Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-07-08
A Summer IdyH
By Jessie Douglas

oN~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"a 1919. By Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
Priscilla sat on her own white stepi
with her slim arms clasped about hei
knees and listened TO the thin notes
Of the yictrola that drifted down TO hel
from the house above.
II was early summer and Heller
and Catharine and Jane were taking
advantage of 1t, talking and laughing
and dancing away the summer night,
while here she-Priscilla-sat getting
lonelier and lonelier 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
them-frightened 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.
IF ! wasn't quite so plain" Priscilla
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 q Botticelli madonna.
She stayed there very still watching
the moonlight that did glamourous
things to the garden. and lent a 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
ruffled her hair about her white face. |
But the very next day Priscilla had
forgotten that she was cleft out" She |
always did forget it with girls, for
Helen and Catharine and Jane thought
she was "a dear" and no party would
girls.
priscilla is so different with girls!"
Belen laughed. "She's such a 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
as they called their over
grown town, to shop, and Jane had
selected a blue dress because she said
Harris liked blue, while she blushed
ust the tiniest bit.
Helen had chosen a yellow muslin,
o be made up with ruffles, although
he did not say why she had chosen
,ellow, and Catharine had picked out
pink-sprigged dimity. Priscilla could
lot resist the temptation; she knew
he might not need that pale green
rgandie that looked like the foam
+ a sea wave-would not need it, in
act; but it was not so expensive.
md then the girls were all going to
1ake the dresses themselves.
She might be left out when they ,
,ore them, but not when they made
hem. They had boarded the car, al |
lost taking up a whole seat them ;
elves, and while the others discussed =
lcks and pockets, rutfies and gathers.
riscilla fell to dreaming. /,
For right in front of her sat the r
ind of man she had always wanted
} know. She knew he was the kind
Ist from the back of his head. His
IRIS were so well shaped and so close q
his head and his collar was so white !,
,Ove his blue serge shoulders and u
s hair was so satiny smOoth-then h
-iscilla noticed a queer thing, for as 2,
e watched him a red tide began to
cunt from that neck to the very tips m
those well-shaped ears. W
She saw then that the conductor h,
rs standing beside him and saying q,
are, please" while he searched first h,
one pocket and then the other He h,
in't have cent. Priscilla knew 1t. rs
e reached forward and slipped her "
st nickel into his hand and she felt to
e GOODNESS of his fingers and then 90
e heard, priscilla Priscilla Don't III
u know you get Off here?" n
Catharine and Helen and Jane had m
eady jumped off and were standing n
the road laughing and calling to III
:. Priscilla stepped down very In
ckly, thankful from the depths of 81,
. heart that they had not seen what m,
, had done
They leased Priscilla a moment for
aiming. and said, "Who is he Pris-
az" and to their amusement Pris- fal
a flushed holly right up to the riy
is OF her hair; but fortunately they Ri