Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-12-29
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ca. One 20
New Years Eve
By Wanda L. Crocksr.
1NHE swish of blue dress, fain
breath of violets, as in passing, and
IL he felt rather than SAW Marie Sum

TAHE swish of blue dress, faint
breath of violets, as in passing, and
u he felt rather than saw Marie Sum-
1nerfeid go by.
Standing a little apart from the knots
of merry young people thronging the pleas
ant rooms, he was conscious of thread of
pain running through the last night of the
old year, touching only Miss Summerfeld
and himself.
BY he, mean Leigh Reyburn, the owner
of the old-fashioned, low-roomed grange be-
meath whose roof the young people of Glad
brook had gathered to keep merry watch
night. With music and laughter and gay
repartee they meant to dance welcome
to the joyous New Year without much
thought for the staid old twelve-month
which had served them so faithfully.
But Leigh moved uneasily, sending i'm.
ploring glances after the blue gown, all. to
no purpose. Marie was absorbed with the
fascinating company of Maurice Davenport,
and was smiling her sweetest-and Marie
could smile divinely-and entertaining him
admirably.
Reyburn was thinking hard, and, it must
be confessed, uncharitably. Had he wor-
SHIPPED and petted and lived for Miss Sum-
merfeld these two blessed sunlit years, to
have hope and happiness go into the grave
of the frail old year leaving nothing but
memories?
What was that Marie was singing to the
sweet-toned guitar she held so daintily,
strapped III place with blue riband?
Ring out the old, ring In the new;
The year is dying. let 1t go;
Ring in the new; ring in the new
Her voice seemed to falter little on
the repeat as it fell to a soft cadence. Was
it possible she was thinking of the old SO
tenderly-the old love, for instance? All!
well, he did not know.
The yule log had burned out week ago,
but he had not the heart to take up tho
silvery ashes from the old, red brick hearth
as yet. Ever since that other night he had
kept his vow and closed his doors to all
merriment for two long years. But some
how the lads and lasses of Gladbrook had
lain their sympathies on his door-stone and
worked themselves into his good graces
once more, and before he realized what he
was doing he had given up the silent rooms
again to Christmas party. But no more New
Year frolics under his roof, he said; not until
well, maybe He stopped short in his
musings; still the remnant of the mistletoc
hung in the bracket work of the old chan
deier and he remembered now, as he looked
at it, how pure and fair Alicia Merrill
looked when Herman Montrose kissed her
beneath its potent spell week ago. She
put him in mind, 0, SO much, of her. Cow
ering his eyes for moment with trembling
hand, he went to the window and looked
out. White and glistening as an angels
wing lay the snow on the intervening fields
Over there was her house, but she had been
away now for a long time studying music,
and he had heard, for she did not write to
him, that her voice was simply divine, and
as musician she was wonderful
Nevertheless, 1t was night like this,
nodding toward the flooding moonlight out
side, that they-he and she-had their
misunderstanding. A spasm of pain crossed
his fine face and he caught his breath a
little. He could not tell just how it came
about, never clearly understanding, but that
night SO much like this, and New Years
Eve, too, marked the beginning of their d.
verging paths. And he had heard Of d.
verging paths which came together again
after awhile!
Tomorrow was the glad New Year again
Would its happy greetings be only mock
cry to him?
Suddenly thought. which had smoul-
dered in his mind for days, flashed up like
CLEAN of heavenly light, radiating his
whole being.
She was coming home tonight on the late