The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-04-22

no" ne said. Tbere snail be NJ
selfishness in my love for you. viii
wait a year from tonight, and then
IL London Is no 20, you know there will
always be me. You can't expect me Il
pray for your success, can your
Eva, placed on her mettle, looked
him In the face.
"I am bound to succeed" she said
and turned to 60. The waltz had
ceased in the room below, and rustic
Of skirts and a ripple Of tongues had
taken its place.
"Eva-once-the last time, perhaps
She turned again laughing.
"Quick," she said, "some one Will
come"
A woman may forget many things
but no woman ever forgets the first
time a lovers arm was round hei
waist and lovers lips upon her own
And as Eva sat in the corner Of third
class carriage in the London train next
morning. hooking forward to the careei
before her, the remembrance Of the
support Of Allan's arm persisted in OBJ
truding itself. Having got what she
wanted she already began to doubt II
she wanted what she had got. For
career, after all, Is rather a lonesome
sort Of thing.
Such small success as may come &c
the inexperienced girl upon her first
| lncursion into literature came to Eva
She lived sparingly, worked hard, and
| never made the mistake of refusing in
vitations on the ground Of work. She
stayed up little later or got up lit
| lie earlier instead. 4 weekly column
On Health and Beauty" placed at heI
disposal by the youthful editor Of
| new woman's paper, who had met her
! 1t the Writer'S Club and thought hei
pretty, paid her weekly bill at the
boarding house. Her stories found fire.
luent acceptance, and occasional wei
come in the minor periodicals., and
happy meeting with an editor at din
ner party paved the way to her ap-
pearance in a widely-read magazine.
BY the end of the year Eva NorringtoD
aad got so far towards the realization
Of her ambition that when people
wrinkled their brows and tried to re.
member where they had heard it be.
lore.
All this time Eva was lonely. And
the most fair thing about the whole
business was that, while success was
almost within her grasp, success was
lot what she wanted. There is no fun
N living your own life when that is
precisely the life you do not want to
lead.
1t was not as though Allan Craig had
never kissed Eva Norrington.
She opened the letter-cutting the en-.
relope with her nail-scissors. She felt
like one who has held his breath to
feel what suffffocation is like. The
letter was long. Eva read quickly al
first, then slowly, knitting her brows
as she turned the pages. and came at
asst to the signature, Ever your true
friend, Allan Craig"
The letter lay for some minutes In
Eva's lap, while she looked vaguely
-ound her room.
He is afraid Of spelling my career
my success has put an insuperable bar.
-ier between u.s." she murmured. The
phrases of the letter had burned them.
selves into her brain. 20, Allan! !
wish I could tell you-or do you want
% hear?"
When the dinner bell rang an hour
afterwards Eva rose wearily from her
writing table, where she had been toll.
ng over her half-finished manuscript.
She had not burned 1t.
Five years passed before she saw AL.
AN Craig, and then the meeting was
lnexpected-at the exit Of the theatre
where Eva had gone to see the hun.
lredth performance Of her play. Allan
was obviously proud of knowing her.
md introduced his wife, to whom she
gave graceful recognition. 1t was
aiming and Allan offered to see Eva
% cab. They stood for a moment on
he steps to the entrance.
YES" said Allan, in answer to Eva's
polite question, "all is going we'll. We
have a little daughter-Eva--my wife's
aame, curiOusly enough"
He stood by the hanson as she en-.
.ered. guarding her dress from the
wheel. AS she turned to give the ad.
lress, he said:
81 ought to congratulate you on youi
success. 1t is very sweet to me. You
snow-you-owe it all to me. Are you |
yrateful?"
"Yes; 1 owe it to you," she said.
leaning forward as the apron closed |
lpon her, and the attendant constable
grew impatient. Come and see me
tuesdays"
II can't think why I should be so |
silly" said Eva to herself. as she stuff |
FED her handkerchief back into her
pocket and felt for her latch-key, when |
the cab drew up before the hall door
Of her fiat in Kensington.-Black and
White.