Show AN INTERLUDE FROM LIFE Lill isn't quite ready for the party yet cried Kit Appledore catching Dick McDowell's McDowell s hand and leading him into the house before he had time to knock have to wait just a minute Well TeU Kit Im I'm willing if you'll stay with me Course 1 I will t Kit adored Dick McDowell McDowell first first because he was a city boy second because he was engaged to her sister Lill and third because he treated her just lovely Why Mama she would say he treats me just as nice as if I were a city girl and not an awfully poor country with red hair and freckles And all I can do for him in return for the books he brings me and the candy candy my my but its it's good good is IS is to feed him apples oh oh yes and once I sent some green corn over to his aunts aunt's country house Wasn't it fine though for his aunt to buy old Mr Higgins' Higgins house so that Dick can come out every summer She always bubbled over with pleasure when Dick came Tonight her eyes sparkled so happily that he knew she had something to toi i tell You cant can't imagine how sweet Lills Lill's going to look tonight II she cried gaily II She wasn't quite ready when I came down down but but oh my I- I a I ill What asked McDowall eagerly k ti Er j t You wont won't tell 1 s f I N No 0 on my honor All right Well you know were we're just awfully poor and Lill JI didn't have a single single- thing to wear that ugly old dark dress that you dont don't like Lill felt awfully bad Ma caught her crying this a 1 sir she did honest did honest Injun m morning yes morning yes Dick did not speak but a shadow came over his face and his mouth straightened out into a firm line i iThen 4 Then Ma went up to her room and pulled down all the boxes with feathers and ribbons and things in em and she found the prettiest prettiest prettiest pret pret- of red silk You know how lovely Lill looks in bright red well red well that kind And you know how city girls wear bows with long long ends around their necks necks Mama Mama fixed it just like that and now now oh oh here she comes Now dont don't tell There tell There There isn't she lovely Kit clapped her little hands with delight as her sister entered 0 and Dick McDowell's eyes brightened with more than ordinary pleas pleas- ure Poor Lills Lill's hot blushes only helped the picture the more Dick i. i longed to have her painted as she stood in the doorway She had hadr r pinned a scarlet flower carles sly in her blue-black blue hair and wound the scarlet ribbon around her neck so that it fell in soft folds over the I front of her gown Her eyes unusually big and dark and sweet were glowing with happiness and love 5 Lill Dick said softly taking her hand did any anyone one ever tell you that you are beautiful F- F 1 N No 0 one but you you and and Kit Kit and and you tell me because you love i. i me To others I am just pretty retty rett or sweet They have hive not found you out yet as I 1 have that is all If people people peo peo- pIe only knew you Lill But tonight tonight now now you just see see you'll you'll be bethe bethe the most beautiful girl at the party Lills Lill's laugh rippled out and her sweet face flushed Love finds out all that is beautiful in people she said She and Dick walked to the amusement hall by a round-about round way because the weather was so fine and because they liked being together They wandered across fields waded through the tall grass crawled through barbed wire fences and at last stood stock still in front of a high board fence that they could n not t possibly crawl through Dick looked at Lill and laughed I can climb over she said II All All right he cried II Ill I'll climb over and then help you to the top of the fence and lift you down It'll be lots more fun wont won't it r f. f 4 d T tf k II How strong you are laughed Lill peering into his face through the dusk when she was safely on the other side of the boards II But oh dear there is the hall just a little way off 3 II Lets Let's not go eagerly proposed Dick F II We must now now A AI II I I suppose so he answered dejectedly But how many dances x 4 may I have have all all the waltzes and as many more as I like r have to have them Boys dont don't like me you know i They wont won't ask me to dance She laughed again and her eyes flashed mischievously i iNow N Now ow Lill I protest said Dick If I weren't here you'd be f f besieged on every side with boys Im I'm afraid Im I'm too selfish as it t is I cant can't help seeing how boys boys' eyes glow when they look at you I But I dont don't but Dick want any just you I A Are re you sure Lill LII I r 1 z t Yes Dick sure I I They entered the amusement hall by a door which led to the I basement where in separate rooms the boys and girls hung up their rj wraps The space before the door of girls room was crowded with k 1 b boys ys sun-burnt sun f fellows with open earnest faces They were jes jesting ing J with one another in In a friendly off-handed off fashion while they waited t ty y i for their sweethearts to fin finish sh prim primping ing II as they called it As soon fJ as they caught sight of Lill and Dick there was a moments moment's hush and they moved away from the door to give Lill room to pass r 3 Then their greetings burst forth i. i F Hello Lill He Hello lo Dick How sweet sweet we look t tonight night t Do Do we laughed Lill Thanks and she disappeared into the H t. t gu girls girls' I s room wJ A AThe The girls gaily aily adorned with hard hard earned earned bows and ribbons were each striving for a place before a tiny looking One or two had given up the strife and were consoling each other with the assurance that the bow was just right or ittle 7 curl is the sweetest thing At Lills Lill's entrance they turned to he her with greetings as hearty as A the boys' boys had been z I thought you'd never come Lill cried pale Mamie Shipp hunting a nail for Lills Lill's cape I got here early and just think J z there wasn't even a fire Tom Jackson Jackson-I I came with him you know t the he he and I lighted it Of course we didn't need one up stairs but down in this chilly basement you'd catch cold in July let alone March r Oh as Lill threw off her cape cape cape- cape Oh Oh Oh how awfully pretty you do dot t look I should think Dick would be mighty proud of you I d h Lill slipped her arm through her he friends friend's and laughed I I never know how to answer you Mame II she said II You always make me blush so Girls girls II she called arent aren't you ready The fiddlers are beginning to scrape and my feet are beginning beginning beginning begin begin- ning to waltz already and away she whirled towards the door to tot f t the tune of the squeaky fiddle II Anyone would think this was your first dance Lill II cried r Mame II But then you always have such a jolly time I dont don't blame you for being eager Now Im I'm a typical faded wall wall wall- Oh Mame Mame Ill I'll dance with you five time myself if you'll let me me- me II Yes and make the boys dislike me more than ever I guess no not t I I. I Dick met Lill at the door and laying her hand softly on his arm with a delightful air of possession he led her to the upper floor vi where the dance was to be The others followed behind them each r boy seeking out his sweetheart with a careful almost studied politeness polite polite- ness Upstairs the fiddlers scraped and tuned and scraped again in pleasant discord The benches set stiffly against the walls were 1 occupied for the most part by gossiping mothers who had brought 1 swarms of younger children to the dance Every once in a while they T laughingly chided the boys who wandered about scattering French chalk on the floor for the dust they made and the boys gave some merry retort in return Although these chattering old ladies probably k did not lot know it their serene presence added a quiet dignity to the whole affair K When the party was well under way Lill in dancing a plain quadrille with Tom Jackson chanced to stand near old Widow Andrews and Toms Tom's mother The moment she took her place she heard her name Th Theres eres ere's Lill Appledore and your Tom said Mrs Andrews Andrew's voice in a loud whisper My My Liza knows all ail about her and the McDowell r fellow They're engaged They say hes he's awfully nice I You dont don't say quivered Mrs Jackson Jakson Im real glad hes he's nice Lills Lill's awfully lucky My boy Tom was sort of set on aD her but buthe buthe butt F t he didn t have any chance when the city fellow came II Her voice had hadr q r gathered a shade of bitterness but it softened as she went on II I I thought she liked Tom extra well too but I guess it was just my fancy v Mothers are likely to have notions Yes now theres there's my Jake and Ruth Little I just hoped hoped II But the dance bore Lill away so that she did not hear what the k r P. P r 1 i good soul hoped Still she had heard enough to make her cheeks flush brighter and her heart sadden She looked at To Tom His face was red too II Poor Tom Jackson she thought II It It was hard to tell him No No-he No he was so dreadfully in earnest But I loved Dick Ive I've loved Dick ever sir sill sice ever ce-ever ever since the first year at school Poor Tom Tom Tom-I'm Im I'm glad hes he's going with Mame II What is the sad look for Lill asked Dick coming up after the dance Are you so besieged with partners that you are sorry about 1 my waltzes Because if you are are no no I wont won't either give them up Cant Can't anyway Ive I've had four and this is the last Listen Listen Home Home r Sweet Home k II As As if I would have had you give them up Dick she said turning turning turn turn- f ing her lovely eyes full upon him as they joined the waltz II I I wouldn't have had half such a jolly time why time why I wouldn't have been happy at atall atall all without them They ha had gone half way around the room before she spoke again Then she said II Dick I do like these country dances o of ours They are so good the boys are so polite Why they are almost serious in their efforts to be poli polite te N Now ow look there is Tom Jackson with Mamie Just watch his face and manner of course he is stiff and even gawky gawky but but it is the feeling back of it that hat I like Poor Tom I wish he had more chances chances hed hed he'd be something great great if he had It isn't fair fair fair- she broke off with a sigh II What is it Lill II It It is the music Home Sweet Home always makes me sad During all of the last dance the old women were stirring from their benches and even before the last notes of the fiddlers died away i it t. t gay happy throngs were crowding with bursts of laughter out into the night Mixed with the laughter came the anxious cries of parents who were herding home the flock of youn younger er children t tk k J Jeanie Jeanie where are you II Im I'm a Im I'm a II How pretty that cry sounds at night Im I'm a Im I'm a a. a coming II echoed Lill letting her voice rise softly in the open air k She and Dick were wandering slowly through the fields again r II How quiet and lovely and happy it all seems at night contin contin- l But in the day time it isn't fair fair it it isn't fair II f- f What Lill 1 Why the life look life look how the people work and slave and look what they get for it it-a it a party once a month and a chance to put on m their best clothes on Sunday Its It's wrong wrong and and I III I- I II But Lill broke in Dick II they are happy They do not know I f how much more they might have so they are perfectly happy with h their rare tastes of joy Besides they like their work T Just st think how glorious it is to work in the open air to plow up the earth to watch things grow grow grow- ak It is evident that you know only the poetry of it Dick Think of the burning sweltering sun that scorches them as they plow up and down the endless fields and of their blistered hands after they have hoed all day long The women and girls have just as hard a time All day daylong daylong long it is drudge drudge cook cook wash iron mend feed chickens milk cows Oh Dick its it's terrible Look at my mother She is bent and wrinkled and worn out worn out and she is only forty I tell you it isn't fair and I It t hate it My mother has slaved her life almost out for Kit and me since father died I have tried to help help but but for two whole years while I was away she held out all alone Good heavens how she looked when I got home All the longing in the world could not draw me back to school after that But I got enough from my two years to tomake tomake make my life broader and happier and to make me sick for more r l Even if the people haven't any idea what they miss it is not right r that others should have so much and the they so little I could not live this life now Dick Dick it it would kill me I must have more more room room room- more more more- t Lill dear you youIt youIt you you- It isn't only the old Dick its it's the young Look at Tom Jack Jack- R son Ever since he could hold a hoe hes he's had to slave His father died too like mine and hes he's kept the old farm going He hasn't even for one year been away to school Youve You've no idea how he longs to go how he studies alone at night when he is all aches from his L days day's work work but but hell he'll never go There is too big a troop of children younger than he Hell He'll send them though if he has to work himself r to death to do it Hes He's that kind Th There re are very few people who a know the worth of the country boys Dick nor nor the tragedies in so many of their lives Toms Tom's tragedy is iR double He He loves he loves me k D. D Dick k and and and-and- d and d i IC an anan an f Yr I I Lill L I 11 l O 0 Dick Dick I love j you ou au I love you 1 Lill dear you must go away If you stay here your life will be saddened because cf your great sympathy You must come away Lill i I want you you you-I I need you Waiting is so hard dear and there is no reason to wait you know In the city you wont won't have such sad thoughts to trouble you Will you come corne Lill dear LiB dear Dick I want to come I will come corm Dick f Y Ys Y's t s Mabel Katherine Katherin Wallace Y i jo 1 J r Vii i r a Eff s' s E c w r s |