The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-12-29
ONE NEW YEARS EVE.

The swish of blue dress, a faint
breath of violets, as in passing, and
he felt rather than saw Marie Sum-
merfeld go by.
Standing little apart from the
knots of merry young people throng-
ing the pleasant rooms, he was con-
scious of thread of pain running
through the last night of the old year,
touching only Miss Summerfeld and
himself.
By he, 1 mean, Leigh Reyburn, the
owner of the old-fashioned, 1ow-room-
ed grange beneath whose roof the
young people of Gladbrook had gath
cred to keep a merry watch-night.
With music and laughter and gay re-
partee they meant to dance a welcome
to the joyous New Year without
much thought for the twelve-month
which had served them so faithfully.
But Leigh moved uneasily, sending
imploring glances after theb1ue gown,
all to no purpose. Marie was absorb
ed with the fascinating company of
Maurice Davenport, and was smiling
her sweetest-aud Marie could smile
divinely-and entertaining him ad
mirably.
Reyburn was thinking hard, and,
it must be confessed, uncharitabiy.
Had he worshiped and petted and
lived for Miss Summer6eld 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 toned guitar she held so
daintily, strapped in place by blue
riband?
Ring out the old, ring in the new;
The year is dying. let it go;
Ring in the new: ring out the DID,"
Her voice seemed to falter a little
on the repeat as it fell to a soft ca
dence. Was it possible she was think
ing of the old SO tenderly-the old
love, for instance? All well, ne did
not know.
= = = =
The yule log had burned out a
week ago, but he had not the heart
to take up the 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
somehow the lads and lassies of Glad
brook 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 .ie silent rooms
again to Christmas party. But no
more New Year frolics under his
roof, he said not until-well, may
be- He stopped short in his mus
ings still the remnant of the mistle-
toe hung in the bracket work of the
old chandelier and he remembered
now, as he looked at it, how pure and
fair Alicia Merrill looked when Her
man Montrose kissed her beneath its
potent spell week ago. She put
him in mind, o, so much, of her.
Covering his eyes for moment with
trembling hand, he went to the win
dow and looked out. White and
glistening as an angels wing lay the
snow on the interviewing fields. Over
there was her house, but she had
been away now for long time study
ing 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, it was a night like
this, noddipg toward the flooding
moonlight outside, and 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 begin
ming of their diverging paths. And
he had heard of diverging paths which
came together again after awhile
Tomorrow was the glad New Year
again. Would its happy greeting be
only mockery to him.
Suddenly a thought, which had
smouldered in his mind for days,
flashed up like a gleam of heavenly
light, radiating his whole being.
She was coming home tonight on
the late train and he was so hungry