New-York tribune., 1908-11-01
By Amanda Gregory

colony. When all tOrgathered
in the cooperative drawing room, no one was quite
happy until Billy in. It was partly because ne
was Young and good looking,-a huge, vide Shoul-
dered athletic chap with really black ha1r truly ope
ewes and large features,-rather stern, except the
mouth That mouth suppose, accounted parity lot
nv share in the arrangement OF his tate y 8eher-
GUS susceptible mouth 1t was, with sensitive curves
which cOntradiced the severity OF the other features
Nv friends thought Young HOlbrOoks chet charm
for me lay in his youthful idealism; and 1t cannot
be denied that to a nearing thirty, the un-
tarnished idealitv and chivarc devotion OF knight
Of TWENTY-FIVE make a strong appeal
Well TO get to my story. a year ago last New
Years Billy Hobrook and | were happily seeing the
Old Year out by my log fire, tee-a-tete instead OF
lingering in the drawing room with the rest OF the
"flatters called our fellow cooperators IN the
colony After a little feast, L was s1pp1ng co1ee'
while Billy poked the logs and pulled at his pipe
4 thank whatever gods there be, he said con-
tentedlv between puffs, that | not reunlonlng
at Aunt Mary s,-mOth eaten tam1ly Jokes, platltu-
dinous converse with Cousin Ellen.
There's no place like home that's why L came
away" | hummed sympathetically. DO you
know Billy, YOU my natural selection brother'
nearer to me than any of my real brothers,
Pm not SO awful near! Why can't l bring this
pillow there?"
oh, if that's ALL" He put up his pipe and
changed his place with alacrity.
And for another thing" l went on, nsIng with WITH
the DreteXt of putting my cup on the table L m
not the sentimental kind of sister
Pm sentimental enough for two, to-nght, t;
came the careSsng TeSpOnse,-'a regular Sent1-
mental Tommy I'm thinking about that Christmas
Eve when YOU told US kids stories at grandmothers s
was only fifteen then; but was jealous as Othello
of Uncle Billy. I've always been glad you turned
him down, fnally-though L pose it's wicked to
say 50. When YOU in that cloudy, Purply gown,
and the freight strikes the gold from your ha1r and
touches the velvet of your cheeks, l like to fancy
you my fairy queen. My fairy queen, you under
stand mine"
| struggled free from the spell of his appealing
voice and eyes, and shook off the memories his
words had ushered in from the past. Let's leave
fancies dear boy l said gently. Let's talk about
realities and the present; the New Year, for IN
stance Viii you go in as hard this year as last Tor
municipal reform?"
Yes By George! Bernard Shaw hits off about
right when he says We're nation OF villagers, and
calls us mean. We meanl l feel mean. m
ashamed to live in such a rotten country, and every
grown person that pretendS to scrap OF PATRIOTISM
has got to sweat blood to clean things up. The
labor men talking Of
RILLY was off riding his hobby; but now woman
~ like, began to miss the personal tone had
banished from his voice and manner. As, rapt IN
his subject ne paced the floor and outlined his
program for the municipal campaign, my thoughts
wandered back to the past in search of companion
ship. My seven longest years seemed to fade away.
Another Billy appeared in a vision, and life reopened
to me at its dearest page But, alaS how quickly
recollection turned the later leaves and brought
back again to the hopeless chapter of the passing
year! 4 sort of special holiday loneliness crept into
the very bottom of my heart.
Something in my face must have arrested Billy:
for suddenly he paused and came abruptly to tip
nv rocking chair back till he could catch and hold
my eyes.
I'm Jealous again" he said. You are miles and
years away from | 1t in your face. Why
do talk OF government reform tonight anyway
The real thing now is that YOU have given me this
hour; that I'm back YOU after all the years of
separation; that never going to lose each
other again though I'm deadly scared Brandon
Sculy will carry YOU off. | wish l could marry
you myself but Of course you'd never never spend