The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-31
ON COURTING NIGHT
By EDITH GRAY.

above. Then her chin rose IN proud
determination. Yes, she would tell
Dave at once She would 20 and meet
him when the front gate clicked and
inform him of the fact that there could
be no more counting, no more stroll
ing in forest pathways on summer af-
ternoons. no more winter condolences
over the open fire. The thing should be
ended at once and for all time.
And yet. in spite OF the fact that her
brain was dazxied with the thought
Of the tall. slender man, with his keen,
well -chiseled features and far seeing
but frankly impersonal eyes, the vision
of a broad browed face, heavy but
regularly nodded, it's dark eyes over
Swallowed by shock of wavy hair,
thrust itself persistently upon her.
Yes, David was handsome. and big
and kindly, and ne knew how to turn
a pretty compliment. She recalled the
night OF the dance in Evans's barn.
IL was two years ago that ne heu
offered" and yet II seemed but yes
tertfay, so pleasant had been the time
of counting. There was a sudden throb
OF fiddle in her ears, the scrape OF many
feet upon bare, swept boards, the sweet,
pungent odor of new-packed hay, the
lights OF lamps swinging high from the
rafters, and jack Lanterns grinning.
fantastic, from far corners And then
a mighty beating OF heart as Dave,
having lured her beyond the great
doors, spoke to her beneath the stars
Your eyes are very big" he had
said simply. and there Ia light In
= t44+-ff4-4 want them for ,r-e~'f n.
( Your eyes are very big and there
Is light In them" Could the writer
man do better?
eyes. yes; a thousand times, yes!
For II David. with no schooling at all
/ could say such things, what might this
! other man express with his list un-
measurable of magic words, the more
remarkable that they were but half
t understood
/ Surely, even after this review OF
old, surging memories. for all that the
past had been so sweet, her decision
was made. and irrevocabiy. For. arBu-
I ing with woman's logic, if the past
/ had been pleasant with man like
I David, what would the future be, made
/ glorious by a great wonder, being
1 OF experience and travel, writer and
talker. prodigy like the man above
! In the shadows?
The big moon swung gloriously above
the far meadow htilocks, little breeze
3
! feet.
/ The voice of the WATERMAN seemed
a thing far off, wondrous as the star
! light.
| Suddenly 'LIsheth Miller sat keenly
erect, her ears straining to catch the
words OF the men beyond. She's
/ beautiful" the artist was saying. but
/ the usual peasant type, boorish and
administrative. But she would be
credit to Millet with her bossies and
! her loose blown hair, and even a
greater artist might despair of repro
ducing her wonderful color"
Right" the other answered. But
YOU must admit that the cieverest carl
caturtst could hardly do justice to her
atrocities on dress-up occasions. She
was unspeakably common place In that
pink bingham tonight, and that mon
atrons arrangement of hair was unut-
terabIe. If only the commons would
have sense enough to leave well enough
alone"
They drifted off then TO town talk
and friends OF the city. The artist
said y wonder II the Incompatible
Lucia could find amusement here7"
And the other answered: "She al
ways makes her own amusements. ant
what surrounds her Is invariably beau
tiful. All" between long darwin puffs
of contentment, there's a woman"
Worthy even of you"
There was deep silence. save fer th'
mad beating of girls heart in tn,
shadows. then there was firm steI
upon the gravel.
4 The girl flew like hurt thing dowr
the branching length ef pathway ant
into the wide open arms of her love-
in the darkness. Dave" ahe sobbet
against the sheltering strength of firm
set shoulder. Dave. boy. how / love
, your