The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-31
Bv DOROTHY DOUGLAS.
pyright, 1912, by the ASSOCIATED
Literary Press


Copyright 1912, by the Associated
Literary Press.
Sunderland took his soft hat from
the hail tree and adjusted Ii to his
head with considerable degree OF
precision. His movements for the
moment were all more or less unde-
cided because OF the weighty problem
that held his mind captive. He spent
few more moments over the angel
OF his hat then went out into the
busy streets.
Naturally sunderland's footsteps
took him in the direction OF his ia
vorite haunts, the old secondhand
shops. He stood aimlessly looking
over the musty and dusty contents of
the windows and all tho time he was
asking himself the question. Sha II
| ask Enid to marry me =
The question had been troubling
him for some time, and Sunderland
wanted 10 settle his mind on the sub
ject. Because he was ii bookworm
and q student, perhaps he was unduly
concerned about the matter of Enid.
AT times he felt that ne loved her.
and again she seemed as naught in
the scheme OF his life.
Sunderland's fingers were uneon-
sciously running through a stack of
weil,worn music and he suddenly
realized that II Enid had possessed
even a talent for the iightest OF
music he would have cared more for
her. He was not musician. nor
even critic. but he felt that his
home would be Incomplete without a
little music. His mother had always
played and sung. and his most pleas
ant recollection was OF the twilight
syening his mother had gladdeHed
with her songs
Sunderland was looking through
~, ,lI =@f In.
terest. He drew swift, sharp
I breath. then sighed: II was as II a
gentle presence Were lowering over
him. lie had found 4 song his
mother used to sing. The children
had always asked for Il because 1t
was fairy legend and spoke of
elves and hobgobblins. Sunderland
swiftly across his brain before his
eyes could follow the printed words.
so wildly had the song come back
A longing TO hear tho song again
stole over him. With a vague idea
OF asking someone to sing 1t for him
Sunderland bought the copy and left
the shop. Then with his usual analy-
tical turn of mind he fell to wonder
/ ing who had owned the song and just
how 1t had reached sthe secondhand
shop. He looked for a name on the
music and found one.
| "Inez Claire he read. and then in
faint pencil scrawi beneath ne made
out the name of a big studio building.
| Now. the question is. he pondered
| whether Incz Clair has become Il
great operate singer and has dis
carded her old songs or whether fail
! ure has prompted her TO dispose OF
it." s..t
And while Sunderland strove to
weave an atmosphere about the soma
/ lost and in its place a desire to find
/ the girl who had sung his mother 9
song possessed him. He told himself
that 1t was not a romantic sense that
prompted him, it was merely a long
ing to hear the familiar song
Because his time was his own for
the moment he made his way to the
studios mentioned in the song. Ar
irving there. he learned that Miss
Claire had left year or so ago. After
much inquiry. he was given an address
in the country to which her mail had
been forwarded
More or less discouraged. but with
accented desire to find her, Sunderland
went his way.
In the course OF "a day or so he ac-
ce~.ed an invitation from Jimmy Dale
to spend IA few days with him In the
/ country, the suburb being the one &c
"iiit'i AHNN tiailt hett SING W hAtS
leaving the studio building
/ On their way home from the station
Jimmy drew up at a small violet farm
THE mater wants me to bring hci
some violets for the dinner table" h
said by way Of explanation. You hat
better come in. There Is a peach oi
girl herea friend of my mother
Sunderland followed. At the far enc
of the dollhouse they caught sight o.
the mistress of the violets. She wa,
gowned in a simple frock of lilac ant
made an exquisite picture there amons
the millions of purple blossoms. Sun,