The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-01-01
Misteaal1eons..
A SPLENDID STORY.
BUNS HAPPY NEW YEAR.

BUNS HAPPY NEW YEAR.
"well, I believe this Is the end for tonight.
Yes, that Is the package Of bills on the lett
Aud you will communicate to Crude and Seyne
first. The sooner it's over the better. he,gn,,
hu I" and long yawn exhaled with the cloud
of cigar smoke, aud the face OF the smoker
seemed to assume gray tinge in the gray light
: OF the smoke.
The lawyer, drawing forth the package OF
bills on the left, remarked something politely,
to which the other returned, between short
energetic whiffs.
"No, / don't think ny creditors can Justly
accuse me OF any unfairness.. believe have
been, as you say, MIR. Waring. strictly honora-
ble."
A slight pause. then little absently, "But
wish IL could have been deferred ut least. Bun
will lose her Happy New Year, now. Poor lit
tic Bun 20
The lawyer glanced up from his occupation.
aud as he flashed look across at thS oroksf, ., s;
there was just the least surprise visible In MS
impossible face. What was it, What did he
see in John Baylie to surprise himf
There was nothing strange to be seen. Only
q man smoking slowly, and gazing thoughtful
ly as he smoked, into the blazing fire OF sea
coal. A cool, grave man to the world OF busl.
ness; some said hard man, one at least to
weigh carefully all the nice chances In the mer-
camille balance. Not less cool. not less grave
now, in seeming. Very grave, indeed; and 1t
might be that the shade OF gravity had deep
ened into shadow, and that q softer one than
usual; or it might only be shadowy clouds
from the cigar. Who could tell! Not any
one who knew John Baylie on Change GER
tainly. Who then! Little Bun could have
told.
But after that one swift glance, the lawyers
interest in the matter appeared to suoside, anu
the exclamation and the shadow went out OF
his mind together. The next quarter ofan hour
passed quietly in business talk-cool, clear head
ed reckoning on both sides, and on one brave,
almost, and you would have said, a callous rec
ogni,ion and acceptance Of certain bitter truths;
SO brave that when lawyer waring walked home
in the still December midnight, he said to him
self, ''The man has splendid courage" /" Aud
on the still December midnight, walking home,
this man of splendid courage kept thinking,
sometimes aloud, "Poor little Bun !"
As he he turned to ascend the marble steps
of his Fifth Avenue palace, q carriage, with Its
span of blood horses, glittering silver mount.
ings in the gas light, dashed up to the curb
stone. 1t would seem rs il he hurried on 4; his
pass-key was already in the lock, and moment
more he would have been out Of sight, when o
clear treble voice called,
"Papa, papa wait for me
He stopped, hesitated just the fraction OF 2
minute, then went back to meet Miss Rosamond
Baylie, selt-christened Bun in the days OF her
babyhood, out Of some baby whim, which baby
whim had clung to her these twenty years
"You are back early" he said.
eyes, and for such funny reason. That
clumsy Keyes-Captain Keyes. you know
caught my lovely thread lace founces in his
ugly regimentals some way, and made such q
figure of the had to come home. But didn't
mind, twas stupid party. All my loss Is q
lace loss, and that isn't mine, but yours, papa,
for shall want yards Of 1t, to renew Inc for
New Years night"
So chattering in q happy, needless way, she
had led him into the drawing room, and now,
under the full light of the chandelier, stood re-
yealing the unlucky "lace loss," yards Of 1t
trampled and torn, and cut by that ''clumsy
Keyes." In the midst Of which revealing, she
laughs gaily as she recalls the unfortunate cap
tain, telling papa how absurdly he looked" hy-
ing down the room enwound In that huttering
hag Of lace" And papa smiled aSsently all the Inc
is thinking, "Bun will lose her Happy New
Year Poor little Bun'
Once or twice he opened his lips to tell her
about it; but fresh laugh, a gay "Reminiscences,
STAYED him, and then one o'clock struck from
the French time piece on the mantle, and rub
bing little white hand into the prettest eyes
in the world, the seepiestl little Dun goes yawn-
ing up to bed, dragging On ermine cloak 6y
the tassels. She is no doubt soon asleep, and
smiling as she sleeps. very likely, over that
''clumsy Keyes," while down stairs sits the
man of "spendid courage" who hadn't cour.
age enough to tell little Bun why she would
lose her Happy New Year.
81 will tell her tomorrow" he promises
himself "Ycs, will tell her tomorrow. She
ought to know at once"
But when tomorrow came, Bun was out
when he was in. ..0ut driving, SIR" Mad.
emoiselle Aline, her French maid, informed him.
"Out driving!' This wasn't pleasant to
honor, aud it violated n sense of propriety that
his daughter should be "out driving on the
first day that his name was ringing with its
new title of bankrupt Much he regretted his
cowardly "putting of" the night before.
"You win tell Miss Bayle." he said to Mad
emoiselle Aline, "that wish to see her when
she returns; on no account to 60 out until sec
her."
II wss late when the young lady retunred..-
Her father would not be home till evening. the
butler told her. But no one told her OF his
message; for only Mademoisele Alne was in
trusted with it, and out OF that giddy French
head the message went In fifteen minutes after
il was communicated.
So,. in her ignorance, Miss Bayle commenced
her toilet for another party, under the super
vision Of the faithless Aline. II would seem
that some untoward fate must have presided
ut that toilet; for never had Mademoiselle Alne
contriyed to render her mistress so brilliant
nay, almost gorgeous, in adornings as ON this
special evening. A dress OF sheeny rose, liter
ally scwn with pearls, whose rare, pale lustre
CLEANED with fiery whiteness that seemed to
absorb all light. and warmth, and color.
Pearls, too, in her hair-splendid Persian pearls
and dropped like the moon-spray on her
neck and arms. where. through mists OF costly
Flemish lace, they sent out their subtle sparkle.
Mademoiselle Aline, who was not given to
ecstasies. clasped her hands In true French
ardor of admiration. as she regarded her,.
"Ah, eiei, you will kill somebody Tonight,
Mademoiselle"" she exclaimed; and Mademoi-
selle laughed, looked nowise unwilling to ful.
fill the sanguinary prediction, wished "papa''
was there to see her, and so ran down to the
carriage, singing rs she went, the opening bars
Of Gui1amento EZRA stella del matino."-
Beaming like the star indeed, and rs she ran,
all the hundred little stars, set in moonbeam
spray upon her dress, danced out like hre-flies.
II was fashionably early, instead Of late, and
the rooms were filled a, she entered with her
chaperon-Mrs. Yerclayse, who had rushed
back from the "Willows" as the way by steam,
not to miss this grand affair and Rosamond
Baylie; so she Was as ignorant OF any other
affair, either Of balls or business. as Bun her.
self.
Perhaps II was natural that men aud women
should not only open wide eyes at such bril-.
liant apparition heralding the fall Of great
house, but vent their surprise, their consterna.
ton. in sundry small sneers and sharp satires
against the innocent object, whom they thought
30 guilty. Poor, ignorant. little Bun!
Perhaps 1t WAS natural for human nature tc
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