Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17


house above Fraternity and
i without much caring In which
direction she turned walked. across the
stubble of the freshly cut meadow
toward the edge Of the woods at the
crest Of the hill.
This meadow was really a high
plateau: ii was fringed with bushes
which grew along the crumbling stone
wall which bordered it, and with oirch
and wild cherry trees here and there
along its edge. Between these trees
she could look abroad across wooded
valley, down whose middle meandered
the dead waters Of the Georges river
backed up by the mill dam at the
village. :,
There had been light shower at
dawn. scarce sufficient to settle the
dust and the air. thus clarified. lent
lovely colors to the countryside: lheFe
were deep green Of hemlock and spruce
and pine struggling tracery OF pack
n,atack, lighter green Of the birch tops
almost yellow in the heart of the
woods; the blue Of distant hillsides !;
the blue Of the sky; the yellow glory
of sunlight drenching everything. IN
an uncut strip Of meadow white dais'es
bloomed. There We're birds ABOUT.
But to all these matters LUCIA
Moore was obllvious. She kne" o'',y
that her father was stubborn ana un-
reasonable, her mother supfne' tno
1.o+,d at an Ill turn. Drops OF waser
n, The stubble wet her. ankles: dqst
and water combined to muddy her I'M
practicable shoeS;- an occasioiiai
bramble tore at her silken stockings.
She. came to the stone wall az 'he
brink Of the hill and chose a iafke
bowlder half-shaded by an apple .uee
.+,., Was ALL run to suckers. and. SAT
down en- IL, her feet propped upon Il
e,one below. her elbows on her knees
her chin cupped in her hands. Ihe
s;r,s eyes were sulky and her ups
nouted. There was hint Oh coioi NV.
their own upon these lips or hefs' anu
nor. eyebrows were plucked 10 INN
line. their smooth arch dis,orteo w
the frown she wore. htT Dress va"
short and her present posture reveaieo
her thin, Uniformed legs. ~hieh con-
frmed the almost enaciateo siiiii''es'
os her figure She stared unseeihst1
across the lovely land.
xx x Z
~oUS the slope below her and TO
- the right, Johnny Dree was busting
~ a-,h,rd His well-trained team
knew their work: they drew the sieose
on which he had secured the dus'i's
machine up and down between 'ie
8 widespread rows; and Johnny h'n1sei.
controlled and directed the piast Vi
dust which smothered the trees de-
nostting itself on every leaf and t"ls.
Now and then, at the turnlnss, he
.caIled a command to the horses o. ran
ahead to tug at their reins.
He was doing two mems work ano
doing it with very little effort. his
voice. pitched musically, carried lar
across the Still hillside on this quiet
morning; and the whir OF. the custer
carried farther. The spouting CLOUDS Vi
heavy dust rose above the trees, to set
,le swiftly down again. Lucia Moore
heard his voice, heard the busters pur-
ring, punctuated by the bark OF the ex-
haust: she looked in his direction and
saw the violently spouting dust ana
wondered who he was and what ne was
doing. She had an uncontrolled curlos-
ity and after few moments her aWak-
ened interest brought her down the hill.
She entered the orchard at the side
where the Wolf Rivers were planted.
hundred trees Of them, the fruit already
filling and coloring. Johnny's father
had set out this small orchard with dis
erection; a hundred Wolf Rivers. hun
dred Starks, a hundred Ben Davises.
Hardy apples, easily tended. easily ham
died, easily marketed. Wolf Rivers for
fancy trade, for the great city hotels to
bake and TO serve, crispy Drowned. with
rich cream; Starks and Ben Dartses for
keeping through the winter.
Johnny was in the middle OF the
Starks when he saw Lucia coming to-
ward him among the trees. After the
fashion of the countryside, he looked at
her with frank curiosity. He had seen
her at some distance. once or twice be-
fore, since Walter Moore bought the
rundown farm on the hilltop above his
orchard. Had summarized his impress
sions Of rouge; plucked brows, short
dresses in single phrase. a city
girl" There was no malice in the APP
pellation; it was simply Classification.
Her approach now did not embaTr46s
him; there is a self-respect IN. such men
not easily disturbed. -. -
She had paused between two; ftrees
at a point he was approaching and
when he came near where she stood
he stopped the horses and waited for
ner to speak her errand.
X a. =. !.
7 UCIA looked at him curiously. She
- was just twenty years old. but he
was only two Or three years older, and
she was used to boys. His overalls
were patched and faded from much
washing: his blue shirt seemed
fresh and clean: she thought him nice
looking, and when she was sure Of
this. smiled most dazz,ngiy. Johnny
tugged OF his cap at that smile and
Lucia said precisely: 49,, ~ :
How do you do?".
'Howdo, Miss Moore" Johnny re.
Piled. .-4 49,. -. 49,.
Her eyes widened in pretty afYec-
. tation. "Oh, how did you know my
nsme?" ...,
His lips were inscrutable, but his
eyes were amused. 81 guess everybody
around here knows you"
She pouted a little. THAT doesn't
sound nice"
'Tt don't do any HARM" he said
equally; and she was little disap.
pointed, had expected ,fattery. She
pointed to the machine whose engine
still racketed. a.-- a. 80
Whats that?' So. ,. -
IA duster." he told her. kills the
bugs on the trees"
She made q grimace. II should think
Il would. But what nasty way tc
DO. Smoother them with that dust"
He did smile this time. 1.-THE dust's