The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-11-01
THE. Dali
Isl HORT STORY
Poetry and Patches
az JEesIE DOUGLAS.
S SIC aWept &c Mtchen and

s sue swept the ktcnsh So
IN held open the screen aoof
s4 , TO brush on the stone step
she stopped for a moment in breath
less delight.
A round. gliStening moon SID into
her vision against a bank Oh Violet
clouds. The commonplace OF every
day was shut out. The little maple
tree was Swallowed Ike a bamboo
on the edge OF the whispering
stream, the faint breath Of lilacs
dTIfted to her with sudden over
whelming sweetness
Sue, the incurably romantic, left
y the broom leaning against the door
went hurriedly into the kitchen
and found the stump OF pencil be
hind the wooden clock and the piece
Of paper on which she kept the
butter list, and crept out again to
the moonlit step
In the silvery light she wrote
the first line:
love"
And when several hours later she
had written tho last:
"In IiIac.scented nights OF
spring" sbe gave sigh of relief
and went softly up the back stairs
to her bedroom under thU caves.
Before she could repent she sent
the. little poem to one OF the dali!
newspapers, addressed in her Own
! odd, vertical hand.
: AS the days went by Sue com
pletely forgot her moment Of mad.
ness. For there was much to do
bread.making, cleaning, the spring
painting, the tiny patch of garden
that Sue always devoted to her
bachelor buttons and pink peoples
and old-fashioned white pinks. Be-
sides, RoBamond was going to
graduate in June and dress that
Rosamond had decreed should have
innumerable tucks was being made
by Sue.
Sue was bending over the last
I tuck with a queer little pain shoot
ing across her shoulder blade when
Rosamond fluttered into the room.
Rosamond was the family beauty.
eighteen, with clear blue eyes that
4 she knew how to use and a dimple
in her smooth peachy cheek.
"I'm dying to try it on; do hurry
Sue!" she cried impatiently.
Sue Strengthened her shoulders
slipped the frock over Rosamond'S
fluffy hair, and as she caught the
tiny loops into their places she
,heaTd sigh of pleasure.
Y 81 do look rather nice, don't 7,
Sue?" Rosamond asked, smiling
ecstatically. You're n dear. Sue,
II you're not pretty, Oh, | forgot
/. this came for you today"
4 She held out letter that she had
I put in the pocket Of her bingham
,frock, and Sue, tearing 1t open,
looked ut it with dazed eyes.
my Dear Miss Moore read
with Uuch pleasure your poem in
tie Sentinel entitled In Lilac
time. have made musical set
.sting for it, and If 1t would be pos.
-sibls to arrange q meeting | should
he Eidd to do so. Perhaps YOU
would enjoy hearing it Sincerely.
ROBERT HERNDON."
Her poem In the Sentinel" Sue
ran TO the pile OF newspapers be-
hind the kitchen uuar, and on hands
and knees wcuL through them. Hid
I den away i. 4 corner IL fine print
was her poem. Her cheeks burned
! as shs read It and her heart thump.
I ed rapturoasly. icw large her
name looked: Susan Moore
'sWha. are you dressing up cor?"
Rose asked that Afternoon. Why.
, I'd almost think you had beau,
Sue Moore" She giggled At her
own wit.
In a few nervous sentences Sue
had told Rosamond the bare out
9lines OF her daring, the poem she
had written and tho man who sent
her letter.
You've got to see him You must
pretend that You wrote the poem.
She pushed her sister to the door az
abe heard the bell tinkle through
the house.
On the landing above with hands
clasped over her heart she heard
his voice deep and pleasant and
Rosio's answering glggle.
Il Half an hour later Sue crept
Z down the stnirs to tine garden.
Some one else was bending over a
4 border. Some one who straighten'
ed and gave her quick glance OF
comprehension.
"T said goodbye to your sister q
few minutes ago. but there was
something about your garden
Sue liked his smile and the CLEAN
OF his white teeth, she liked hlV
thoughtful dark eyes aud the touch
OF white ut his temples. She lifted
hands full OF pink pOppies to him,
Perhaps il was their color that
touched her cheeks with pink, per
, haps it was the fragrance Of the
garden that made her seem SO
SYsweet, for white butterfly hover
ing a momOnt rested against her
soft, dusky hair and tho man said
quietly: at took you for a flower!"
"Oh, Sue!" voice called from
an upper window, stop incoming
there and come in and mend my
/ dressH
She lifted startled eyes but Rob
ert Herndon smiled understanding
II, touching the latch Of the gate.