The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-04
By CATHERINE CoopE
Copyright 1912, by the Associated
Literary Prpaa

Copyright 1912. by the Associated
Literary Press.)
Derek sank YEARLY into the big
chair in whose ample arms there
usually lurked contentment and abid-
ing peace.-Nnt so touigh t-IH fact,
Derek found himself inclined to huri
brief. unflatNring epithets at himself
and the world in general.
A few hours before, Derek vane
had dressed with unusual care and
had iourneXed forth. with flowers
and candy, to the home of Lily Ran
dolf. Once there, Vane had intended
to take the fair delicate Lily within
hts arms and tell her that he could
not live without her.
But alasi When the moment OF
making the confession arrived Derek
found that he could live very nicely
without her. He realized, not with
out sense of his own inferiority, that
Lily'B white. Unconditional beauty fall
ed in some way TO meet his de-
mands.
He had. at times, during the CON
tentment of his evening with her,
longed for something stirring to hap
pen. He wanted to fe~ active and
vital and strong. Instead, Derek ex-
perienced a sense of monotony at the
calm, unrutiied hour. He recognized.
with blush Of shame. that Rose
Davenport would liven things up.
--so-he- =gonr=frotn= IAis.s pres
ence with a knowledge of his own
unstable affections.
II am vacillating, blow-hot and
blow-cold. cad he told himself, and
felt slightly better and sufficiently at
peace with the world to light his
pipe.
After all--perhaps Rose is the girl
for me, Derek blew a cloud OF smok g
and in 1t he watched "A face develop.
IT was face that WIS framed in a
tangla of red brown hair and the eyes
that looked back at him were glow
ing with the lure of fife Derek blew
another cloud Of smoke and the figure
Of Rose. vital and palpltatinE with
the very JOY OF living danced before
him.
Derek watched the smoke float
away In the distance and his vivid
imagination pictured II lily becoming
less than naught as 1t melted from
sight
Rose and the my" he smiled
whimsfeally. Il Will tell Rose OF my
love tomorrow evening
And on the morrow ne again went
counting.
Rose Davenport received him In a
most ravlshing costume of scarlet.
Her eyes were sparkling and her rel
lips curled in smiles.
Derek knew the moinen. he touched
her hand that 1t would not be hard to
propose to Rose. She would. In fact,
lead him on.
They had been together for perhaps
an hour when Nanc was conscious OF
a desire to escape. He felt III at ease.
something that afforded a rnomentss
res, to the nerves. Pose kent him too
forcsfulIv awake uerek lnnrad for y
moments respite I'm which ia colieet
hts scattered forces
with dee,, chagrir he knew that
rifv wo,,Ia u5tb orly a few xvords
SO, bIa soul a.. rest .n1 bring con.
+a,,+,,,art ~, r,aax .gaa ,,nrnra hfr,
- =, ~ .a,i,,,s -, w. 80
a. 80 80 90, aea,ss -, "a t.,,,
raj ~ /, WIS n',,,, 18th ~ rs,tar
~ - 80. a,1l,..'s pt.sa
h'e 'i"o noi bA op"'1 W
couia hos De happs WIN eitne,
rose or the iAy' put with DOTH
-Derek smiled half despondently- M
ferhaps III loss com II Will
tell me which one love. 6f'der
Inc frIVollty or the tnougat there
WAS strong vein of seriousness.
Fane had looked for the right
girl long and earnestly. He Was no.
unusually hard TO please. but n
wanted the most thai life could give,
more especially did he crave It in
the marriage question
His association with Lily RandoF
had alawsy given him a sense Of
contentment He felt now that with
her he would have been moderately
happy in sinking down into an I'M