Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-04-07
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VALIANTS@VIRGIINLA
1&I HALLT TId1LNI[ RIVTS POST 95fo oarznrE)
ILLUSTRATED ~ LAUREN STOUT

off'n yo' heels! She ain gwineter run
dis place, er OF Devil-John tuhn ovah
in ne gravel"
Sunset found Valiant sitting in the
mushroom before the old square pi-
ano. In the shadowy chamber the
KEYS of mother-of-pearl cleaned with
dull colors under his fingers. He
struck at first only broken chords, that
became finally the haunting barcarole
of "Tales of Hoffman," It was the
air that had drifted across the garden
when he had stood with Shirley by
the sun-dial, in the moment of their
first kiss. Over and over he played
it, improvising dreamy variations, till
the tender melody seemed the dear
ghost of that embrace. At length he
went into the library and in the Grim
soning light sat down at the desk,
and began to write:
Dear Bluebird of Mine:
Il can't wait any longer to talk to
you. Less than a day has passed
since we were together, but it might
have been cons, if one measured time
by heart-beats. What have you been
doing and thinking, 1 wonder? have
spent those cons in the garden, just
wandering about, dreaming over those
wonderful, wonderful moments by the
sun-dial All, dear little wild heart
born of the flowers, with the soul of
bird (yet you are woman, tooD that
old disS is marking happy hours now
for me!
"How have 1 deserved this thing
that has come to me?-sad bungler
that | have been! Sometimes it seems
too glad and sweet, and / am suddenly
desperately afraid l shall wake to find
myself facing another dull morning
in that old, useless, empty life of mine.
l am very humble, dear, before your
love.
"Shall tell you when it began with
me? Not. last nigkt-nor the day we
planted the ramblers. (Do you know,
when your little muddy boot went
trampling down the earth about their
roots, l wanted to stoop down and
kiss it? So dear everything about
you WASH Not that evening at Rose
wood, with the arbor fragrance about
us. & think I shall always picture you
with roses ali about you. Red roses
the color of your lips!) No, it was not
then that it 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
ike molten copper. No, it began the
first afternoon, when l 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
Fhis age of airships and hOnking high
ways and typewriters who think love
at-frst-sight is as out-of-date as our
little grandmothers hoops rusting in
the garnet. An, sweetheart, l, for one,
know better!
Suppose l had not come to Vir-
ginia-and known you'll My heart
jumps when ! think of it. 1t makes
one believe in fate. Here at the Court
found an old leaf-caleudar-it sits
at my elbow now, just as l came on it.
The date it shows is May 18th, and
its motto is: Every man carries his
fate upon a riband about his neck
like that
THAT first Sunday at st. Andrews,
Thought of day-may it be soon!-
when you and 1 might stand before
people, too, now around us, and
shall hear you say: 4, 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 l think / shall
go about henceforth with my face
shining, so that all men will see that
l have riches-your love for me, dear
81 am so happy 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
to hear over and Overcome verb be-
tween two pronouns-so that l can
kiss them all at once!''
He raised his head, a little flushed
and 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 lapis-lazuli 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 a leopard, then
to the front porch and finally to the
driveway, listening at every turn for
the familiar slouching step.
When at length the old negro APP
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