The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-10-18


eyes of his elsewhere, and felt few
qualms about it. But still he said
Come and let u.s." because she was
in his set and it was pleasant that
way. Love her? Why-certainly
Then, as she felt him drawing a bit
away from her, Genevieve held out a
coy hand to James. And after a time
James said: 81 have waited a long
time, Genevieve." And Genevieve
said: "You need not wait any longer
James,"
They both expected a thrill, but 1t
failed to materialize. Genevieve got
busy with her trousseau, which was of
an elaborateness, and James was the
soul of devotion. But they were both
waiting for the flavor of that big straw
berry, and they couldn't seem to catch
it. Then James whispered to himself
This isn't the biggest, this is just the
sizes we have been having for sew
eral years; wait till we are actually
married"
Genevieve wasn't thinking so much
about the strawberry because she had
all those clothes of hers on her mind.
But even at that she could occasional
ly smack her lips at the spoon and
miss it.
Well! Then came the great day, and
the church, and the six bridesmaids,
and the matron of honor-Genevieve
was about the last of her set-and the
touching incident that gave heart in
terest to the occasion and lovely copy
to the society editor-for James, as
well as Genevieve, now belonged to
quite the first flight-but always was
James watching for the flavor of the
big strawberry.
1t might come when he slipped the
ring on-but then he was sweating
with horror because he had almost
dropped it. 1t might come when the
Voice That Breathed Der Eden"
waited them down the aisle-but then
he was cold because he had just been
kissed by his mother-in-law, who wore
false teeth. 1t might come when he
put Genevieve into the carriage and
took his seat beside her, his own wife
but then they were fiinging rice and
old shoes and the rice got down his
collar. No flavor to the big straw
berry yet.
And they came back from their wed.
ding tour, their honeymoon, and their
lips were still undyed from the juice
of that biggest of all strawberries.
And that is about all.
Except that, of course, it would
never do for Genevieve to think about
Another, nor yet regret those years be-
fore she told James "yes." 1t is al
ways best to wait until you know
your mind, of course it is.
And James, who is a man of affairs,
and gathers up money, and-yes-and
never hears the birds sing, must never
cast glance over his shoulder at the
Janey-girl he used to be engaged to,
and who is living a brave and useful
life-but all alone. That would be
very wrong. And still less would he
give a twinkle of those now dull. blue
eyes of his farther and farther back
to the red lips Of the girl out in the
country, the girl whose little doublet
ring is in his box of remembers" be-
cause she sent it back to him when
he had been two years at college and
grew careless about writing to her.
But, surely, they can think about
the fruit crop of this great land of ours
and what makes it seem to do queer
things after arriving at certain stage
of ripeness?
1t was the very finest berry in the
dish and now the old thing tastes just
like sandheap and no strawberry at
ALI" Maybe Genevieve doesn't say
this out loud. Very often Genevieves
do not say such things out loud; they
only feel them in the weary, sorry
hearts of them.
"The berries are losing their flavor
this year," mutters James to his empty
plate. "That big fellow looked fine.
the one I saved to the last-just as l
used to do when was a kid. But
there wasn't bit of flavor left. 1t
tasted. just like-1ust like-ashes."
And James scowls at his plate bit
and then shakes his broad shoul-
ders and thinks to himself: "There
couldn't have been any such flavor at
all, am sure. 1t was just because
was kid"
Me? like my berries with the dew
on them!
Copyright, by Associated Literary Press.)