The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-01
The New Years Guest.

| the next winter? Do you remember
the walks we had, and our discussions?
All, then, Carol, l determinedi to work
hard to win the right to speak certain
words I wished to say to that girl,
words which / hope she will listen to
with patience during the coming year.
I had sufficient control not to tell them
to you that summer; my prospects in
life did not give me the right to ask
you to wait for me even if you had been
inclined to have given me a gracious
answer, and then, too. 1 was too much
of coward. I did not dare put my
fate to the touch, you seemed so un-
| conscious of my admiration, so frankly
oblivious to the fact that I could be
| anything but a friend-iust such a
friend as another woman would be.
So I have waited. Really" with a
grave smile, II believe this five years
waiting has rather unsettled my equ-
| able disposition. am degenerating
into quite cross-grained person-so
my clerks will tell you, no doubt. But
now the time has come when / feel /
dare sue for the prize 1 have been only
living to gain Carol do you think
there is any hope of my gaining it?"
his head some one had called her name,
she had pulled her hand away in con-
fusion and had hurriedly gone to seek
the person who wanted her. All the
evening she had carefully avoided him.
why she could not tell, for inclination
dragged her the other way, except from
a feeling of pride which demanded that
she must not lift finger even to help
l,,n, lI Il hn,. ,.t Co
she stood on New Years Nday by her
mothers side, her mind far from the
throng in the drawing-room, uncon-
sciously pulling from time to time the
petals from the great bunch of white
roses which she carried, waiting only
for the sight of the one face, the sound
of the one voice in the world for her.
Suddenly an underlined something
made her look up. and the rose petals
fell like snow as the grasp of her
trembling hands tightened on them.
Through the doorway, and toward her
mother with unsteady gait, dshevelled
dress and vacant smile advanced ap-
parently the man to whom she had ac-
credited all noble attributes.
Like a child she clung shivering to
her mothers arm, while for a moment
Mrs. Kingsland -Cowles looked down at
her and, guessing her daughters secret,
forgot her self-possession and almost
turned her back on the coming guest.
80 sorry l could not get here be-
fore" he began, n trifie unintelligibly.
$50 sorry, so sorry, but" Here he
stopped as If all ideas had suddenly de-
serted him, but laughed cheerfully and
noisily, as II to make up for all conver-
sational deficiencies by mirth.
Mrs. Kingsland- -Cowles shook the
proffered hand frigidly. her ideas of the
fitness of things shaken by the half
suppressed sob from the girl at her
side.
You will go into the dining-room
with Mr.. Small won't you?" turning to
one of her attendant cavaliers. in
structing him with glance and half
concealed gesture, "and let Marion give
YOU some refreshment," she said, anx7.
ious to have the unwelcome guest de-
part at any price before her foolish
daughter made a scene; and she sighed
with relief as she saw her wise ennis
sary lead the young man out into the