The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-01-23
THE EMANCIPA-
TION OF
MISS SERENA.
by A. VI. Davies Ogden.

.-y den, and accustomed frown
Nering the foralead still
a.tooth and white as a girls, de-
6 y! the coronet of silvery hair
:ch added a touch of distinction
10 the erect little figure, looked ten
tatvely up at the portrait which
hung just above. Should she?
The portrait stared back In dig
nified disapproval and Miss Serena
hesitated. Invite an artist,
mere painting man to her house?
1t was against all the traditional
ecrly Victorian ideas with which
her youth had been imbuej. Hlth-
erto, during Miss Serena's narrow,
well-ordered life. never had she
dreamed of questioning the propri-
ETY. of those ideas. Yat-Eleanor.
Eleanor, wayward, teasing Iowa
Bile Eleanor, whose arrival, flutter-
ing the innocent household had
brought to it new element at
once disturbing and inspiring,
sense of wider possibilities, of more
vivid perceptions, Eleanor cared for
this man. Indeed, it was because
o. her caring that the girl had
been sent to Miss Serena now, her
people hoping tEat perhaps a change
of scene might effect a cure.
But what complicated matters
was that Lyttleton himself was al
so here. Only yesterday Eleanor
had come to her aunt and told her
that he had taken a studio up town.
Il did not know that Bert was in
tending to live in New York" the
girl had said, loyal gray eyes gaz-
Ing straight into Miss Serena's blue
ones. 1t was last summer at the
Pages thar l met him. His home
is in the West. OF course | shall
not try to see him. But if | should
- and for a second the clear eyes
dropped, then she lifted them again.
Il certainly cannot promise tho |
will not speak," she ended, honest
ty. Her aunt gave a throb OF SYM
pathy.
Do you-do you care so much,
then," she questioned timidly
"Care!" flashed back the girl.
.dering gaze the brave little
ith Quivered. Yes" she said
iply, Il care"
nd now in the mornings mail
-1l come note leaving vacant
-lan's place for next weeks dinner,
and Miss Serena, the memory of
that wistful culver still upon her,
th -illpl fn
Why -ot ask this Lyttleton and
Judge for herself? Her. opinions
carried great weight with the girls
people. Was it not indeed her duty
to invite him? And, all the while,
under these reasons, with which
she thought to convince herself,
deep down in the gentle heart
glowed, newly stirred, the old prim-
tive, unquenchable flame of desire
for romance, color, passion; the in
stinct which leads all mankind to
love a lover and to help him; and,
deeper, obscurer yet, the vivid GU
riosity of the lonely woman to
whom the priceless revelation had
been denied. Miss Serena, took
chCCb VI pIPCip NiotC uCl ltIltI,
stampd it and sent it off before she
could change her mind.
The deed once accomplished, re-
action set in, and for a week Miss
Serena shlvered at the thought of
the awful thing she hat done.
But when, on the night of the
dinner, Eleanor, straight and slim
a., bar MI
set among the masses Of her bronze
hair, entered the fragrant, flower
nlled drawing-room Miss Serena all
at once felt herself abauEdantly
justified. Manifestly it was bat
the child's due. Miss Serena clad
herscli in a dainty brocade, her soft
checks pink with suppressed eager
ness under the girls quick little
kiss, was fairly a-quiver with ex-
element. What would he be like?
The guests were arriving. They
were mostly elderly married cou-
pies, friends of Miss Serena's;
Eleanor, gracious and shilling moved
among them, striving dutifully to
be entertaining. Suddenly the
pOhhN VI q man NduoSd lcI W SLdII.
Could she have heard Alright? Miss
Serenas voice summoned her.
Eleanor, my dear, | have just
been telling Mr.. Lyttleton how good
he was to come to us thus informal
ly,' her aunt was saying.
The girl, flushed and confused,
came forward looking from her aunt
&c the man. Miss Serena smiled
You know Mr. Lyttleton, I
think" she said, gently. Surprises
were odious. was her reflection; she
had not realized how hard 1t would
De for the girl. Eleanor, murmur-
ing something inaudible, held out
hand, which the man took awk-
Wardly enough. Miss Serena
watching, felt her compunction
deepen.