The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-08
THE EVENING STORY
Cousin serena,s Diplomacy.
(By Jeanette Walden.)

cellence; nor for her bright, warm fires
On frosty night, and her hospitality.
which was free enough to inspire affec-
ton in both the fun loving and the
lonely; nor even for her sympathy-a
sympathy as sweet and tender as a
mothers, wife's or a lovers, as occa-
sion required; she was loved for all
these things, or, more properly speak
ing, for herself. Cousin Serena bore
her title universally; for, as she pos
sessed no visible family connections,
she extended a spiritual ceusinship 70
all who knew her.
She had just dismissed a young and
very happy pair who had come to tell
her of their lately discovered bliss She
had given them her blessing and box
or her best nut Judges. Signing softly,
she returned to her open fire of glowing
cordwood sticks. With another sigh,
she snuffed the two wax tapers on the
tiled mantel. AS the light footballs of
her departing callers cracked down the
newly frozen snow Of her broad front
walk. Cousin Serena sighed again. 1t
was not a reminiscent or an egotiStical
sigh; it had no tremor of regret. 1t
was, rather the Alexandrian breath of
ambition and desire for more young
lovers difficulties to conquer. For
Cousin Serena had never yet failed in
complications or in overcoming the
most ferocious lions of opposition in the
paths of her youthful and confiding
friends.
Even as she sighed, there came a
knock at the outer door. She opened
the door to disclose a girls face, with
hazel eyes and roseleaf cheeks, framed
in a white, beaded fascinator.
DO come in, Susanna? cried Cousin
Serent, heartily.
And Susanna, no less eager, entered.
AS they sat down by the fire Cousin
Serena began quickly to talk of the
approaching party, for she OWNED that
it was just then the subject nearest
gates of confidence, ever ajar where
Cousin Serena was the listener. An
uncle had arrived at the home of
Susanna; one of the stranger and I'M
expected sort of uncles, who drop down
upon you and behave as if they had
known you all your life; a tanned uncle
with twinkling eyes, quizzical mouth
and iron-gray hair.
Well? 1t was remarkable how quick
ly Cousin Serena knew all about that
uncle. But the point? How did he con-
Germ the party?
He insisted upon coming; upon being
Susanna's escort. OF course, the party
was to be at Cousin Serena's; practical
ly all the parties were. And, of course,
it would not be SO ridiculously out of
the way for Uncle Ephraim to go to
young folks party; but Joe-Susanna's
Joe-had rot quite recuperated from
having been deserted at the Halloween
party. He would regard Uncle Ephra1m
as pretext rather than necessity.
Cousin Serena's calm gray eyes
blinked thoughtfully for an instant.
while her thick, soft hand went to the
girls arm in a confident lcareSs. It'll
send for Joe early to come and help
me. I can keep him busy" Her voice
it seem accidental for you to come with
your Uncle Eph. And then, we'll be
able to arrange for Joe to take you
home.
A confident. nod of Cousin Serena's
slightly doubling chin indicated fore
knowledge of Uncle Ephraim's char
acter. 1t was always so with her. She
could read the disposition of a balky
horse by being told on which street
corner he had made his stand; and she
! always knew whether to prescribe SUI
gar, ground oats or singeing-it usually
! was sugar.
Susanna rose in a fiutter of bright
| eyed gratitude. For an instant the mir
ror of her happy mind cleared to an
| in age of Cousin Serena'S inner self.
cousin Serena. she murmured, cast
| ing an arm about the woman's waist,
| why don't you-didn't you, mean
ever keep company with any one?',
| Then suddenly her arm dropped, and
| her voice, too, as though confused by
| the inaptitude of the suggestion.
Into Cousin Serena's round face and
good gray eyes there came a look of
wonder, whisked away presently by
| twinkling hunior: while Susanna re-
| garded deprecatingly, If fondly, the
| plump figure of her friend.
True, Cousin Serena could be called
| stout, but it was firm, well-rounded
stoutness, which seemed to give cor
poreal expression, to her broad, reliable
| soul: and she may not have been par
| ticularly graceful. except with the grace
of capability.
| But as Cousin Serena turned to the
! freight again after Susanna had Slip
ped back into the starry picture of the
| night, she sighed again: This time 1t
was contemplative sigh, between lips
that were parted in a family self
conscious smile, and as she stood there
| for a time, motionless, there fitted
through her practical mind a memory
| or, perhaps, the shadow of an expert
| ence. But she was sure that she saw
a level and shining path stretched out
| for the love career of Susanna and
| Joe.
| And well did she manage to fulfill
! this prophetic confidence. For the next
evening" or more accurately speaking
| the following midnight as she stood
| again in her broad doorway watching a
stream of gay young guests pour out
| into the white eriSpneSS of the night
one. alone, of the merrymakers re-
| NAMED behind. For long time Cousin
| Serena stood. arms akimbo, at her
| threshold watching them, couple by
| couple. disappear behind the shadowy
| mysteries of a tall hedge at the foot OF
her yard. Had she forgotten the one
who had tarried, detained by her
stratagem. as hostage to loves sue
| cess?
| when she turned about the man sat
gazing into the fire. chin on hand, the
strong profile of his face silhouetted
1 against the light of the blaze With a
self-congratulatory chuckie Cousin Sc
| rena bethought herself to pass the cake
and apples again to Uncle Ephrain, her
Temporary captive
susanna and Joe had such fare
M Halloween" she began. 81 was
| afraid it might be broken off,
/ "Whv shouldn't it be?" growled the
man. With an impatient toss of his
head he exposed his rugged features to
the play of the freight what do
| those Youngsters know about keeping