The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-11-23
Il PARAGON.

Mrs. Hudson was to give a dinner party
that evening. 1t was not TO be one of
those elaborate receptions for which she
was noted-mereiy an informal affair, to
which only a few of her most intimate
FRIENDS had been invited.
My dear, y sho said TO her niece, tyou
VIII meet tonight a great friend of mine.
Ee does not care for parties. Will you see
that he is not bored at this one?n
"He does not care for parties? A woTn-
an hater no Doubt I dislike such men.
They invariably have dyspepsia or jann-
dice and are dreadful bores." And she
held up her hands with a pretty gesture Of
disgust. Everything this girl did locked
pretty. She was graceful and apparently
unconscious of the fact.
"Why must he be assigned to me2'' she
asked.
Now, Mrs. Hudson's dearest wish was to
lave these two people fall in love. She
had planned this party for the sole pur-
pose of having them meet, but Mrs. Hud-
son was a wise woman. She did not tell
all she knew. Besides, as she herself often
Misunderstanding q great matchmaker-one
cannot force such matters. So she simply
said in answer to her niece: 81 want you
to entertain him, Lillian, because he is a
stranger in town. He is by no means q
bore. He is handsome. witty, interest
ing"
what a paragon auntI'' interrupted
Lillian. 81 know I shall hate him."
~ believe you WILL" exclaimed the
elder woman in despair as she left the
room.
Lillian resumed her preparations for
what promised to be a very ~disagreeable
evening. Handsome, witty, interesting.
That is a good description of some n I
know she thought as she twined some
flowers in her hand. HE used to laugh at
my fancy for flowers"
The bright look died out of her face. 81
nave not forgotten him. / wonder If I
ever will, /" she whispered, "while he has
probably forgotten I am in existence"
A tear rolled down her cheek. How
foolishi'' she said as she hastily brushed it
away
Al pretty picture she made in her white
silk gown, with the flowers about her head
like a crown, when a few minutes later
she descended to the drawing room. So
Thought a young mar who stood watching
her as she came down the stairs, and who
held out his hands TO her in welcome.
sThis is indeed a SURPRISE" he said. IT
did not expect to see you here this even
ing"
MRS. Hudson is my aunt. you know,
or, rather, you do not know Inever mem
toned her to you, I believe. ! did not
know you were friends, " she said.
81 am happy to say your aunt is q friend
Of mine" he said as they moved across the
hall away from the drawing room, where
her aunt awaited her.
And the paragon? Lillian had forgotten
him.
you have changed, /" the young man
said, gazing long and earnestly at her.
.sYou have grown from a child to a wom-
an"
ssYou also have changed she replied,
noting the ernne Of the handsome
face.
eYes, although fortune has been kinder
to me than / dared to hope. She has been
kind to ne tonight" he added, bending
over his companion.
She turned and looked from the window
near which they stood. The house was
large, the guests few in number; no one
moIasted them.
"How we'll 1 remember the last night l
saw youi' he said. There were lower
in your hair-daisies-like you wear to-
night. One nestled in the curl above your
ear. I wished to take it. I dared not ask
for it, although one flower more or less
would mean nothing to you. You were a
mere child, with no knowledge of the
world you were SO soon to enter, while l
had nothing-neither fame nor fortune.
Our lives were apart. hade you goodby
that night, but I did not forget you'll
could not"
She did not move nor turn her head.
81 have offended you" he said con-
tritely.
"No, no." Lillian answered.
ooh. but I have he cried in distress.
"In my delight at seeing you I HAYS
oversteppcd the bounds of politeness- |
have been rude"
you do not understand. l was no
child, 2 she said hurriedly, and she turned
to go.
a flower fell from her hair. he stopped
and picked it up.
Keep it,, 7 she whispered, moving away.
He took the flower and with it her
hand, as if in that momenth he had OWNED
the truth.
Sat one time, he said, in tones that
trembled, sif I could have had a flower
from your hair, my happiness would have
been complete. Now my happiness win
not be complete without the giver. May
| have her?" he whispered. Say yes, !"
he pleaded.
Who could resist that tender voice2 Not
Lillian, who loved him with all her heart.
Her answer was low, but he must have
beard it, fer he kissed the flower.
ssTho paragonl" Lillian said, a few
minutes later, suddenly remembering her
cunts commission.
Filled with emotion sho approached
that lady. who smiled benignIy upon her.
why. you have been talking to him
al the evening, explained her aunt.
James, your p~aragcnis exclaimed Lii
sian Ii advertisements.
flames. Mrs. Hudson repeated, indig
nallt ut tho familiarity.
sEe and1 ara cid friends, aunt met
him three ya:ars ago, when 1 Was at the
mountains With papa Besides, very
a~onsarcly, sshs il 10 be my husband.
md Mrs. Hudson always declared she
made the neutrality-suspicious. AAlianey ~
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