The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-11
TIE NEW YEARS GUEST.
TFrom the Commercial Advertiser.l

Grundy had gone forth to the erect
that is was bad form to be at home
to ones men friends the first day of the
year." that Mrs KingSland-CoWles
stood before the great mirror between
the windows of the long drawing room,
surrounded by an animated circle of
masculine satellites. By her side, al
most unnoticed, except for a few stere-
otyped, though well meaning, words
from a gray-haired swain near her,
stood Carol, the youngest daughter of
the house. To her mother this daugh-
ter was constant surprise, an unsolv-
ed riddle. A belle and beauty in her
youth, and still a handsome and at
tractiVe woman, the quiet, unOStenta-
tious prettiness and entire want of mag
netic power, as far as the Sterner sex
was concerned, in Carol were con-
slant source of anxiety and wonder to
the ambitious Mrs. Kingsland-Cowles.
Her older daughters had followed in
their mothers footsteps in beauty and
dash, and were safe in the matrimonial
fold before their second season was
over, Nearby, in the dining room, they
were holding their court surrounded by
their friends and admirers, who, it was
safe to say would make their longest
visit of this day at the Kingsland-
COwles mansion. This was CaroIs
fourth season and Mrs. Kingsland-
Cowles held up her hands in horror
when she thought of the reproach that
having an old maid in the family would
bring upon her. An unheard-of misfor-
tune it was that one of her daughters
should linger so long unclaimed on the
ancestral timber" and so today she
had determined to keep Carol near her.
that she might find out what was lack
ing in her youngests powers of enter
tanning.
OutwardIy serene, though each mo-
ment becoming more veXed, the moth
er noticed the girls entire absence OF
interest in the guests that came and
went.
How could she tell from her daugh-
ter's calm exterior that her heart beat
\, rod of q
door? How could she tell that for Carol
life had moved to a merrier strain all
this winter, that every concert dance
or reception had been a success or
failure in just so far that certain
person was present?
How could the mother know that last
evening, when, at a friends, they had
been Willing away the time with dane
ing before they must say good-by to the
old year that this mysterious he had led
Carol to one of the windows, opened it
a trifie so they might hear the Grace
church chimes the more distinctly, and
while they stood there in the moonlight
he had seemed to her the only other
human being in a most beautiful star
lit world?
This day five years ago." he had
said, Il came east, a struggling young,
lawyer, and today 1 look back upon the
years work and find I have succeeded
beyond my widest hopes. On this last
day of the year 1 am my own master
at last. 1 see my name at the head of
my firm.
do YOU remember one day-years
ago it seems to me now-when your sis
ter's husband brought me to his cOun-
try home for a months vacation, and
/ met there a certain young girl who
expected to come out into the world
the next winter? Do you remember the
walks we had, and our discussions?
All, then, Carol, I determined 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
/ 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, was too much
of a coward. I did not dare put my
fate to the touch, you seemed so uncon-
scious of my admiration, so frankly
oblivious to the fact that 1 could be
anything but a friend-just such
friend as another woman would be.
So have waited. Really" with a grave
smile, Il believe this five years wait
ing has rather unsettled my equable
disposition. I am degenerating into
quite a cross grained person-so my
clerks will tell you, no doubt. But now
the time has come when feel dare
ing to gain. Carol do you think there
is any hope of my gaining it?"
But as he took her hand and bent his
head some one had called her name, she
had pulled her hand away in confusion
and had hurriedly gone to seek the per-
son 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 feel
ing of pride which demanded that she
must not lift a finger even to help her
lover on the road to her heart. So she
stood on New Years Day by her moth
er'S side, her mind far from the throng
in the drawing-rOOm, unconSciOusiy
pulling from time to time the petals
10 nf
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 trem-
bling hands frightened on them. Through
the doorway, and toward her mother
with unsteady gait. dishevelled dress
and vacant smile advanced apparently
the man to whom she had accredited
all noble attributes.
Like child she chung 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.
so sorry I could not get here before,
he began, a trifle unintelligibly. so
sorry, so sorry, but Here he stopped
as if all ideas had suddenly deserted
him, but laughed cheerfully and noisily,
as if to make up for all conversational
deficiencies by mirth.
Mrs. Kingsland Cowes shook the prof
fered hand frigidiy, her ideas of the fit
ness of things shaken by the half-sup-
pressed sob from the girl at her side.
You will go into the dining room
with Mr.. Small, won't your turning TO
one of her attendant cavaliers, instruct
ing him with a glance and a half-con-
cealed gesture, land let Marion give you
some refreshment,' she said, anxious to
have the unwelcome guest depart at any
price before her foolish daughter made
a scene; and she sighed with relief as
she saw her wise emiSSary lead the
young man out into the hall in the OPP
poSite direction from which the dining
room was situated. She shook off
Carols OBTAINING arm, saying in a Sc
we're whisper: Really, you must 60