Middletown transcript., 1895-12-28
ANEW YEAR ROMANCE

1 "You may talk as much as yo
please" said Muriel Vane, nodding he
curly head. "but I'm going to receiv
| company in the parlor ON New Year
day. Why shouldn't II Every other gir
does. -
t'safsinful, wicked waste of time,
said Mrs. Vane, ",when the quilting i
SO behindhand and there's such dea
of sewing to be done. +"
+, "But life isn't all for work, /" plead
ed Muriel "And Mr.. Clifton is coming
all the way from the city N his sleigh
to see me. Oh, mother, please let mt
have loaf Of homemade cake and some
red apples and real cream for the coffee
Just for this oncel It's only one day
n,the year. Do, mother r.
"Stuff and nonsensep' said Mrs.
Vane, who was one of those aggravatine
women who make up their minds on
the least possible grounds and then
pride themselves on adhering to their
word. 1--WE said no. and I mean no.
When was a young girl WASH 7 SET
ting my cap at every fellow that came
along
Mother" cried Muriel, in an agony
of wounded pride, "do You mean to say
that do such q thing?'
tfVoy1 fh:pE Ioo1 fpo ,,,,,o1x - A..
beaus anyway" said old Mrs. vans,
screwing, up her thin lips. "And I'm
going to break up that sort CT thing.
See if / don't ~
1t was with difficulty that Muriel
Vane, naturally high tempered girl,
checked the indignant retert that rose
to her lips. Surely, surely, it was not
right that she, Il girl Of IS. v ho was
earning her Own Ewing hy teaching i'll
Tie distric, scbpl ], slieuld be treated
like child Of s; tlt Ler tyraEnical
old mother should place no confidence
whatever iii her stfse of right and deli
cacy. Upt tl,is time she had rendered
the tribute of nj unwilling obedience
to Mrs Is bcllcsts, and now she
felt thai nientent for jnst rebellion
had ceme. she felt that she could not
live any longer in this cramped, mig
gartly sort Of way. with the very Jumps
of sugar for her tea mcted ont to her,
one ly one, and thc pipp;n apples for
her lunch dealt sparingly forth. as if
each one were nodded in gold. Mrs
Vane took her lamp away ats9 o'clock
every night. She dictated to poor Mu-
riel as to the very color Of her dresses
and the number of yards which she
might purchase for them; in fact, the
girl scarcely dared to think for herself.
Could she I've thus always? she asked
herself. Was it right that she should?
AT all events, mother, said Mu-
riel. speakny in low, determined
tone. Il shall receive my friends on
New Years diyl It is my privilege.
and / claim itt''
"Hunlph r. was the contemptuous re-
joinder, but there was world of mean
ing in it.
So Mur:el retrimnicd her one black |
silk dress and bought new ribbon sash |
and baked a great. golden New Years |
cake filed with pluns and studded all |
through With translucent bars OF citron |
and herself harguned with the grocer
for two pounds Of real Java coffee with /
as little adulteration of Rio, Maracaibo
and chicory as he could bring himself
to concoct.
. can use the china that my grand
mother Vane left me in her will"
thought .Muriel "That, at least, is
mine, although mother would never al
low me to unpuck lit"
She was busy decorating the walls Of
the little narlor with laurel leaves and
long. dark green trails of princes pine
Oh New Years eve. when her mother
came into tho room.
"Muriel. said she, 81 want to send
,ome dressed chickens and a peck of
hose golden pippins to your Aunt Dora
1t the lighthouse. jenkins boy is ready
with the boat. but he's such limb that
don't. for the life of me. dare to trust
aim with the apples and the bag of
hickory nuts. want you to go and ask
Aunt Dora for the pattern of the new
Philadelphia pavement,
Iou know
Very well, mother. (" said Muriel In
he old submissive way. ''But isn't IL
.ather late?'
'Pshaw r" said Mrs Vane. "Why,
he sun is an hour high yet. You'll be
'ack long before dark II jenkins boy is
!pry with the oars. " Il,
Aunt Dora, Mrs. Vane's only sister,
vas a worthy scion of the family tree
all. masculine and hard featured She
lad always taken the entire charge Of
White Reefs lighthouse, even although
he official appointment was conferred
lpon her husband, and whom one day
hat public servant departed this life,
hings went on precisely the same. Mu-
lei was not fond Of her Aunt Dora, and
ler Aunt Dora regarded her as 'spoor,
hicken hearted oreature-Vane all
ver. !" But Muriel did feel sorry for the
onely old woman, and she thought that
ven pair Of fowls and q few apples
bis unwonted manifestation Of sisterly
ceiling worth carrying to White
leefa So she made haste to don her
Vadded cloak md little fur edged hood,
nd to draw on the scarlet wooden NIT.
sns, which she herself had knitted dur
ng th656 long. dreary winter evenings | I
!heH N|16Rnd her mother sat in silence
ppdaiSbsa0h other, for Mrs. vane never
invited any company, and gave her
eighbHs but scaut welcome when they
anne of their own accord.
"Jenkins' DO" was ready with the ,
cat. .: small. ferret eyed youngster.
nth an intensely freckled face and . 4
z1tiye. sidewise glance, which Nnriel 1
lwsys disrusted and ~ they g1ided !
g over The water. already dYed With {
y orange rsaection ok suneok a The
l3eoticm u Whfeo PED 0uso q