Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1899-12-29

"a One va
New Years Eve
Bv nsnds {, croct,r.

| CITSuE swish OF n blue drees iainl
breath Of violets, as in passing, and
/ III he felt rather than saw Marie sum
mcrfc.d 20 by.
Standing liltlt apart from the knots
Of merry young people throngug the pleas.
ant rooms, he was conscious of thread oil
pain running through the last night OF the
old year, touching only Miss Summertield
aud himself
By he, mean Leigh Reyburn, the owner
of the uid.iashioned, low-roomed grange be-
meath whose roof the young people oil Gao
brook bad gathered to keep merry watch
night. With music and laughter anu gay
repartee they meant to dance a we'come
10 the joyous New Year without much
thought for the staid cd txelve-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 divnely-and entertaining him
admirably.
lieyburn was thinking hard, and, 1t must
be confessed, unchsritably. Had he wor-
SHIPPED and petted and lived for Miss. SUM
melfield these two blessed sunlit years, to
have hope and happiness go into the grave
Of the frail old year leaving nothing but
memoriesy
What was that Marie was singing to the
sweet-toned guitar she held so daintily.
strapped in place with blue rband!
Ring out the old. ring In the new:
The year is dying. let 1t go:
brig. nj the new: ring In the new"
Her voice seemed to falter a little on
IL faIi 70 eff caIopra Woo
it possible she was thinking of the old 80
tendcrly-the old love, for instance! All.
well, he did not know.
The yule log had burned out a 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 lassies Of Gladbrook had
lain their sympathies on his doorstone 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 mistletoe
hung in the bracket work of the old chan
deher 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
put him in mind, o, so much, OF her Gov
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 long time studying music,
and he had heard, for she did not write to
him, that her voice was simply divine, and
as a musician she was wonderful.
Nevertheless, il 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
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-
verging paths. And he had heard Of di-
verging paths which came together again
after awhilel
Tomorrow was the glad New Year again.
Would its happy greetings be only mock
cry to him?
Suddenly a thought, which had smoul-
dered in his mind for days, flashed up like
a CLEAN of heavenly light, radiating his
whole being.
She was coming home tonight on the late