Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-09
"And IL it's the other answer, Bob?"
He smiled in his usual bantering

"And IL it's the other answer, Bob?"
He smiled in his usual bantering
way.
"If it's the other, Phyllis-why-
you-you can walk home"
She laughed joyously, and he
laughed, just as If nothing but what
was light and amusing was in ques-
ton between them.
Along the Whiskey road the whole
floating population of Aiken moved
on horseback or wheels through the
sweet-smelling dark to Mr. Bob
Blagdon's picnic in Red Oak Hollow.
Blagdon had preceded his guests by
half an hour and was already at the
scene of the picnic. The night was
hot with heaviness. 1t was clear and
bestarred. Furthermore, 1t was so
still that candles burned without
Pickering.
A table thirty feet long and low
to the ground so that people sitting
on rugs could eat from it with COM
fort, stood beneath the giant red
oak that gave a name to the hollow.
The white damask and the silver and
cut-glass cleaned in the light of
dozens of candles. The flowers were
Marechal Mel roses.
At the last moment, when to have
Deen any ldbeI WOulu nave Deen
either rude or accidental little Miss
Blythe's voice was heard.
Miss Blythe blinked at the lights
and looked very beautiful She was
all in white and wore no hat. She
had a red rose at her throat She
was grave for her-and silent.
The truth was that she had during
the last ten minutes made I'D her
mind to ask Blagdon to drive her
home when the picnic should be over
She. had asked Masters to drive out
with her; and how much that had
delighted him nobody knew (alasl)
except Mr.. Masters himself. She had
during the last few weeks given him
every opportunity which her some
what unconventional soul could sane
ton. In hundred ways she had
shown him that she liked him i'm
mensely; and well--if he liked her
in the same way, he would have man
aged to show 1t, in spite of his shy-
ness. The drive out had been fall
ure. They had gotten no further in
conversation than the beauty and the
sweet smells of the night. And final
ly she had given him up as a bad
job!
At Mr.. Masters. now seated near
the other end of the table she lifted
plate and crumbling a piece of bread.
1t was like saying good-by. She was
silent for a moment; then, smiling
with a kind of reckless gayety, she
lifted her glass of champagne and
turned to the host
ITO youl" she said.
Delight swelled in the breast of Mr..
Bob Blagdon. He raised his hand.
and from q neighboring thicket there
rose abruptly the music of banjos and
guitars and the loud, sweet singing of
negroes
Toward dessert nothing was to be
heard but the exclamation For
heavens sake, look at the moon!
Ibid you ever see anything like it?"
No one remembered to have seen
the moon so large or so bright:
Atomized silver poured like tides or
light into the surrounding woods, and
at the same time heavenly odors OF
flowers began to move hither and
thither. to change places, to return,
and pass, like disembodied spirits en-
gagged in some tranquil and celestial
dance.
1t was not wholly by accident that
Mister Masters found himself alone
with little Miss Blythe. Emboldened
by the gayety of the dinner and then
by the wonder of the moon, he had
had the courage to hurry to her side,
and, though there his courage had
failed utterly. his action had been
such as to deter others from joining
her So. for there was nothing else
to do, they found thick rug and sat
upon 1t, and leaned their backs
against a log.
Little Miss Blythe had not yet
asked Blagdon to drive her home.
Though she had made up her mind
to do so. it would only be at the last
possible moment at the twelfth hour.
1t was now that eleventh hour in
which heroines are rescued by bold
lovers. But Mister Masters was no
holder than o mouse. And the moon
sailed higher and higher In the
heavens.
isn't 1t wonderful?" said little Miss
Blythe.
wonderful"
"Just smell it,"
"Umm.'
Her sad, rather frightened eyes
wandered over to the noisy group of
which Blagdon was the grave and
silent centre. He knew that little
Miss Blythe would keep her promise.
He believed in his heart that her de-
cision would be favorable to him;
but he was watching her where she
sat with Masters and knew that his
belief in what she would decide was
not strong enough to make him alto
gether happy.
Then his eyes caught little Miss
Blythe's, but she turned hers in
stantly away.
do you see old Mr.. Black over
there?" she said finally to Mister
Masters. Hes pretending not to
watch US, but he's watching US like
piece Of news?"
Never" said Mister Masters.
ct would be rather fun" said little
Miss Blythe. For instance, IL we
held hands for moment Mr.. Black
would see 1t. and five minutes later
everybody would know about It,"
Mister Masters screwed his cour-
age up to the sticking point. and
took her hand In his. Both looked