The Press., 1920-08-05
A Summer Idyll
By Jessie Deusias

<Gl 1Sz0. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndtcate.) 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 she-Priscilla-sat getting l 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.
 l. 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 prtsonhOuse 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 high little nose.
 "If I 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 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 stray breeze that ruffied her hair about her white face.
 But the very next day Priscilla had forgotten that she was 'left out" She always did forget it with girls, for Helen and Catharine and Jane thought she was "a dear" and no party would be complete without her If it was just girls.
 "Priscilla is so different with girls ]" Helen 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 a blue dress because she said Harris liked blue, while she blushed just the tiniest bit.
 Helen had chosen a yellow muslin, to be made up with ruffles, 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 it, in fact; but it was not so expensive. And then the girls were all going to Hnake 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 a whole seat them selves, and while the others discussed tucks and pockets. ruffles 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 we'll shaped and so close 10 his head and his collar was so white above his blue serge shoulders and his hair was so satiny smooth-then she watched him 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 a cent. Priscilla knew 1t. She reached forward and slipped her last nickel into his hand and she felt she heard, Priscilla Priscilla Don't you know. you get off here?"
 Catharine and Helen and Jane had already jumped off 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 leased Priscilla a moment for dreaming, and said. "Who Is he, Pris- cilla?' and to their amusement Pris- ella flushed hotly right up to the roots of her hair; but fortunately they didn't know of what she was thinking and fortunately they had their dresses to plan, which was much the more important.
 Priscilla stitched and sewed and tucked and ruffied with the rest. and when she had finished they all agreed that her dress was "adorable;" but she knew that there would be no one to care particularly if she did look like tiny lost mermaid in that nile green organdie.
 But just the same she put 1t on that evening and went out to sit under the moonshfne on the white steps. She sat down very carefully, so that not one of tic precious ruf1les would be crushed, and she knew she was very lovely.
 But what she did not know was that to the man who came whistling along the white walk she looked like moon fairy. Just then her mother called. Priscilla !" and she darted in- doors, to find when she had come out a few minutes later that tall figure was standing on her white steps.
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