The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-12-28
o. One 20
New Years Eve
Bu rlanda l.. Crocker.

HNHE swish of blue dress, a faint
breath of violets, as in passing, and
Ill he felt rather than saw Marie Sum
merfeld go by.
Standing a little apart from the knots
Of merry young people throngng the pleas.
mt rooms, he was conscious of thread OF
oain running through the last night OF the
old year, touching only Miss Summerheld
and himself.
BY he, | mean Leigh Reyburn, the owner
Al the oldfashioned, lowroomed grange be
meath whose roof the young people OF Glad
brook had gathered to keep merry watch
night. With music and laughter and gay
r,partee they meant to dance a welcome
10 the JOYOUS New Year without much
,hourht for the staid old twelve-month
which had served them so faithfully.
But Leigh moved uneasily, sending i'm.
oloring glances after the blue gown, all to
M purpose. Marie was absorbed with the
fascinating company of Maurice Davenport,
and was smiling her sweetest-and Marie
,ould smile divinely-and entertaining him
admirably.
Revburn was thinking hard, and, it must
Be confessed, uncharitably. Had he wor'
shipped and petted and lived for Miss sum.
rnerfeld 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 dantily,
strapped in place with a blue riband?
ring out the Old ring in the new;
The year is dying, let It 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
il possible she was thinking of the old so
tsnderly-the old love. for instance? All!
we'll he did not know.
The yule log had burned out week ago,
but he had not the heart to take up the
ilvery ashes from the old, red brick hearth
as vet 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 lassies 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 mstletoe
,rung IN the bracket work of the old chan
delier 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 a week ago. She
out him in mind, o, so much, Of her. Gov
aring hi, eyes for moment with trembling
hand, he went to the window and looked
out. White and gistening 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
rs a musician she was wonderful.
Nevertheless, it was a 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 q
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 di
vergng paths. And he had heard of d
vergng 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
iered in his mind for days, flashed up like
gleam Of heavenly light, radiating hi
whole being.
She was coming home tonight on the lat