Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 142, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1903 — HOW THE OLD YEAR WENT OUT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HOW THE OLD YEAR WENT OUT

BY MAURICE COLEMAN.

HEARD of Dora's engagement, I suppose?" asked old Col. Foster briskly.. ••Capital fellow, George Standish, a little old for the girl, perhaps, but she •eema to like him, and of course my Wife is pleased.” { . ---"■t nodded and murmured something conventional. How could I tell Col. Foster that for the last two years I had regarded him as my prospective father la-law, and that I had eveu been fool enough to come down to the Grange with an engagement ring for Dora In any pocket! ... Well, well, I had been a fool, it seemed, an utter fool, and the sooner I got hack to Chicago the better; if they had »ot been having that dance, the annual Ktw Year's eve affair, 1 believe I should have made some wild excuse and got away. Dora flitted iuto the study; she looked wonderfully bright and pretty. “O, here you are. Jack. When did you arrive? Fancy sitting here wjth father, When you might have been having nice tea with mother and me in tl|e drawing room, and muffins, Jack, O, such heavenly muffins." v U “I must congratulate you. Dora.” I spoke in my best manner, stiffly and. I hope, sternly, putting as much reproach fta my glance as I could. “Thank you sc much; the house is upside down with excitement, and the £rls, as you will find, can talk of nothg but bridesmaids’ dresses. As to Wother, she is radiant with pride, for I shall be quite a ‘great' lady,’ shall I •ot, daddy, dear? O, here's the ring.” She held up a slender finger for my Inspection, circled by a gleaming hoop •f large and scintillating brilliants. Involuntarily I contrasted the costly gage with the simple ring reposing in my waistcoat pocket. Oh, yes, Dora had been wise In her generation. • • -*• ‘ • • • - -1 had privately determined not to ask Dora to dance, but, all the same, valse No. 8 found us sitting out together in the darkest and most bescreened of retreats. “Isoit not nice, and dark, and cosy?" laughed Dora gleefully. “I riggcd*it up •tyself 'this morning. "Why are you so gloomy and silent. Jack?" “The truth ik." 1 answered, “I don’t feel happy over this engagement of jours; Standish is so much older than jou are." “Well, I know that.” She tapped her Sretty foot impatiently. "But listen, ack, to the true position of affairs. I was rather fond of somebody—years ago, though he evidently did not care about *»e. Well»( I cm uot the sort of a girl who goes breaking her heart and makktg everybody uncomfortable and miserable. Standish appeared nnd showad pretty plainly that he liked and adfeired me." “But have you told him that you are •ot in lore with him, Dorn?" “Of course I have, and he is rather re■eved, for he is not renlly in love with me. He has spoken <tlie truth honestly, too; he adored his first wife; he was devoted to his daughter and nlmost broken-hearted uhon she died Inst year. Be wants me to take her place in a way, to have youth about his home again, aome oiie to pet, and spoil." “Here ia a wedding present, Dora," I •aid. “I wish you all possible happiness, dear." “A wedding present! But you did not Isow, Jack, till father told you this asBhe looked at me with brows slightly halt 'a wistful expression in her eyes; -unwrapping the paper, she flushed ■ll over the face. It was a simple ring, made to my own lid|S —one pearl, with a stem and leaf 0« email diamonds,, made to resemble a mistletoe. “I think it lovely. Jsck, but I don’t understand. Did you mean H only Bar a New Year's gift?”*' - . I told her all, then, told her how I had her from my college days, end had always had before me the hope of win- » ng her for my wife. -Why did yon not tel! me. Jack?” C cried. “O, Jack, Jack, why didn’t apeak r “ Because I was a poor man, Dora. I bars worked hard, Dora, and last week I gras, offered a place that means bread sad butter cad jam, so 1 want straight wM ts tbs Jeweler and ordered that little tfag te rm." She burst la to a sudden shower of Op , ? I "■ * ,

tears. 0, how I longed to kiss and comfort her. -f * “I have loved you so, Jack. I felt ashamed of myself nt last?‘thinking you did not care, and then mother was so pleased at the thought of my mnking a great marriage, nnd of course it would be nice for the girls—and so ’’ Dorarn.se.Xolmr—feet with a little laughr she brushed away all trpee of tenrs with a dainty lace handkerchief. “Take back your ring, Jack, dear. I cannot wear two on the same finger, and, Jack, I have a queer sort of fancy to dance the old year out and the new year in with you. Will you come and find me here a little before 12 o'clock?” • • • * * • At about a quarter to 12 I took my way downstairs.' Everyone seemed waiting for the joy bells of the New Y'ear. I noticed Col. Foster standing by the window, ready to ©pen it on the last stroke of the clock. Dora was not alone; George Standish was with her. As faovas 1 could see in the dim light he was holding her hand. I would have retired, but Dora called my name quickly. “Good-night, dear, and good-by. God bring you a happy New Year, Dora. I am departing with the old year.” As Standish spoke Dora frankly and like a child turned up her face, and he lightly kissed her forehead. His brow contracted, ns if with pain; then he turned to me with a singularly bright smile, and. giving my hand a warm grip, said: “A Happy New Year to you.” He then turned swiftly away. ~ * Dora sank down on her seat with' a little cry. “Oh, he is such a good, true mqn. Jack; I •hall love him all my life.” “As you are going to marry him, I am sure f hope you will,” 1 said sullenly. “Sit down, Jack, and don’t iook so cross.”, “I thought you wanted to dance the old year out.” “Well, I don’t. Jack; it’s rather solemn this, the death of the old year. What is the New Year going to bring us, I wonder? Listen!” she cried, rising to her feet. “The old hall clock is beginning tq strike." I ‘ , “The ‘New Year has come.” smiled Dora; then somehow 1 found her in my arms. • “I told him the truth. Jack," whispered ' Dora, ..“and he said I had better marry my own sweetheart, as be married his years ago.” < “God bless him for s good man,” T cried. I looked down at*|>er hand: the big diamond hoop b«d vanished. I suppose I looked surprised. “Ob, yon allly boy," laughed Dora, with a sadden return of her gay, teasing manner. “It’s beat to be off with tho old ring before yon are on wills the new. —Chicago Tribune .

Before the missionaries and the American settlers went to Hawaii, the natives knew nothing about Christmas, but now they nil celebrate the day, and do it, of course, in the same way as the Americans whotilive there. The main difference between Christmas in Honolulu and Christmas in New York is that iu Honolulu in December 'the weather is like June iijJNew York. Birds are warbling in the leafy trees; gardens are overflowing with roses nnd carnations; fields nnd mountain slopes are ablaze with color; and a sunny sky f smiles dreamily upon the glories of a summer day. In the morning people go to church, and during the dfly there are sports nnd games and merrymaking of all sorts. The Christmas dinner is eaten out of doors in the shade of the veranda, and everybody is happy and contented.—rSL Nicholas.

Christmas in Hawaii.