Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1899-01-31

Mira Hudson was to give a dim

Mira Hudson was to give a dinner
party that evening. 1t was not to be
one Of those elaborate receptions for
which she was notcd-merely an in
formal affair, to which only a few OF
her most intimate friends had been
invited.
MY dear" she said to her niece,
syou will meet tonight great friend
of mine. He does not care for parties
VIII you see that he is not bored al
this one?"
why must he be assigned to me?"
she asked.
II want you to entertain him, Lii
liam, because he is a stranger in town.
He is by no means a bore. He is
handsome, witty, interesting"
What a paragon, aunt" interrupted
Lillian. II know | shall hate him.
"I 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 disagree
able evening. Handsome, witty, in
teresting. That is n good description
of some one 1 know" she thought, as
she twined some flowers in her hand
He used to laugh at my fancy for
lowers"
A tear rolled down her cheek How
foolish she said, as she hastily brush
ed it away.
A 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 So thought a young
man who stood watching her as she
came down the stairs. and who held
out his hands to her in welcome.
This is indeed a surprise" he said.
Il did not expect to see you here this
evening""
Mrs. Hudson is my aunt, you know,
Or, rather. you do lot know 1 never
mentioned her to you, 1 believe. 1 did
not know you were friends" she said.
Il am happy to say your aunt is
friend OF NINE" he said, as they movsd
across the hall away from the drawing
room, where her aunt awaited her.
And the paragon? Lillian had for
gotten him
You have changed" the young man
said, gazing long and earnestly at her.
You have grown from a child to a
woman"
You also have changed" she re-
piled, noting the sternness of the hand
some face.
Yes. although fortune has been
kinder to me than l dared TO hope.
She has been kind TO me tonight" he
added, bending over his companion
She turned and looked from the win
dow near which they stood. The house
was large. the guests few in number,
no one molested them.
How well l remember the last night
I saw you" he said. There were
flowers in your hair-daisies-like you
wear tonight. One nestled in the curl
above you ear. l wished to take It
| dared not ask for it, although one
flower more or less would mean moth
ing to you. You were a mere child,
with no knowledge of the world you
were so soon to enter, while / had
nothing neither fame nor fortune
Our lives were apart. I babe you good
bye that night, but did not forget you
i could not"
She did not move nor turn her head.
Il lave offended you." he said con-
tritely.
mo. no." Lillian answered.
NOh. but l have" he cried In dis
rress- IN my delight at seeing you
have overstepped the bounds OF po-
liteness. I have been rude"
you do not understand. / was no
child" she said hurriedly, and she turn
ed to go.
A flower fell from her hair. He
stopped and picked it up
Keep It" she whispered, moving
away
He took the flower, and with it her
hand. as If in that moment he had d.
Eined the truth.
AT one Time" he said, in tones that
trembled, IF could have had a flower
from your hair my happiness would
have been complete Now my happi-
ness viii not be complete without the
giver. May have herr" he whisper
ed. Say yes." be pleaded
Who could resist that tender voicez
Not Lillian, who loved him with all her
heart Her answer was low. but he
must have heard it. for he kissed the
flower.
The paragon" Lillian said. few