Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-09-01


me? Not last night-nof the day we
planted the ramblers. (Do you know,
when your little muddy boot went
trampling down the earth about their
roots, | wanted to stoop down AMI
kiss it? So dear everything about
you wasD Not that evening at Rose
wood, with the arbor fragrance about
US. Il think l shall always picture you
with roses all about you Red roses
the color of your lips!) No, it was NOT
then that 1t began-nor that dreadful
hour when you fought with me to save
my life-nor the morning you sat your
horse in the box-rows In that yew-
green habit that made your hair look
like molten copper. No. it began the
first afternoon, when / sat in my mo-
tor with your rose in my hand! 1t
has never left me since, by day or by
night. And yet there are people In
this age OF airships and honking high
ways and typewriters who think love
at-hrst-sight Is as out-of-date as our
little grandmothers' hoops rusting in
the garrett. All, sweetheart, /. for one,
know betterI
Suppose / had not come to vir-
ginia-and known you'll My heart
jumps when I think of it. 1t makes
one believe in fate. Here at the Court
found an old leaf-calendar-it sits
at my elbow now, Just as came on it.
The date it shows is May 14th, and
its motto is: Every man carries his
fate upon riband about his neck.
like that.
THAT first Sunday at st. Andrews,
| thought of day-may it be soon,--
when you and l might stand before
that altar, with your people (ny
people, too, now around US, and ]
shall hear you say: I, Shirley, take
thee. John And to think it is really
to come true! Do you remember the
text the minister preached from? 1t was
But all men perceive that they have
riches, and that their faces shine as
the faces of angels / think | shall
| go about henceforth with my face
| shining, so that all men will see that
| have riches-your love for me, dear
Il am so happy l can hardly see the
words-or perhaps it is that the sun
has set. l am sending this over by
| Uncle Jefferson. Send me back Just
word by him, sweetheart, to say |
may come to you tonight And add
the three short words l am so thirsty
70 hear over and Overcome verb be-
tween two pronouns-so that | can
kiss them all at once!"
He raised his head, little flushed
ana with eyes brilliant, lighted a
candle, sealed the letter with the ring
he wore and dispatched it.
Thereafter he sat looking into the
growing dusk, watching the pale
lamps of the consultations deepen to
green gilt against the lapislazuli Of
the sky, and listening to the insect
noises dulling into the woven chorus
of evening Uncle Jefferson was long
in returning, and he grew impatient
| finally and began to prowl through the
dusty corridors like leopard, then
to the froht porch and finally to the
driveway, listening at every turn for
the familiar slouching step.
When at length the old negro ap-
| peared, Valiant took the note he
| brought, his heart beating rapidly,
and carried it hastily in to the candle
light. He did not open it at onCe, but
sat for a full minute pressing it be-
tween his palms az though to extract
from the delicate paper the beloved
| thrill of her touch. His hand shook
slightly as he drew the folded leaves
from the envelope. How would it be-
gin? my knight of the Crimson
Rose?" or Dear Gardener" (She had
called him Gardener the day they had
set out the roses) or perhaps even
Sweetheart" 1t would not be long,
only mere Eyes" or Come to me, "
perhaps; yet even the shortest missive
had it's beginning and its ending.
He opened and read
For an instant he stared unbeliev-
ingly. Then the paper cracked to a
ball in his clutched hand, and he made
a hoarse sound which was half cry
then sat perfectly still, his whole face
shuddering. What he crushed in his
hand was no note of tender love
phrases; 1t was an abrupt dismissal
The staggering contretemps struck
the color from his face and left every
nerve raw and quivering. To be moth
ing to her. as she could be nothing to
him?" He felt CHASTITY inclination to
laugh. Nothing to herI
Presently, his brows frowning heav.
| lily. he spread out the crumpled paper
and reread it with bitter slowness.
weighing each phrase. Something
which she had learned since she last
saw him, which lay between them
She had not known it, then, last night,
when they had kissed beside the sun
dial! She had loved him theni What
could there be that thrust them irrev-
ocably apart?
Without stopping to think OF the
darkness or that the friendly doors OF
the edifice would be closed, he caught
up his hat and went swiftly down the
drive to the road, along which he
plunged Dreathlessly. The blue star.
spangled sky was now streaked with
clouds like faded orchids, and the
shadows on the uneven ground under
his hurried feet made him giddy
Through the din and hurly-burly of his
thoughts he was conscious of dimly.
moving shapes across fences. the
sweet breath of cows, and negro pc
destrian who greeted him in passing
He was stricken suddenly with the