The National tribune., 1903-05-21

The yards and yards of lace we made.
The astonishment of the prices she was
able to obtain! 1t was wonderful to me,
but it was glad wonder. In the liber-
ality of the rich / saw Daners' triumph.
| can't begin to tell in how many ways
Miss Turner helped me- don't think
there WAS anything in the line of fancy
worl. unknown to her. l don't intend to
tell Of stolen noon-hours, or of nights
| | forgot to 90 to bed at curfew. Out of
it all Daners got her commencement
dress.
1t was dream-that hour Of my
triumph.
found fruition on that stage of green and
white. Daners stood out before the up
turned eyes, like pale creation of the
fancy, and flowers were laid at her feet,
and gloved hands applauded. l didn't
hear a word of her theme Though l knew
it by hearD! / did not come to myself
until my Professor, himself slightly pale,
handed us into our cab-and followed.
I'm sure you'll let me see you safely
home," he said in low voice to me-for
Daners was in the clouds. The night has
been such a triumph for love-and so far
l have shared it. / am SO proud of Dan
ers-so glad for you"
He had taken my hand, and in his SYM
pathy continued to hold It, with warm
ciTeSSlHS tOucH. L WIS So Hdppy L just
tucked down my head and cried. He did
not say word-not a wOrd-but just
continued to ho.d my hand. And in a
dream the ride ended, and there were just
Daners and /, smiling into each others
eyes.
Daners was to be a music teacher-al-
ready she had a class of beginners Faith
er once more had steady employment,
and out-of-hours work no longer was
necessary. / might devote those hours to
reading-and l never lacsed good litera-
ture, although too poor to buy, and too
proud to borrow of my Professor. Miss
Turner seemed always to have the books
l wanted, and l liked to be under obliga
tions to her. l have pondered the sub
ject Of those books many times since
but no matter. l just loved that woman.
There came to me wild, stormy even
ing of the early Fall. One of those
blind, biting rains, fierce as Summer, icy
as the heart of the nOrth-drove me home
from work, though l longcd to stop and
see my friend. who was not WELL
thought how desperate it would be were
The nearer home got the more my un-
easiness grew. BY the time tea was over
could stand it no longer.
I'm going to see Miss Turner" l an
nounced to the surprised Daners, who sat
in the ingle copying music. mo. you're
not coming-I know Eben will be here
directly. 1t isn't late, and there is the
car, you know. ] may stay all night"
With that l struck out, and the wind
promptly reversed my umbrella, the rain
stabbed me, and the mud filed my boots
before l had gone half block. But l
caught car and reached my friends in
tolerab,e state of preservation.
The lamp-light Of her window warmed
my heart. If all were well, what an
Ctn hpx, an< LIT
While waiting an answer to my signal
l made resolution to be an o.d maid,
keep a Friendly Inn. and have books.
Fate laughs at resolutions.
Miss Turner, in an advanced stage of
progressive influenza, met me at the door,
"Why, my dearr' she calculated. Come
O dampness!'
The room was as bright as the heart
of Summer. STEPPED to the brow in its
warmth man sat, book in hand. l knew
the hand before / saw the face.
Il believe you've med my nephew?" my
old hypocrite sneeZed. Come id, Ern-
stein! For goodness sake, Eric, punch
the fre"'
"You come out in the storm because
you were uneasy about n sick, old wo-
manr' the man accused, as he unfls-
tened my dripping cloak-and for the
first time in his life he was awkward!
Ther he obetiently punched the fire, and
sat down, looking at me. I couldn't meet
the look.
You never told me-" l began, and
stopped.
'That my colds gedding bedder? Why,
you didn't stop"' she said, her eye twink
ling. "Iiow could tell your
He-Miss Turner's obedient nephew
took me home after the warm, tremulous
bliss of an evening in his company; and
at my door-how shall l tell it?-he
stopped suddenly, and kissed my lips.
"May l call tomorrow evening, Gin
derella?' he asked, shake in his voice.
'.There is something l want to say--some-
thing. man should say to the girl he
loves:"
l stumbled into the presence of Daners,
my false heart in my face. l would have
confessed my baseness but she laid her
lips on mine, siencing them.
"Ernstein,'" she whispered, II am so
happy-so foolishly happy! Eben has
had promotion-and We are going to
marry"
l pushed her away, and went oyer to