Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-03

ton
II have done it, cried Dick, Shaping
his fingers upon his palm.
Done what" asked Miss Burton, Civ
Ing nervous start.
Made you forget your dignity and all
that. and come right out and talk things
over with me even IL did have to start a
long way from the subject / want TO
talk about
She answered his smile What made
You think that | would not be willing to
! come right out and talk things over with
you?"
You did You came into this room
this evening and looked down on me and
said TO yourself: Young man. il is my
duty TO prove to you, In as few words
possible. that you are not welcome-and
think shall enjoy putting you back in
your proper element as quickly and firm
ly as possible That is what you
thought. but | wanted to take you out of
yourself first. so that we'd have a fair
start Now | am ready for the verdict"
Miss Burton looked down at the floor.
The shaded lamps threw a soft light over
her. and it suddenly occurred to Dick
that she was not at all bad looking. Miss
! Burton was one of those women who.
having once yielded to their relatives i'm
a matter of moment, devote the balance
of their lives silently TO holding up this
compliance as the cause of all subsequent
unhappiness, no matter how remote il
may be. And for fear that the unhap-
piness would not be sufficiently conspicu-
Gus. develop an expression of martyrlile
submission, which serves a perennial
accusation against these unhappy and re-
pentant relatives
Even as the intoxicated man is seldom
so far under the influence of drink that
some part of his personality is not aware
OF his irrational acts, so Miss Burton
fully understood that her attitude was a
species of torture to those about her.
Yet. having deliberately chosen this plan,
consciousness of it only served TO in
struct her in bringing il TO higher state
of perfection.
But so artificial a warping of human
beauty could not endure the strong rays
from Dicks normal personality, and when
Miss Burton let her eyes fall to the floor,
all the wasted years OF her narrow life
seemed to crowd about her to clamor at
! the starvation with which she had fed
them. She could not understand her
feelings; il was nothing he had said. il
was not even himself as an individual.
It was the spirit of youth which she had
denied, and which had returned when
least expected to taunt and disarm her.
Let's go out into the moonlight sug-
gested Dick, after a minutes silence.
THE night is beautiful and no matter
what you have to say, il will be easier to
say it in the moonlight
His voice had grown serious at the
thought of all this message might mean
to him. for the continued absence of Kate
convinced him that the decision had not
been in his favor.
'Katherines father insisted on her ac-
companying him TO New York to do some
| shopping and plan some recreation for
| the evening" explained Miss Burton.
/ She did not know that she was going
| to say il. and afterward she did not
know why she had said it. but when
| Dick said. Thank you,'' very softly, she
was surprised to see how glad she was
/ that she had said it.
We'll. shall We go outdoors he asked
again. 1T is criminal to stay in the
house such night as this
Yes, | think it would be very enjoy
! able in the moonlight replied Miss Bur-
ton. a little wistfully. II shall get a
| wrap at once"
Il am going bareheaded," announced
| the primitive Richard.
Then 1 am going bareheaded. too. -
| said the sedate Miss Burton, with a
| laugh, which differed materially from any
| which had passed her lips for years.
4 She picked up white knitted scarf as
i they passed through the hall, and soon
| they were together in the shadows of the
! trees. 1t seemed like dream to her; for
! so many years she had developed an af-
| fectation that il had become reality to
| herself and all about her: and now the
youth, her own youth, which she had inn
| prisoned long ago, had returned, laugh
| ing coyly, thrilling with eXhilaration at
| what was really an adventure, and Won
| derful with the reincarnation of that free
| girlish shyness which is a mixture of
| challenge. ineXperience and the secretive-
ness of the wild thing which watches the
| hunter from a thicket and half hopes for
| discovery and the glorious chase after
ward with its own life as the prize.
| And Dick was not playing part either:
at least rot purposely playing one. Miss
! Burton was an original character, pos
! sessing an individuality which interested
him. and it always afforded him wealth
| of amusement to rout old age and make
| old folk feel and act like children. He
Of or7fro ,SIaf SlRa% I,a
! invariably made companions of those
about him. age. sex nor species being
| allowed to interfere
stretch of smooth sward, fiecked with
| moonlight. spread out before them. Il
can beat you to that big oak tree" cried
| Dick. pointing.
| She looked into his face a moment and
/ then without word turned and ran with
surprising lightness toward the tree. Dick
| followed. drew alongside and made the
race a tie.
Dear. dear" she said. catching her
| breath. Il haven't run that far fort
must be twenty years"
| Her face was flushed, her eyes danced
and as Dick noted them with the critical
! eye of a connoisseur, il occurred to him
| that twenty years ago he would have
been sorely tempted to claim a prize at
| the end of the race.
| You don't look much older than that
! yourself, was what he said. I'll tell
you what I'd like to do, I'd like to put
tick-tack on somebody's window. Are
you game?'
! Not that game replied Miss Burton.
| laughing-it was so easy to laugh this
| evening. Il never could stand another
run. and / am sure we'd be chased if you
were the leader
| We'll. come along. then. and we'll see if
| there is any mischief TO get into on these
| grounds: and as We walk I'll tell you
! something funny. For several days |
| thought my uncle wanted me TO marry
You-and I was already head over heels
| in love with your niece
Marry me?" exclaimed Miss Burton,
almost recovering her dignity
Yes, you see il was this way" and
Dick swung into a full account of all that
| had taken place since his return.
1T certainly is lots of fun to be young.
she said, with sigh, when at last he had
| finished.
Yes and the best of it is that Il is the
privilege of all free people," added Dick
only the slaves of the years get old
Now for instance. here is a swing" he
said. pointing to one which had been
erected to entertain the Sunday school
class which a friend of Hates taught,
and which Rad been allowed to remain
"Old folk would pass this swing grunting
and grumblirg. but we shall get in and
take q ride
''Oh, no. there is a limit TO my folly.
protested Miss Burton; but all the time
she was being led toward the swing, and
soon she was seated in it. and Dick was
pushing vigorously until the ropes
creaked and Miss Burton, with little gasps
and uslrPles found herself soaring nm IN