The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-01-19
Copyright 1910.

Z reached him all right when suddenly
Mary, the general hOusework girl
pushed open my door and showed in a
long white box that had come by ex-
press opened IT anNiOusly and gasped
at the big mass of fresh. red roses that
unet my gaze. L lifted them into my
arms There was a little limp card
mat came with them. The stick had an
come OF the envelope and ia fen ont
and on the bed like a loose rose petai
4 leaned and picked It up. The three
nttle words brought sudden burning
plucky San Francisco
That all happened a long time ago.
Edith Campbell and Alec have been
Lnarrls1 year now, and am sitting in
my elaborate new room (my old one
was cut up into two baths and a show
err, with rose cretOnne hanginRs that
match the paper. electric lights. and a
pink velvet carpet -
=. There used to be times. at frst. when
II was simply matter with me OF
setting nay teeth and saying to myself
GU must You must You must"
straight ahead into the fire. Tbanf
heaven those early days of torture are
over, and. as 1 sit here peacefully in
a DIS-"lnged Willow armchair, my bit
terness for Edith Campbell has some
what Gained down. We aren't exactly
what you'd call Rdoring. heart-to-heart
TOO utterly different But L am no long
eT, an uncontrolled little savage with
fsme ede r, PIEimitiVe emotions OF an un-
I wonder II can make my change
S ASShS GEAR. hardly understand Il
ther dear old somber brown house All
oecked out In yellow paint, brocades
tapestries and crotch mahogany. Edith
campbell suggested, In her hearty, gen
SIous manner, giving young BoSbi-
thn ns a. coming cut party" 1 despised
me loea- very few people In our town
old such silly thinR-I thought II ap-
ing ana dreadfully pretending. or
over-Alec and secret newborn hone
tHat possibly IN some such way the per-
son OF my dreams would find me out
me mixed emotions of that brilliant
evening will always stand out very
clearly In my memory. I never had had
sucn a beautiful dress, soft crapy pink
all in one piece, and Edith CampbeII's
maid had done my hair In a marvellous
Iassnlon way down behind, with little
EDITH Campbell had known in Boston
came up for the party, and the twins
ggrouS NJ SIX Ieltows nome from college.
EEEsry corner Of fathers big house was
iuH at last, every light was shining
every room was radiant. Even the fac
tOrE' knew, had in some miraculous
way caught the spirit and was running
tull-ha nded and overtime. As I pa ssed
out OF my room that night two maids in
oiack ana white passed me quietly i'm
the hall-the spirit Of prosperity was
| everywhere started downstairs and
JUST as turned at the landing 1 came
| IN fun view OF my fathers big porfraIt
/ STOOD still before it. In a binding
nlasn II swept over me that at last IA
1ner hopes and dreams had come true
I Ihts-this was the way he had means
the Dig house he had planned and final
y erected TO shine and radiate lust
theh Alec came running up the stairs
! two steps at a time. He had never
looked better. all dressed up in his
evening clothes and the pearl studs
shirt front. '
"Oh. here you are" he said at sight
OF me; Come on" he went on: @peo-
pie viii be coming"
hoa Oh alec isn't--isn,t everything
-Father-father would be so happv'"
IhSn added: "Please-please tell
Edith II am happy, too"
aces arms were suddenly around me-
lsht' as in the old, old days, for this
was the first time I had ever shown
me least bit OF kind. grateful or ten
ger Ieeling toward Edith Campbell 7
mao known all along Il was the bitter
dreg in my brothers cup. Bobby" he
whispered, "oh. Bobby" just that, and
let me go. ~
The months that followed were ye-,-
strange and remarkable ones for sucb
iunny old Cinderella that I had al
ways been. 1t seemed very much out
OF keeping, somehow, after 1 had AL
ready been through enough sorrow and
worry and disappointment TO make me
a sr4y-halred old woman. to be called
oeDutante and to be going to ball
games and dinners and theaters in
town And yet for all my outward an
pearance OF Indifference, down in the
bottom OF my heart I was ali eNcife
ment never accepted an fnyitatfop
WIthout wondering IL I might not, lust
possibly on that very occasion discover
the person OF my dreams. I never even
entered a street car without running