Middletown transcript., 1905-05-27
WHEN LOVE IS KIND
BY NARY STEWART CUTTING

Perhaps you've seen him coming here
He's tall fellow with dark hair and
rather set face until he smiles; theh
it lights up. / said to my daughter the
other day: 'Anna, Harland is really very
good-looking when his face lights up !!
Mrs. Lane fixed her eyes genially upon
her visitor, lady SO stitfiy encased III
high-priced raiment as to present nc
other individuality than that OF formal
caller. Kind Mrs. Lanes family some
times bewailed the fact that she had a
startling lack OF company manners,
the quality of her unstrained condolences
falling, like mercy, upon all alike. She
went on now with amiable generosity
after polite murmur from the caller.
tI tell YOU whom he looks something
like, although Anna doesn't like me to
say tits the ashman, the one with the
white teeth and the large family. lie
is always asking me for clothes for them.
What was | talking about ? On, the
dance, OF course. 1t is really given Tor
Anna and Mr.. Lloyd; it will be their
first appearance at anything Of the KIND
together since the engagement was an
nounced. There were several places that
they expected to 60 to before, Dut ne
always prevented at the last moment
this time, however, the Witons changed
the date especially to suit him, and 1t
happens to be Annals birthday. She has
been doing really nothing all the morn
ing but looking at the pearl ornament he
sent her. / never knew before what it
was to have daughter engaged. | have
only the one, you know. They are very
deyoted-of course, that's only to be
expected, but it. does take up great
deal Of her time. Oh, Anna J" she
called to the young girl who, with a
companion, was passing lightly through
the hall, with mass Of fluffy white stuff
in her arms. Anna, come in, won't
you? / think you've met Mrs. Wagner
and this is Annals friend, Miss Lorning,
who has come on from Boston for the
dance. If you've been pressing your
dress, Anna, / wish you'd bring it in and
show it. Well, Anna, don't look like
that. Mrs. Wagner has daughters Of her
own, and I'm sure she likes to see pretty
things as much as any Of u.s."
eyes, shall be much pleased, affirm
ed Mrs. Wagner, with patronizing ele
gance that seemed to cover some surprise.
'She made it all herself" ]" continued
the mother, displaying the robe her
daughter resignedly handed her. Don't
you think that's a sweet idea, going off
the shoulders that way? She dropped
her voice mysteriousy. "You would
never guess how much it was yard
only Twenty-Five cents. Such bargain
Of course, Mr.. Lanes business affairs
as they are at present, | don't want
people to think we're extrayagant. Anna
was SO clever about fixing up this lace
/ just said to her, Anna, if you 60 up
stairs and look in one Of the trunks in
the tank.room, I'm sure you'll find an
old dress Of your cousin Louisa's that
is-'n
''If mother only wouldn't" moaned
Anna Lane, with her head pressed on the
soft shoulder OF her friend after the two
girls had escaped up stairs with the gar
ment. She began to laugh in spite Of
herself. Poor Mrs. Wagner! She looked
SO bewildered F; she expected to see some
thing really handsome after mothers
praises \
''The dress is lovely, anyway" said
Ethel comfortingly, "and it just suits you.
Wait till Mr.. Lloyd sees you in it."
II hope he will like it, said tile other,
soft color coming into her cheeks.
Every stitch in that gown had been taken
with the thought Of Harland i'll her very
fnger-ends. She did want to look lovely
for him He had good taste he was
no man-milliner, but he had the artistic
sense Of proportion and fitness which SO
many men possess to all unsuspected de-
gree. Anna had OWNED the pleasure
that certain harmonies gave him. This
gown was simple, but the folds Of the
inexpensive material fell softly, the reno
waited lace had little pink rosebuds worked
through its silky meshes, the white satin
straps that held the bodice over her
satin-white shoulders were worked with
rosebuds, too. When tile eyes Of her
lover should first behold her SO attired-
The thought was too much to be shared
even in the company Of Ethel She went
into the hall as if looking for something,
and stood there in the shadows leaning
against the wall. There was always
something shadowy about Anna herself
her dark hair kept her down-dropped
face in shadow, her long, long lashes
made shadows on her cheek wilful,
petulant, eluding personality, danger
ously sweet, allured as through a dusky
veil. But the veil was lifted for a mo-
ment now. She was SO captured by love
that it made her little breathless it
showed her every present joy in the
white misunderstanding light Of a joy
to come. This was her birthday-the
first birthday since she had been Har-
lands. Her future birthdays would be
spent as his wife. Tie white gown her
fingers had made was but the precursor
OF wedding-gown; their first public
appearance together but antedated their
public appearance together in the cere-
mony OF marriage. If she had not spoken
OF all this to him, she knew that lie un-
derstood. She was glad that he was a
man, not boy, with eight years more
as makeweight for her twenty. II was
different with Ethel She was proyis-
ionally engaged to youth Of her own
age.
DO you think Jack will get down
from college?'' Anna asked Of ler friend
as she went back into the room. "Pd
feei SO sorry for you if lie couldn't man |
age it after all"