, 1915-09-23

q ho 1oys &s1
"G'way wild yo' blackyardin'iS
smiled Aunt Daphne, delighted. Don
need ter come eroun' honey-caruddlin'
mel"
Oats whut he say" insisted Uncle
Jefferson; "he did TO- er fac'i"
She drew her hands from the suds
and looked at him anxiously. "Jeffson,
yo' reck'n Mars John gwineter fotch
dat Yankee CONAN heah ter Danny
Co'ot, ter be ouah mistis7
"Humphi" scoffed her spouse. Dat
%highfalutin' gal whut done swaller de
ramrod? No suh-ree- bob-taili De
oldah yo' gifts, de mo- foolishah yo'
citations isl Dom yo' lei no mo-
trouble on yo' back den yo' kin keek
of'n yo' heels! She aim gwineter run
dis place, er oil Devil-John tuhn ovah
in he 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
eoning 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, II one measured time
by heart-beats. What have you been
doing and thinking, I 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
a bird (yet you are woman. too!) that
old disk is marking happy hours now
for me!
How have ! deserved this thing
that has come to me?-sad bungler
that / have been! Sometimes 1t 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.
! Am very humble, dear, before your
love.
Shall / tell you when 1t began with
me? MOI last night-nor 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 and
kiss 1t? So dear everything about
you wash 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 lipsl) 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 you hair look
like molten copper. No, 1t began the
first afternoon, when ] sat In my mo-
tor with your rose in my handi It
has never left me since, by day or By
night. And yet there are people In
this & OF airships and honking high,
ways and typewriters who think love.
at-first-sight is as out-of-date as our
little grandmother hoops rusting In
the garnet. All. sweetheart, l. for one.
know betterl
Suppose / had not come to vir
ginia-and known you! My heart
jumps when / think of 1t. 1t makes
n believe in fate. Here at the Court
! found an old leaf-calendar-it sits
at my elbow now, Just as / came on II,
The date 1t shows is May 14th, and
its motto is: Every man carries his
fate upon a riband about his neck
like that.
] thought of q day-may It be sooni-
when you and l might stand before
that altar, with your people (my
people. too, now) around US, and !
shall hear you say: 7. Shirley, take
thee, John And to think 1t Is really
to come truei Do you remember the
text the minister preached from? It was
But all men perceive that they have
riches, and that their faces shine an
the faces Of angels think / shall
80 about henceforth with my face
shining, 30 that all men will see that
! have riches-your love for me, dear.
Il am 30 happy / can hardly see the
vords-or perhaps 1t Is that the sun
has set. l am sending this over by
Uncle Jefferson. Send me back Just
q word by him. sweetheart, TO say /
may come to o tonight. And add
the three short words / am 80 thirsty
To hear over and Overcome verb be-
tween two pronouns-so that l can
kiss them all at oncei"
He raised his head. q little flushed
and with eyes brilliant, lighted q
candle, sealed the letter with the ring
hA unra md dicnnAohoA A