The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-29
Eoening Story
The Little New Year.
BY H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

SpIlnkleQ Dessert.
He certainly was not growing any
younger, while she-well, only Flea
nor herself knew the exact number
of gray hairs in her carefully ar
ranged coiffure and realized the un-
equal battle being waged between the
cold cream of her masseuse and the
insidious crows wrinkles at the cor
ners of her dark-fringed eyes.
DO you know, Fred, this doesn't
interest me a bit?" she said, with a
casual glance at the gay scene about
her. "Othey years I have enjoyed it
well enough, but tonight, somehow,
it seems-stale.'
'I suppose" returned her husband,
placidlY, that the people who get
the most fun out of this sort of thing,
after all, are those who come here
from the backwoods where they douse
the kerosene lamp at s p. m. and light
it again when the roosters crow. The
rest of us are used to it,
BY making reservations long in ad-
vance the Richardson's had been able
to secure a place in the most desir-
able location in the dining room
not too near the palm-embowered
orchestra loudly dispensing jazz, not
TOO far from the tinsel draped stage.
where at the moment were twisting
and geSticulat ting Hawaiian beauties
in very tropical costumes, which
seemed absurdly inappropriate con-
sidering that it was New Years eve.
Eleanor cupped her chin in white
expensively ringed hands. ''Perha ps
it is the reaction from the season or
perhaps I'm merely bored, but 1 feel
out of sorts. AS I look back on our
ten years of married life they seem
happy enough, and yet to look for
ward in the future to the same sort of
ten years doesn't seem worth while" ;"
Fred Richardson looked at her in
surprise. Retrospection had never
been one of Eleanors habits. Whats s
the matter, old GIRL he asked with
unusual solicitude. Shall we leave
this joint and go the rounds? There
won't be much in the way of excite
ment anywhere until midnight"
But I tell you, Fred, I'm not look
ing for excitement tonight" exclaimed
Eleanor Gmpatiently), strange as it
may seem. For one thing I'm worried
as to whether I've done the right thing
by Beth. You know that Jim Goddard
has been wild about her for some time,
and wants to marry her offhand on his
ridiculously small salary. OF course
Beth, after living with me all these
years, asked my advice, and en-
phatically advised against it. Told her
to wait until they had laid by enough
to put sthem beyond the chance of
worry"
well, that was sensible enough ad-
vice nowadays, I guess" acquiesced
her husband, good natureGly, flicking
the ashes from his cigar.
Eleanor looked at him keenly. Time
was when he would have spurned such
counsel as savoring of too worldly a
wisdom. Ten years of money-making
in the big city had wrought their
changes in him, too. She sighed.
Then: "Oh, WELL" she exclaimed,
Struggling her shoulders, "I should
worry about that now. Jim was to
get, his answer this evening, and 1
imagine by now Beth has turned him
down quite definitely
= At that moment a shower of con-
fetti and colored streamers shot from
the balconies and mezzanine, turning
the interior OF the restaurant into a
veritable rainbow tinted blizzard, Ce-
scending in confusion on the bril-
liantly dressed women and their COM
panions seated below.
Eleanor r1se, drawing on her long
white gloves. Lets go home, Fred"
old impulses which had been stir
ring within her she tucked into her
huge muff the evening favor-a frail
papier mache representation of old
Father Time bearing in his arms a
very pink, very undressed baby, pre-
sumably significant of the old year
bringing in the new.
AS Eleanor and her husband ap-
preached their car, moderate 1y
priced sedan waiting on quieter
side street, Fred thought with satis-
faction of the neat little sum in the
bank, now almost sufficient for the
purchase of a very late, very COM
pletely equipped, very high-powered
model.
Resolving also to acquire a chauf-
1eur, he opened the door for his wife
who, skirts held high to avoid the
trampled slush, stepped in. At the
same instant, '.Fredi'' she cried in
alarm. xFred, what in heavens name
is this?"
Fred, equally startled by his wife's
tense tones, peered unseeing into the
dark depths of the car, then unlocked
the electric torch from it's socket and
flashed it on.
There. on the luxurious cushioned
seat lay small shawI-wrapped bum
die. oddly soft to Eleanor's inquiring
touch. As she parted the insufficient.
ragged covering the bright light dis
closed very plump and quite new
baby, with open eyes under as yet un-
lashed lids and very intriguing dim
Piles in his fat knees.
"Fred" gasped his wife, what
shall we do with it?
why, I suppose drive to the police
station. There is evidently not a clew
as to its parents
While Fred drove with unusual care
thru the traffic which here and there
practically blocked the slippery street.
his wife sat holding the unsought
package in lap quite unused to such
an occupant. And because the wealth
er seemed a bit cold for such a scant-
lily clad human being, she threw over
it a fold of her soft fur cloak.
She was thinking that possibly life
would not have become so drably mo-
notonous and the bond between her
self and Fred so frayed at times if
children had come to their home. At
first she had been thankful, seeing no
opportunity in their meager budgets
for bills for nurses and doctors and
certified milk. Later, the advent of a
child into her well ordered days would
have seemed. catastrophe she would
not have known how to meet.
As the car stopped in front of the
station, the baby stirred. Fred, get
ting down, held out his arms.
Wait she said, a strange note in