Middletown transcript., 1907-05-25
Light OF Christmas Candies
BY ELEANOR HeYr
toward wiping out the traces o
BY ELEANOR HeYr

howard wiping out the traces of
those dull years.
Her hair first. She let down
the soft mass, and drawing it
loosely to thetop Of herhead fast
ened it in soft puffs aud allowed
it to wave fluf1ly about her face.
The effect was encouraging; the
faint color ia her cheeks deepen
ed. After all, forty.two was not
an appalling age, and why
shouldn't one be good to look at
even if there were no one tolook
She slipped into the SHIN
mering pink gown. It was out
of date as fashions go, butit had
been picturesque gown in the
first place andit keptits art value
Miss Vanderyeck's sloping white
shoulders rose bare from
out of a foam of fine old lace.
They had always been good
shoulders. Eight years had not
changed them. The forlorn fig
ure in rusty black had faded out
of the mirror. In its place was
slender woman with a delicate
patrician face, who carried her
head in regal fashion and wore a
superb gown with nonchalant
grace.
"You could do it even now, y
she said enigmatically, and in the
shadowy background of the
mirror mems faces came and
went. She ruled right royalty
in the days when the pink gown
was new.
She turned and trailed her
rustiing skirts down the narrow
hall to the little drawing room.
She was living over again those
days when the world went well.
In the doorway she paused, and
form the corner of the dimlyli light
ed room a man came to meet her.
She was not surprised. He was
. part of the dream, and she held
out her hands to him graciously,
as she had given them to him in
the old days.
Dudley she said happily.
There was no surprise in her
voice-only tranquil acceptance
of q great good.
He held the slim white hands
and looked at her with a vague
wonder in his eyes. This was
not the forlorn woman FRANCHISE
had described. This was Eliza
beth at her best. He had for
cotton that she was so lovely.
uDinner is served !"
Watkins stood in the dining
room doorway, dignified, impos.
ing, outwardly impertubable
though curiosity seethed within
him.
Miss Vanderveck looked at him.
He, too, was,a part of thedream.
She took her guests arm and
went with him into thelittle room
where for a month past she had
eaten her solitary meals. Silver
ind cut glass, fine napery, great
bowls of roses fouted the close,
providing walls and the cheap
furniture, and Watkins loomed
lrreproachable, serene, though
bhe incongruity of his stage-set-
ling might well have shattered a
iess masterly repose of manner.
The kitchen door was slightly
sjar, and through the crack peer
ID an appreciative eye, unseen
put seeing.
Miss Vanderveck sank into
ner chair and looked across the
-oses at the man who sat op-
oosite.
"It is good" she said simply,
md his eyes repeated her words.
"You were unkind, unfair"
She nodded. "Yes it seems
ne peSSlmlStS are all wrong.
The world has q heart"
No more explanation. Out Of
he experience of years they un-
and the woman's pride |
nelted, with the mans selfish
ess, in the flame of the Christ
1as candles.
FRANCHISE was proven prophet.
They ate their oysters-those
were finding themselves
land they did justice to course
fter course of q wonderful din
er.
Francoise was more than a
rophet. She was a cook. Her
ishes were worthy to belong in
1e dream.
It was q gay little dinner.
ven Watkins lost a shade of
is portentous solemnity and
,nsented to see humor in the