Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-02-12
FOR A HAPPY DAY.
The Gown For the Girl and the
Man That Bought 1t.
BY N. M'c.-wlLLIAMs.

30 sweet ana hlgh IL was ike the
scent of the Glove pinks. They stretch
ed In a matted mass all up and down
the old fashioned borders. The garden
was big. and u wide. weathered gray
house brooded beside it. Time was
when the Tryon house had been the
finest and most hospitable In all the
countryside. In the day of broken for
tunes 1t still kept an aroma of CHEEKY
good will.
Lusty hundred leaf roses grew be-
hind the bordering pinks. Philomena
was shipping them ruthlessly, cutting
them without stems and dropping
them in her apron. 1t bulged ridicu-
lousy with the mass Of bloom, but she
kept crowding In clipped pinky white
petals, pretending to be conscious of
nothing but her work.
Somebody had come up behind her,
a tall young fellow, supple and merry
eyed. He undid the apron strings deli
cately, gathered the band In his hands,
stretching daring arms about her
waist and said: stop Staying your
love her sisters too well for wholesale
murder"
Philomena slid from his clasp, dex-
terously leaving the huddled apron
within his hands. eff 1 were a rose
had rather be clipped for potpourri
than be left to waste and wither," she
said, with delicious upward tilt of
the chin.
Being interpreted, that means you
have not given up a stage career" Ar
thur Wayne said, catching her hand.
phil, Phil" he went on. you must
give 1t up. cannot bear to think of
my rose, my rose of all the world,
whitening, fading, in the glare of the
footlights."
"Stopl We have gone over all thatp
Philomena said imperiously. 81 tell
you 1 must go. 1t is past bearing, the
way things are now. oh, / know my
aunts would not starved They've q
roof over their heads. and Uncle John
But 1 cannot speak of him. What l
cannot bear longer is to see them
pinched, unhappy, lacking the little
comforts that mean so much in age,
feeling themselves dependent"
THEIRS" Arthur interrupted.
Phil gave him a reproachful look.
you won't understand she said.
"All their lives they have been some
body. gentlewomen, able to hold up
their heads. Gentlewomen hate chart
ty. They risked money and lost 1t
against uncle's advice for my sake.
Now. when am told have fortune
in my throat, 1 must take care of
them. even If 1t breaks my heart"
The last word was under breath.
Wayne made to draw her to him, but
a brisk, bustling voice behind them
said: 80 no! Very pretty! Upon my
word, very pretty! Are we rehearsing
for Strephon and ChloeT Then with
out waiting answer the newcomer ran
on: miss Tryon, be ready for the
early train tomorrow. I've letter
from Franzoni. He will try your
voice, provided you come to him by 10
o'clock In the morning"
II shall go with you" Arthur said,
openly taking Phil in his arms. Il
said you must choose, dear. Let me
take it back. If go you will. let me
follow-everywhere"
mo, no! will not let you spoil your
lifev' Phil protested, but he held her
fast. saying as he looked Music Master
Graham square in the eye: "Philomena
is my promised wife and not by fair
weather promise wherever you may
take her I shall go too"
Graham's eyes were quizzical, yet
not unkind. That's as you please.
young man." he said. waving his hand
up and down. But IL you'll heed
friendly word, stay behind. at least at
first. You see, you'd be SO patiently. so
palpably romantic you'd be set down
not as fact. but press agents fake.
The voice there" nodding toward Phil
omena. "is so pure. SO golden, so rarely
true, 1t needs to be kept high. not vul-
CARRIED. ! give you my word the roar
ing lions supposed to haunt stage doors
are really no more than yelping curly
poodles. They tag after and fawn
upon you for an encouraging look or
word, come to the whistle and tumble
over themselves to follow a finger even
half lifted. But, as for danger, any
friend, even an unconscious look scares
them. Miss Tryon has only to be her.
self In order to be always and every
where perfectly SAFE"
Notwithstanding shall CO." Arthur
said obstinately.
Graham shrugged his shoulders. Miss
Tryon, the elder of the aunts, came
tripping between the borders. her deli
eately wrinkled face exhaling a spirit
ual fragrance like the scent of dried
rose leaves. Come In, all of you." she
said eagerly. There's peddler on the
piazza. an elderly man, and he looks
SO tired carrying that heavy pack
Such lovely things! Yes" deprecating-
ly to Philomena. Martha and let
him show them, but indeed 1t was aft
er we had told him we could not buy.
thought, though. maybe. Arthur
emily his mother gets so much in the
city. But really there is the loveliest
length Of brocade, almost exactly like
my grandmother's second days silk"
As she spoke she had huddled the
Dther three in front of her toward the
house, much as she would have mar
shaled fowls a trifie unruly.
At the piazza steps Philomena sat
down. but the men both fell to exam.