The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-04-17

lunch she had been
padding about
London. climbing the grlmy stairs Of
newspaper Offices and talking to people
who did not seem especially pleased
10 see her Her skirts were wet and
wlsp OF damp hair was tumollng over
her eyes On the hall table. disclosed
by the fiekering gas Jet. were some
letters
"A year ago today" said Eva 20 her
self as abe closed the door against the
wind HAS he written or has he for
goitenf"
lie had not forgotten. Eva picked up
the letter from the hall table looked
quickly round at the closed hall door
AZ the closed dining room door. and al
the halse door that led 20 the kitchen
stalrs-and kissed o. Then she went
upstairs 20 her bcd-sittinE room with
the letter IN her hand and a great Joy
IN her heart.
Hateful little room" she murmured
10 herself ms she struck a match and
llt the gas. But rs the last time.
thank God"
The room was not really bad-a Ned
10 the corner. q washsiaud. a wardrobe,
here and there a picture on the walls,
and a table by the window. rather rick
ETY. on which lay o heap Of manuscript
"a half-hnished story.
= will burn that before go 10 bed
tonight" said Eva. as she caught sigh,
Of a.
Then she took on her ha; and cloak.
drew the only easy chair under the gas
jet. and sat down. lingering the let
ter she dil not open Il AZ once. Now
that happiness stretched Ia front OF her
Il was pleasant 20 lluFcr on the con-
fines Of misery. 20 look back on the he
she was 10 leave.
1t Is not everyone" said Eva re-
hectiyely. who can make experiments
"a liie-WithOut expense"
Eva Norrington had been the pride
Of the provincial town which gave her
birth. A. the high school no girl could
stand against her. Her former govern.
eEs. Who now and then asked her IA
yorite pupils 20 tea. said she might be
. a head-mlstross one day. To Eva this
seemed absurd But when. AZ the age
% %. she gained a guinea prize Tor o
story 10 a weekly paper she began 70
think that az least she might be n
great novelist. AZ any rate. she fel;
sure that somewhere ahead OF her
stretched a career. and ~ her twenty.
hrsi birthday approached she an.
nounced 90 her startled parents her In
tentlon OF going % London IN search
% a. Thoroupon onGucd a series ol
domestic scenes. such a. have been
common OF late in the homes o. I'm.
gland. wherein the parents play the
part OF the apprehensiye hen. th,
daughter that OF the adyenturou.
duckllng. The duckling invariably
gains he point. and 20 70 was with Eva
Norrington. Having reiuied argument
and resisted persuasion Tor a certain
number % weeks. Eva obtained
grudg'ng consent 10 her departure. tn,
townspeople knew not whether 20 ad
mire or disapprove. But they had rea,
IN novels Of young ladies who tool
their lives and their latchkeys in,t
their own hands. became famous. an,
married respectfully after all So. dur
Ing the weeks OF preparation for hei
campaign Eva became something OF
ngure In local society. and more thar
one dinner party was given In her hon
or. az we'll AZ plentiful advice az 20 IN
necessary precautions against Londoi
guile and many recipes Tor guarding
agaias, the colds Induced By the fog
that lnicst the moiropollA
Eva was almost happy. Tor she IA,
the hopciulncss OF youth and beauty
and an the cxhilaration % taking he
lie into her hands and fastening {
as she would. with none 70 raise objcc
lions 90 the process She would hav
been quite happy but Tor Allan CraiC
For Allan Craig. whenever be hear
that Eva was bent on going 10 Lon
don % make name for herself
. promptly offered her his own rs a sub
4. s,ltute. Il was a good enough name
e and az the foot OF a check q was gen
/ orally respected. as Allan Craig ha
} lately stepped iato his fathers bushes
4 % estate agent and was prosperlng
Z Eva was disturbed. but she turned nc
aside from her project. She had mappc
4, out her lie and Allan Craig was no, In
cluded IN the scheme.
A. she sat lingering her letter In he
hcd-sittlng room she went over N
parting scene In her mind The q,
tails G.. Il would only increase the d
light OF the letter. For Eva ha
learned during the last year that haI
pincss Is 20 rare that Il deserves 20 !
p rolled on the tongue and not swallowe
In haste. Il was az a dance on the nigl
before her departure her last dane
j. so she thought. before she started M
j. IN earnest. They we're sitting out
i dance together; Tor Eva was not al
y posed 20 think unkindly OF ALA
a though she might resent his intrinsic
into her scheme OF life She remeu
: hercd how thcrc had been silence b
tween them Tor some moments, how a
Ian had leaned bis elbows on his kuo
and dug the heel OF his dancing sh'
into the carpet
and are you quite determined TO
to leave uE7' said Allaa.
"Of course" said Eva MY boxes d
an packed"
"Fuu %, manuscript novels o.
thluEs."
conc novel and several stories"
u cannot understand why you va
90 so. when"
Il want to-vcll-to live lars
life"
"You mean you want 10 live In a bl
ger place."
"wcll-not exactly. don't THU
you quite understand"