The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-12-19

"a
WHY. wHOs'' sTAAfSfERED VAN
cheat, a whited sepulcherl The whole
thing is an affectation, and the world
has grown too old, too sad, too hard,
to keep it up longer
He sat up and lighted the cigar be-
tween his teeth and then sank, with a
sigh of comfort, into his sleepy hollow.
When next he opened his eyes, they
rested on charming girlish figure, all
fur clad, from the cap on her bronze
gold curls to the shoes on her slender
feet. The lovely face, turned toward
Van, wore an expression of sternness,
evidently foreign to it, as she quietly
awaited his pleasure to break the 81
lence
ssWhy, who?'' stammered Van,
greatly startled s'What-how? VINO
on earth?'' then making a desperate at
tempt az coherency, ''WhO are youy''
His visitor smiled with sudden, ire
pressible amusement as she replied,
quite as serenely as if it We're an ordi-
nary occurrence: 81 am the spirit of
Christmas, and very busy I am at this
season, as you should know. I can i'll
spare the time I've been spending here,
but I overheard your gross nisstate-
ments as passed through the house,
and it is my duty to bring you to a bet
ter frame of mind. The idea of a man
so young giving vent to such bitter,
misanthrO9ica1 sentiments Shame upon
you'll Are you better than the rest of
mankind . with growing severity,
'suhat you need feel so aggrieved over
your woes? Do they exceed the sum Of
human endurance? Whose fault is it that
you are solitary becoming almost
vitupeIative. Haven t you kept your
self to yourself and obstinately repealed
all advances?"
Van looked somewhat dazed. but the
spirit kept on relentlessly: do you re-
member the pretty model you snubbed
so numerically when she seemed to
take little interest in your affairs?''
Van shrugged his shoulders dissent
ingly. ssShe wanted to hirt with me, .
he muttered.
''Wel, what if she did?' queried the
spirit, smothering a dimpling smile in
its birth. TT wouldn't have hurt you.
Then there was your chum, upon whom
you churlishly turned your back when
he came too close
''YesY' grumbled Van, because he
wanted to steal my method. -
The spirit gazed at him with some
disgust.
And your fellow students at the art
galleries. and the old porter on the first
floor, your master across the river and
those pleasant people you met on the
Rhine last year-all these and many
more would have been your friends, but
you would none Of them Now you sit
here and whine-yes, - seeing that Van
WINGED, whine, because you're all
alone You deserve to BET And the
spirit stamped her foot in a very human
way and gazed at him out Of lovely, ac-
cusing eyes.
but, . said Van, bewildered, but
never stopping to ask where she got her
very accurate information, what can I
do? Tell me how I can better my lOtp'
The spirit frowns. There it IS againi
Why don't you ask, How can better
my neighbours lot?' So long as you
think only of yourself, just SO long viii
nobody else think of you
Van leaned back and sighed resigned
"
The sweet voice went on. .GO look
up your friend. Send some remembrance
to the pretty model And the pleasant
people of the Rhine are IN the city. Go
see them. Being strangers, doubtless
they will be glad to see even you
Van was thoroughly aroused now.
But you must stay with me, - ne plead
ed. II can never do all that by myself.
No, don't goi'' seeing her look about
as If meditating fight stYo on must stay.
All, dol'' turning upon her the full fire
of magnetic eyes, whose power, when
he chooses to exert it, the tender sex find
it hard to resist. The spirit, being femi-
nine, hesitates.
How can / devote all my time 20
one mortal when I have so much to
dos'' she said perplexedly. No; it Is
Impossiblel Still, - marking Vans de
lection, II can help you. But no man
can have two spirits, 50 you must rid
yourself of that ugly, mOrOse one that
you have now. IF you do that, I can en-
dow you with half Of my soul-the half
viii be large enough for man-but
the old spirit must leave first. VIII you
do this?''
Gladly . said Van
Then the spirit softly kissed his eyes,
3 strange lethargy stole over him, and
he felt and knew nothing mora till he
opened his eyes again, and they fell on a
figure seated comfortably opposite to
him and watching him with hooking
smile, a figure oddly like his own.
Van was startled for an instant, and