The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1897-04-09

SMr< I ana ever since
padding about
London, climbing the grimy stairs OF
newspaper offices and talking to people
who did not seem especially pleased
to see her. Her skirts were wet and
a wisp of damp hair was tumbling over
her eyes. On the hall table, disclosed
by the Pickering gas jet, were some
letters.
"A year ago today" said Eva to her
self as she closed the door against the
wind. HAS he written or has he for
gotten?"
He had not forgotten. Eva picked up
the letter from the hall table. looked
quickly round at the closed hall door,
at the closed dining room door, and at
the baise door that led to the kitchen
stairs-and kissed it, Then she went
upstairs to her ibed-sitting room with
the letter in her hand and a great JOY
In her heart.
Hateful little ROOM she murmured
to herself as she struck a match and
lit the gas. '!But it's the last time,
thank Godw
In the corner. a 'washstand, wardrobe,
here and there a picture on the walls,
and table by the window, rather rick
ETY., on which lay heap of manuscript
"a half-finished story.
II will burn that before l go to bed
tonight" said Eva, as she caught sight
of it.
Then she took off her hat and cloak,
drew the only easy, chair under the gas
Jet, and sat down. lingering the let
ter, she did not open it at once. Now
that happiness stretched in front OF her
1t was pleasant to linger on the con-
fines of misery, to look back on the life
she was to leave.
1T is not everyone" said Eva re-
iectively, who can make experiments
in life-without expense"
Eva Norrington had been the pride
of the provincial town which gave her
birth. At the high school no girl could
stand against her. Her former govern
ess, who now and then asked her IA
gorite pupils to tea, said she might be
head-mistress one day. To Eva this
seemed absurd. But when, at the age
Of 20, she gained a guinea prize for a
story in a weekly paper she began to
think that at least she might be a
great novelist. At any rate, she felt
sure that somewhere ahead of her
stretched career; and as her twenty
first birthday approached she an
nounced to her startled parents her in
tention of going to London in search
of it. Thereupon ensued series of
domestic scenes, such as have been
common of late in the homes OF En-
gland, wherein the parents play the
part of the apprehensive hen, the
daughter that Of the adventurous
duckling The duckling invariably
gains it's point, and so it was with Eva
Norrington. Having refuted argument
and resisted persuasion for n certain
number of weeks Eva obtained a
grudging consent to her departure. The
townspeople knew not whether to adj
mire or disapprove. But they had read
in novels of young ladies who took
their lives and their latchkeys into
their own hands, became famous, and
married respectfully after all. So, dur
ing the weeks of preparation for her
campaign Eva became something of a
figure in local society, and more than
one dinner party was given in her hon
or, as we'll as plentiful advice as to the
naoaseo ~ nracautionc ouoinet Io,ao,.
guile and many recipes for guarding
against the colds induced by the fogs
that infest the metropolis.
Eva was almost happy. for she had
the hopefulness of youth and beauty,
and all the exhilaration of taking her
life into her hands and fashioning IL
as she would, with none to raise objec-
tions to the process. She would have
been quite happy but for Allan Craig.
For Allan Craig, whenever he heard
that Eva was bent on going to Lon
don to make name for herself,
promptly offered her his own as a sub
stitute. 1t was a good enough name,
and at the foot of check it was gen.
orally respected, as Allan Craig had
lately stepped into his fathers business
Of estate agent and was prospecting.
Eva was disturbed. but she turned not
aside from her project. She had mapped
out her life and Allan Craig was not in
Guided In the scheme.
AS she sat lingering her letter In her
bed-sitting room she went over the
parting scene in her mind. The de-
tails of 1t would only increase the de-
light Of the letter. For Eva had
learned during the last year that hap
piness is so rare that II deserves to be
rolled on the tongue and not swallowed
in haste. 1t was at dance on the night
before her departure-her last dance,
so she thought. before she started life
in earnest. They we're sitting out a
dance together; for Eva was not dis
posed to think unkindly of Allan.
though she might resent his intrusion
into her scheme of life. She remem-
bered how there had been silence be-
tween them for some moments. how Al
Ian had leaned his elbows on his knees
and dug the heel of his dancing shoe
into the carpet.
And are you quite determined to-