The Wichita daily eagle., 1898-01-08
When Love Was Young.
G'rom the New York Evening Post.
three parts.)
PART II.

sank down WIN a nappy sign anu ledneu
her head against the beaded tidy behind
her, as she settled her hooped skirts grace
fully
Emma and have been counting up
said Julia. I'VE think we'll have about
seventy-five calls"
"Oh, hundred at the least,' called a
tall girl in pink from the register.
NO, / don't think so; Emma says she
can count on twenty-five for her share,
for she told all her friends two weeks ago
that she was to receive with us, but she
can't be sure of more than twenty-five.
| We-that is, mother and I-have counted
Up forty-five. Now you, Adelaide
''Oh, I never tell whom 1 expect" said
the girl in pink with q laugh. She wore
her black hair rolled of her forehead after
the manner Of the Empress of the French
and she had an indefinable air Of being
older than the other girls, although her
cheeks were as smooth and her eyes as
bright as theirs. She waved her long fan
with practised grace as she spoke, look
| ing indolently straight before her.
she always thinks she will get all The at
tention," whispered Julia to Molly. well.
she does get it! 1 don't know now she
| looks at them in that slow, sleepy way Of
! hers. l wish 1 could do it; I've tried, but
/ it only makes me seem as stupid as an
owl. Molly, you haven't said how many
| callers you will have"
None" said Molly, with shining eyes.
| You little fraud You expect one, you
/ know you do; you are listening for the
| bell at this very minute. Did he SO 10
see you after you went homer
! NO"
"Why not? He said he wanted to-"
IL didn't ask him. oh, Julia, You
don't know how-hOw different things are
at home. It's not that I'm ashamed. be-
| cause we don't live as you do. but there
are so many children, and things are all
| over everywhere, and there's no place,
and father and mother would be so dread
fully surprised. If I thought he really
cared, why then He wrote to me once.
just little note that anybody might
write; of course he expected me TO invite
him to the house. but 1 couldn't! / show
ed the note to mother, and she showed it
to father, and they both looked at me so
queerly and asked if there were
anything Serious Father said that
he came of good o.d fam
lily. Oh, it was dreadful Then they
said that they didn't think it was neces-
sary for me to answer the letter. I don't
know what he thought of me. But he told
me he'd surely come today, didn't hep"
''Oh yes, it was the first thing he said.
Mercy. girls, there's the bell. Do sit so
that we won't be in two rows opposite
each other as if we were in an omnibus!'
II wish you happy New Year" Hap
py New Year!' Happy New Year,
Molly's beating heart recovered its nor
NAL condition. The first comers were two
young gentlemen of fashion, who declined
to remove their overcoats in the hall, and
+I.i,- .,lye
kid gloved hands.
I'VE can only stay three minutes" one
of them obIigingly explained. "Harkness
and have a hundred and fifty calls to
make today, haven't we, Harkness? We
allow three minutes to each call. Not any
refreshments, thank you, Mrs. Whiting.
Delightful day out. Charmed to see the
young ladies looking so well. Hardness,
you will have to leave Miss Adelaide"
I'll come back this evening"" said Mr..
Harkness, as he departed with a lingering
look behind him.
ooh, dear, they're gone already" said
Julia. That is the way it always is; the
people you want to see just run. and the
ones you don't care for stay eternally.
Hand me that pencil and paper there in
the card basket and I'll head the list with
these two. For goodness sake. Emma,
don't read: there's the bell again.
This time it was n family contingent,
Uncle John and Little Charley, who came
in wishing everyone a vociferous happy
New Year. The girls forsook their COM
pany attitudes, and finally fiocked into the
back room, rs Uncle John had expressed
himself ready to begin his journey with a
reinforcement of picked oysters and hot
coffee
Il told your aunt I'd get a bite here"
he said; there was nothing ready at home
when l left / wish we had as good coffee
at our house as you make Martha. I'll
send Mary over to find out how you do it.
1 brought Charley with me because
knew he'd swell your list of callers. if he
is only twelve. a boys never too young
to learn to be polite, 1 say. Don't eat so
much cake, you rascal! Just the least
drop of sherry for him, Julia"
But the bell had rung again, necessitat-
ing a frantic rush back into company posi- |
tions. leaving only Mrs. Whiting for Tn
Gle Johns support, for it was one of the |
unwritten codes that lady should always |
be in attitude of elegant leisure to re- |
ceive callers on New Years day Molly |
looked up eagerly to scan the visitors. but |
the one she sought was not among them. |
Hardly had the greetings been exchanged |
when more callers arrived, and more. and |
soon the room was full. There were hear
ty old gentlemen. family friends with |
portly figures and large spread Of watch /
chain. who laughed with loud ha has, and |
joked with all the young ladies; callow
youths on their initial round of pleasure !
who got tangled up with their canes, and |
had great difficulty in gathering courage
to leave; nervous young men. who tried /
to be easy; bold young men. who We're too
easy, and the indisputable nice fellows
whom each girl wished might fall TO her
share. And through all the coming and
going. Adelaide. who sat in corner by
the lace curtains had a little coterie
around her, no matter who else was pro-
vided for
Il think she's hateful" said Emma with
tears in her eyes. Mr.. Roper is my
friend; he came TO see me. Why must
she take possession of him?'
It's way she has said Julia lazily.
"She lifts her eyelids and looks. Why |
don't you try Il. Emma? I can't; II isn't
my style. If I'm ever in love, thought, I
shall use Adelaide as sort Of test Of my
lovers fidelity, and If he goes 70 her when
she narrowS her eyes. III nave none Of
him. Do you see?"
Molly laughed with the rest. although |
the laughter had suddenly a jarrinE sound:
she was wondering If her hero would also
go over TO Adelaide's side when he came. /
Happy New Year" said q voice beside /
her-Dot the voice she was longing 20 hear.
All wen she could still have the happy |
autiCiDa ton and the shy dream q him.
After o clock there was a luIl for q lit
tie while. and the ladies escaped in separ-
ATE groups 10 take q surreptitious dinner /