The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-02-19
THE
ROSEATE GLOW
By t. B. ANDERSON

1HeTS WIS moody lTONH VII Iei-
tram Wardley's face as he passed down O..
the street. and he acted oblivious TO
the bright sunshine, the gayly twit-
tering birds, the sweet flower-scented
air. He had left Paxton six months
previous an unhappy man, he had re-
turned at the last, a dissatisfied one.
Travel and change had done little for
him.
There is nothing in the world the
matter with you," his physician had
told him. "All your ailments are men,
tai and fancied. You are unfortunate
" rich, and there is no motive or i'm
petus to rouse you to active interest.
If you had Il fad. now-raising
pouter pigeons. Or a charity
founding an orphan asylum"-but
neither appealed to Wardley. and he
| said so rather irritably.
There was something mandatory
when transacting business and super
critical. often cynical. in his daily con
tact with acquaintance and neigh
bors. He had acquired this from his
uncle, John Burton.
|
been as a willow wand In the hand
of that stern old disciplinarian. When
he left college he had been set Mt
helping his uncle in his extensive prop
erty interests. For eight years, tied
down to an utterly uncOngeniai EN-
ployment, the milk of human kind
ness had well nigh dried up within
him. John Burton distrusted his fell
low man and saw little good in him.
He had in a measure inculcated this
/ into his nephew.
A free hand came to Wardley at
last, when his uncle died leaving him
goodly fortune.
His present mission was to visit Miss
Alice Wayne. On his return from his
trip he found among other memoranda
one calling his attention to the fact
l that the purchase mortgage on the
Wayne place had been paid in full, and
that there were some papers TO make
out to vest the title in the youngest
of the three Wayne girls.
Wardley's face lighted. but only a
trifle, as ne pursued his way The
a three Wayne girls-Wanda, Caroline
II and Alice-had been pleasing fea-
II ture of Paxton social life. They had
II become motherleSs when quite young
II and their father died leaving them
II mere pittance. Wanda, the elder, had
II taken up the duties of school teach
II er. Caroline had become a stenog-
II rapher. Alice, barely seventeen when
: Wardley had last seen her, Vas Civ
ing music lessons. Their combined
a thriftiness had enabled them to pay
= off the encumbrance on the old home.
a Wardley could not but admire this
10 elimination. He had always liked and
n respected them. and he smiled family
1t as he recalled that when a young man
t. of twenty-one he had seriously
re- thought of keeping company with Car
= oliae. His uncle had, however, sup
pressed that vain dream.
~ Alice Wayne was seated on a bench
v in the lovely garden from which the
( place took its name as Wardley en-
10 tered at the gate. He was surprised
n to view the shy, retiring girl grown
n into a lovely young lady and hostess.
4 She greeted him as one she had long
known and welcomed. and somehow
soothing sense of novelty and rest
crept over Wardley as he sat down
and led a casual conversation. She
o. told how she had arranged with her
married sisters to take title to the
property, and Wardley drew from his
lg pocket the papers he had prepared at
IS his office and placed them on the little
Io1I hoe
= "There is, only your name to in
= ,sert in the deed, and record it, and
= you are the mistress of the loveliest
ot little home in Paxton" he spoke. Il
declare! I have left my eyeglasses at
n home, I have grown foolish enough
m to depend on them in reading and
N writing"
There is a pair here" said Alice,
= cropping in her basket. 81 fear they
are of little use. however. They are
pink. Here they are. Sister Caroline
wore these for time to rest her eyes,
!, Once in while when sit here dream
= ing. put them on. They make every
II thing so beautifully rose colorcd. I
- fancy l am in some enchanted fairy
"a land"
"They do quite well. for they mag
- Nifty somewhat" said Wardley. as he
filed in the deed with his fountain
pen and. looking up. sat so still and
mute that sudden spell seemed to
4 have come over him.
The magic of rare beauty was IRA
al dated by the gentle glow of the col
ored glasses.
81 hope you viii guide and direct
nse once in while in business way
observed Alice.
i. with pleasure" answered Ward
W ley. He left the place in a plea&n.;
if dream, also taking the pair Of pin;
y. glasses, and whenever he felt de-
pc pressed, put them on, smiling as he
n thought of Alice.
- Many an excuse he made to direct