Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-01-10
The Buried
Confession
By DOROTHY DOUGLAS

Ha4 tH. NSSbShoA1y
OILY NORTH wondered II all chill
~ dren had, at one. time In their
play days. buried a tin box contain
ing the hearts most treasured pos
sessions.
Billy had been about the world q
good deal since those days In his own
life and now he had returned to the
old homestead. He loved the large,
old rooms, with great yawning fire
places In each. He loved the bit Of
tagged garden in the rear and he in
tended turning 1t into verltable fairy
garden.
II was while he was spading up
around the roots of the old oak that
Billy found his wonderful long-buried
treasure.
That old tin box hung Billy straight
back through the years until he was
lanky boy Of twelve summers. The
box was rusty and earthly and the
contents musty, but Billy was as ex-
cited IN II the old broken knife were
famous diamond and the widowed
note a queens love mlssive. Also
there were broken doll and Eve mar.
bles. The note, however, brought q
swift laugh to Billy's lips. Scratched
on bit Of slate, as II with hearts
blood, were the words II love Daisy.
will always love Daisy"
"Daisy! Daisy! Oh! Daisy ROg-
ers-a freckle-faced little imp who
lived next door," laughed Billy.
He remembered now having noticed
that the great house occupied twenty
years ago by his first love was now
an interior decorators studio and was
called the Dragon. From the number
Of cars parked against the curb Billy
Imagined the Dragon to be most sue
cessful, but he couldn't help wonder
ing to what part of the globe his little
dove had flown
Sundays he saved for his own gar
den. and on that day Billy was work
ing great lions head In plaster
against his stone wall when he felt
bang on the side of his head. He
glanced about for the attacking party,
suspecting a small boy, but saw no
one.
Good naturedly he again bent over
the plaster. This time an apple hit
him on the top Of the head.
His movement was too swift for
the miscreant, for she was caught
red-handed, or perhaps red-headed,
for undoubtedly the head In the upper
window next door was red-a fiery,
tOusled red. -..-tr r,
Billy gazed upward and the pert
little face In the window smiled down
at him. ea vlais
"Hello, Billy !" she called.
"Daisyl By all that's holyi Do
you still live theref Come down, this
minute! have something to show
you.
"You used to be a red-headed, little
freckle-faced impl" shouted Billy in
a happy voice.
"And you still are a long-pegged,
tow-haired-youthp flung DSisy. "And
don't disgrace the neighborhood-re-
member, am dignified interior deco
rator-so stop shouting your natter-
ing remarks. l am coming down to
see what you are doing"
"Spitfre-same as ever" grunted
Billy, and dashed through to the front
door, hardly realizing that twenty
years had gone since he and Daisy
had played together.
Daisy rushed through the front
gates and into Billy's studio in much
the same befuddled state Of mind as
was Billy.
When they drew near each other
there was breathless moment in
which each hesitated before the hand
clasp.
"YOu still have a few freckles across
the bridge of your nose," Billy found
himself able to say, though his voice
shook trifie. Her eyes were wide
and gray.
sand you still have a growl In your
voice." laughed Daisy.
"Come here" Billy said swiftly and
dragged her, In much the same way
us twenty years ago he had dragged
her, into the library to see his latest
treasure. II found this In the gar
den under the oak tree" he said and
watched her closely.
"My doll-that you stole from me-"
she cried and touched the broken toys
with fingers that shook. Next she
saw the knife and then the slate.
This she carried to the light that
strcamed In from the french windows
leading into the back garden and Billy
came and stood beside her.
II love Daisy" sine read. II will
always love Daisy" she half turned
to Billy then quickly away. Ill
what silly things children think to do"
she said and her voice trembled.
Billy was silent long, long. mo-
ment.
"Y0u know, Daisy" he said slowly,
Il am not so sure it's--silly-per-
haps-"
Daisy flashed about, her eyes glow
Ing. BILLY North-don't you dare tell
me you love me-the very first time
we meet /"
u have known you exactly twenty.
two years, Miss Red-Head," laughed
Billy, 'since you were a freckle- faced
Imp OF five summers. have that
slate us witness-pretty good test of
falthfulness, isn't itf He deliberate
ly turned Daisy SO that she had to
look AT him. 81 will dare tell you
love you whenever want to. In fact,
I will probably shout II ovel the back
fence"
There WAS trailing sweetness
ah"nt Misy's laughter.
81 think I will ruSh rI0ht honna