Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-12-25

pantry shelf, and you could make your
! way to the apple bin on the darkest
night, but for all that you-what you
are and what you do and what you
stand for in the big world outside, the
person you have becomes much
more of stranger than the next door
neighEor who comes in to welcome
you. So l didn't go home again on
New Years. l celebrated right here"
who WITH" asked the man.
81 supposed you'd ask that.
haven't asked anything about the
person with whom you probably
watched the century out and l didn't
mean to submit to interrogation on
that point myself. But-well it was
Margaret
Must have been lively celebra-
tion," remarked the man cynically.
"Margaret's not-well, Margarets not
exactly the sort of a person l should
choose on such an occasion unless
was going in for watch night prayer
meeting"
| That's where you miss in your esti-
mate of Margaret" said Phyllis. "And
| it's just because you'll like her better,
yourself, that I'm going to tell you
about it"
"Oh-ho," came satirical voice
from behind cloud of smoke.
That's nice of you"
1T wasn't because either Margaret
or | didn't have plenty of invitations
for New Years eve," Phyllis went on.
I'VE might have danced or drunk or
prayed or sung the old year out, just
as we chose, but when l met her at
dinner that night she told me she had
refused every one of them and was
going to spend the evening alone,
that if she couldn't see the century
most to begin the new one with she
was going to do it alone. Now that
was exactly what | thought-want an
other cup of coffee-and | had an in
spiration.
"Let's watch it out together" |
said. "'We'll be wicked, just like
men, and have champagne and-and
things"
so Margaret came. | had a big
roaring fire of maple logs-when l
do have a home, though, my New
Years fire shall be made of the
Christmas eve tree-and l put out
my pink flannel peignoir for Margaret
and got into the really, truly kimona
myself, and when she came we took
down our hair and put on slippers and
made ourselves comfy all round.
Then Margaret took the couch, where
you are now and | this chair, and we
started in to celebrate"
lat did you say about being
wicked?" asked the man.
well, that was only about s
o'clock. You see we began early. I'd
bought a ottle of champagne
whole pint-at the grocer's after
dinner. oh, yes, you can get wine at
grocery stores and beer too. That
saves you from the annoyance OF hay-
ing the brewery wagons stop at your
front door when the woman who lives
next door belongs to the w. c. T. U.
At least, that's what my married
friends tell me. Anyway, / bought a
bottle and some waters and nuts and
raisins and fruit and olives and
chocolates and"
Good Lord"-This from the couch.
I'VE spread all this out on the
table here aud put the bottle out in the
hall window to get trapped. And then
well, we talked. You men don't
know anything about the way two
girls-the bachelor .sort--can talk
when they get started. Really con-
verse, don't you know. We talked
about life and work and love and-no,
we didn't mention your name nor
Harry's either-and then Margaret
got down my Tennyson and Mrs.
Browning's Sonnets to the Portuguese