the leaves above,
been dangling Tor years~-aIl his life. he
adoned herand she trained constantly about with
than year. He denied in Macintosh anything good
brute strength and disgnstingly big bank
everybody seemed strangely to like the fellow Why
it Then the architect feli into ha-dre
OF the house lie would build Tor Anne-supposing she
would lei him Then--perhaps he slept lie must
him, and then be woke gradually and knew II was =
lie opened his eyes. but did not move. Hut the
stranger lovers had not seen him How could they.
considering that they Vote leaning on each other.
searching others The saying
And the three years we've wasted when We might
have been happy like this
The girl broke in. her voice tense with feeling;
Your fault Gould ask you so--marry
me- Men such-~geese'"
/ Then they passed and James Portland up
/ straight considered
was worse than goose~he Was a fool nlitherinx
idiot a m1eete! he had been shadowing
Anne Ike ghost--and silent, Come 10 think OF
it. he had for said he loved her. She had
then thought herself too yoang-had he ever asked
this thought he brushed the yellow
leaves from his hair and clothes. and the cobwehs
his mind. lie struck back towards the paths.
| She with Mackintosh-aii right. he James
Portland would 60 and camp on her porch and then
considered taking, rather than asking for the girl.
he would al least put things and
! Of
along winding path eager and alert.
untn he reached the highway through the woods.
d hard smooth. road Mackintoshs machine,
for Instance And as he walked down II. back toward
town, he suddenly turned corner and beheld that
hated blue But it was standing still: and
in 1T glrl--alone evidently. Probably Mackin-
tosh his back under the thng-he hoped
ardeIty for that sight Then he auiokened his gait
Annes back was toward him and she sat leaning list
iessy against the side of the seat not hearing hira
until he came around the car, and close enough to
touch her. had he dared
/ oh" she said, and started YOU
meath the machine
Gone TO telephone for help--thns's beyond tinker
flushed. for there was new something In the
of the who looked straight into her Was
Intention. mastery 1t WAS certainly something
that would not be denied
'.Amuse me- Jimmy" she said suddenly Have You
any marbles or jack knife? We used to play mum
Dlety peg-remember7"
but he would be manipulated into distance.
Get a minute Anne. I'm going say some
thing that won't have you answer in--his machine.
Gomez
She laughed again. but began slowly to obey him
ne held her by one hand to steady her
When she stood safely beside him under the crim.
brown oak by the roadside, he still hold.
ing that hand. She pulled.
/ When youre--quite through with II. Jimmy. ia
really like to push in hairpins. It's my hand.
/ know-and besides somebody might
Let them come lts-my hand, Anne take it
1 ( it ask for it, Anne. Please, dear-please.
Anne. I've loved you long enough"
/ "Of course--if you feel that way you mght--stop
it, she murmured but his voice stern.
N sila I'm
not dumb. Anne You know, and wouldn't mind
asking you from the housetops DO you love
or not?'
She seemed to consider
Come Anne. Yes--or no--wi answer my uues-
j toni"
But Anne yet woman--she knew the way
around. This what said:
"Why-didnt you ask me before?" and then he be-
gan to kiss her
I OF course. being blind. they could Mack.
! intosh he approached. but the young Scotchmans