THE JOHN O'HARA SOCIETY

THE JOHN O'HARA SOCIETY

From The Terrace. Alfred Calls on Victoria

On a warm night in early June 1915 eighteen year old Alfred Eaton graduated from Knox, and after visiting his grandfather, went to see the woman he loved:

   He went out into the last of the daylight and walked the short distance to the Dockwilers'. In the front room at the right he could see Victor Dockwiler reading the newspaper and smoking a cigar. The front door was open, the screendoor was in place. Alfred rang the doorbell, and he could see Victor Dockwiler's reactions to the sound: putting down the paper, taking off his glasses and resting the cigar in the ash tray, and starting to get to his feet, then stopping when Victoria, from upstairs, called: "I'll go, Father."Then Victor Dockwiler put on his glasses and took up the newspaper again. He found his place in the paper, and reached out for his cigar. He was a nice man, Mr. Dockwiler, but it was hard to believe he fully appreciated Victoria.

  Alfred heard Victoria on the stairs, then saw her, beginning with her shoes, her skirt, he waist, shoulders, her face. The hall light was burning and she had her hand on the door before she could recognize Alfred, but when she did her expression changed from the calm an dignity she had maintained on her way down the stairs to the brightest smile he had ever seen. She opened the door and came outside.