The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-12-06


lious daughter of one OF the first
families Of Virginia. tells her chum,
Naomi Sanderson. of her intense feel
ings against the rigid sixteenth CEN
fury conventions of their little town
and the tyranny of her grandfather.
who adopted her when her parents
died. Virginia confides to Naomi that
she intends to run away from home
TO escape the tyrannical rule of her
grandfather and her sympathizing
aunt. Virginia fled in the night after
learning that her real family name
is Virginia Winston. At the station
Virginia, unfortunately, met her child
hood lover, Eddie Montforth. He
guessed her secret. protested against
her plan, then proposed joining her.
Il can't tell you where got my
money! Eddie, but 1 have my ticket
and here comes my train. ] will write
you when l get there"
"Oh, Virginia. don't go! / can't let
you go What will l do here with
out your"
Eddie dropped the suit case and
threw his arms about me.
you must not do that. Eddie"
urged softly.
why not? We are engaged, aren't
we? Why, my dad always calls you
sweetheart Virginia"
"All aboard" Interrupted the call
of the trainman.
Hurry or l will miss my train"
Eddie, reused to action by the stem
torian tones. grabbed the suit case
and, rushing madly the length of the
CT n1a ipG
made It. l was pulled on by the
porter and my grip thrown after me
by the sweetheart OF my childhood.
1 turned to wave and caught sight
OF Eddie's despairing figure just as
he threw his arm up over his face.
1t was a curious farewell. For a mo-
ment / felt weak and afraid.
The porter showed all his teeth in
a wide grin as he took me to my
berth and / heard him chuckling to
himself as he returned to the far end
of the car.
What a queer little place a sleeping
car berth is and how stuffy. Already
/ was wishing for my own beautiful
four-poster with it's immaculate linen
sheets, spun and woven by my great
grandmother and scented with law
ender from the bed which my grand
mother had planted in the garden and
from which my mother before me
had gathered the spicy flowers.
I wondered how l would be able
to breath behind the stuffy curtains
Il who had always slept with all my
windows open. to grapdfather's dis
gust and Aunt Virginia's fears.
l took off my shoes and my dress
and slipped a kimono over my other
clothes, devoutly hoping there would
not be an accident before morning.
Again doubts assailed me as / set
tied down and tried to sleep. / won
dered if l had done the right thing.
l was really very fond of Edlie Mont
forth and | knew in my own heart
that he would never be like grand
father. Eddie was OF my generation
as myself He was going to college.
He would learn to understand the
modern girl and I had determined to
be one.
Perhaps, after all. would 1t not have
been better TO have stayed at home
and married Eddie when he finished
college?
Then the optimism OF youth whis-
pered: You can marry him any
way. Remember he said that when
he finished college he was coming
out to Hollywood after you."
The thought of the long. long time
before Eddie would be able to marry
me krystalized my decision for Holly
wood and the moving pictures. Eddie
would keep.
Somewhere fretful baby COM
menced to cry. Someway 1t Gained
me. for up until then had felt very
much alone and very much frightened
at the thought of the other people in
the car. But a baby, a crying baby.
told me that somewhere there was a
mother and a mother was some one
to whom I might go IL / were In
trouble.
At the other end OF the car l heard
came the words: Shut up" and 1
laughed softly.
Some way l felt as though ! was
not quite respectable. ! had never
slept in a room before with anyone
except my old colored nanny, who
ever since 1 could remember had lain
at night at the foot of my bed on a
low cot which was drawn from under
my bed.
The thought of Nanny Lal brought
tears to my eyes. How was I going
to get along without her? She had
anticipated my every want and now
/ knew that was breaking her heart.
I had left without even saying good
| bye" but I had not dared to tell her.
/ determined to send for her just as
soon as I was settled In my new
! home.
The dreams of youth! My imagi-
nation skipped lightly over the hard