Gilpin observer., 1920-07-08
A Summer Idyll
By Jessie Douglas


Priscilla sat on her own white steps
with her slim arms clasped about her
knees and listened to the thin notes
Of the victrola that drifted down to her
from the house above.
It was early summer and Helen
and Catharine and Jane were taking
advantage of 1t, talking and laughing
and dancing away the summer night,
while here observation-disclosures getting
lonelier and loneller every minute.
Not that she blamed any of those
girls, they were her friends; nor the
boys who had left her out. Instead
she thought they were quite right to
choose Helen and Catharine and Jane
and let her stay here on her white
steps alone.
For those men-as Priscilla called
her SO. The more
she tried to talk to them, the more
the words froze on her lips, and the
more she longed to run away, until
finally she did run, wishing all the time
that some one would be bold enough
to free her from the prisonhouse of
her shyness.
When she had climbed the stairs to
her own room much later she stood
before the mirror and looked very
seriously and very sternly at herself.
Although she could not see them in
this light. she knew how those seven
freckles lay across the bridge of her
high little nose.
7 Nil fv, prio
told the reflection sadly; she turned
away before she saw the glittering
drops that made her wide green eyes
like the eyes of a mermaid. She put
out her light and knelt down beside
the open window.
She let down her hair about her
shoulders, hair that was like rusty
gold and framed her face softly like
the face of Botticelli madonna.
She stayed there very still watching
the moonlight that did glamourOus
things to the garden, and lent silver
pallor to the patch Of grass beneath
her window. All the loneliness and
the tiny hurt smOOthed itself away
and she fingered there feeling the ca
ressing fingers of a stray breeze that
ruffled her hair about her white face.
But the very next day Priscilla had
forgotten that she was "left out" She
always did forget 1t with girls, for
Helen and Catharine and Jane thought
she was "a dear" and no party would
be complete without her If 1t was just
girls.
priscilla is so different with girls |"
Belen laughed. "She's such darling,
anyway. But any one can see she's
frightened to death Of men; and it's
much kinder to let her do as she
pleases."
The girls had been down to "the
village" as they called their over
grown town, to shop and Jane had
selected blue dress because she said
Harris liked blue. while she blushed
just the tiniest bit.
Helen had chosen yellow muslin.
to be made up with rufiles, although
she did not say why she had chosen
yellow. and Catharine had picked out
pink-sprigged dimity. Priscilla could
not resist the temptation; she knew
she might not need that pale green
Organdie that looked like the foam
Of sea wave-would not need 1t, in
fact; but 1t was not so expensive.
And then the girls were all going to
make the dresses themselves.
She might be left out when they
wore them, but not when they made
them. They had boarded the car, al
most taking up whole seat them
selves. and while the others discussed
tucks and pockets, rufiles and gathers,
Priscilla fell to dreaming
For right in front of her sat the
kind of man she had always wanted
to know. She knew he was the kind
Just from the back of his head. His
ears were so well shaped and so close
to his head and his collar was so white
above his blue serge shoulders and
his hair was so satiny smOOth-then
Priscilla noticed a queer thing. for as
she watched him a red tide began to
mount from that neck to the very tips
Of those well-shaped ears.
She saw then that the conductor
was standing beside him and saying,
Fare. please |" while he searched first
in one pocket and then the other He
didn't have q cent. Priscilla knew II.
She reached forward and slipped her
last nickel into his hand and she felt
the coOlness Of his fingers and then
she heard, priscilla Priscilla! Don't
you know you get of heref"
Catharine and Helen and Jane had
already jumped OF and were standing
in the road laughing and calling to
her. Priscilla stepped down very
quickly, thankful from the depths Of
her heart that they had not seen what
| she had done.
They teased Priscilla moment for
dreaming. and said. "Who IL he. Pris-
cilla7" and to their amusement Pris-