Her Happiest New Year's Day

A lovoly winter nioniimr, nfter n. íour duyg' drencliing rain and high, blonk wiml. wlioso eombinod niiuistry had remof od tlie last lüigering loavos from reluctíint trees; a fi-osu Routh-west breezo blowin v.-itli exhilarating gtsiiialnoss ; a sky like a lingo flawless sapphire, flooded wlth sunshüie - miel Sudic Floyd, witli eyus as blue as the sky over her, and hairas golden as the suushine, standing iii tho open door of the farmhouse kitchen, holding her apron, Which was partly ti lied with ycllow corn, in olie plutup, white liaiui, and scattering the dnmiy worsels with the thcr, avnoiig the chickeus that were yieiug with each Otlier to secure the liun's share of the least. lt made a pretty rural picture, and Torn Solwyn, rcining in liis horae as near the gatö as w:is practical, looked with nduiiring artist eyes at the coinibrtable, pictiircsque, spocious homeBtcad, with the rose-vincs and iviea p.linihnig to the cliiuiiicys, and tho gl'efU liorsp-clieslimt. and 11 olni trees Bwaying their bire anus far abovo tho brown roof; the hosuitable wiudows, the general air ot' thrilt and plenty, mul homclikencas that markod the piace. And the espeelally interestiug sight of Susic, as, hearing the thud of his lmrse's hoofs, sho looked up, and snüled, und üushcd, and uodded at liim. lint not beforc ho had sepn tho shadow on lier girlisli face ; and as he gaüojied away, he Siuiled to hiniseli'. "Sweet as a peacli, and pretty as a picture, but " While Suste, after the tell-inlo blushes had faáed out of her hot cliecks, went back into the kitchen witl) a litt.le hall-excited, half-discunsolatc look on lier sweet lace. Annt Jauc looked up from hor pasteboaid. "Bliek, aVoady, Susio? Are yon sure the turkey got tholr feir .liare? Tin BOttill' greot store on 'cin--'specially tho one, and not í'or marset either." She gave Susie a comical flanco ovci her gold-rimmed glasses, anil thei Vv-pnt on putting the mince-incat into the paus already lincd with her flaky crust. "Are you, auntie?" Tiiat was all Susie said, as she stood a moment irresolutcly by the window, casting a surrcptitious glance down the road just in time to catch a glanixi of'Toin Selwyn and his black horso Then she walked over to the table. "Can't í do anything to help yon. auntie Jane? Wiiere's Elcanor?" And with that last word, there crept a bitterness into Susie's toncu that made dear, inotlierly aunt Jane's heart ache - í'or, as well as if Susie liad miide her a confldantc, did she know tlm young' gil'1'8 trouble and unrcsl that í'or days and days had been so appareut to the watchiul, lovineyes. Aunt Jane put her pies in the oven, and det'tly tuincd halt' a doMii others belbre she answered .Susie. "Kleanor? 1 haven' t seen her since breakiast. in her room, I daresay. Busie, look bece - it pains nie to sce you actin' so low-sperited and solem' as you'vc been doin' latóly. Can't you tuakc up your nünd not to caro nothin' übout il ? 11' Mr. ttelwyn likcs Kleanor better'n you - why, the more í'ool he, and, child, tlon't take it to heart so." The sweet lips quivered, and great cryslal drops suddenly gíittered on íiusie's lashes. Thon shu auswcred, stoully- 'Auntie, I don't care much. Only - only - Eleanor has pretended to be iucll a frimid, and bei'ore shocaine Toiu aiül 1 wero - t'rieuds. And now " Aunt Jane luulerstood perl'ectly all that tac omití su ímpertectiy expressed. Sho liad sucu, ahuost without watching, tlic signu of the times. Sho had kiiowii, long before Susie hcrsclt' fcuew,away bacu in thc flrst bhuh of April weather, wheu handsoine young Mr. Öchvyn, thi artifit paintcr, had lirst (jumo to Marshdeau íor a scasou's sketching-, that Susio's hlue oyes had matte a decided [mpretslon un hiin. ölic bad gradualiy swui that with the suuimor days haü coiné ati awakeuinjj to tliextrl'e tnaiden Itcart: and wiien, with the (,'uiliest autuinndays, Eleonor Sinclair had come, laded and tired, fl'oíB a siininu'r's hard Work, bringing all her elegant graces and coQuetrioa with her, and Ündiiig iii8olwyna congenial flirtüig acquaintance who was al 1 tlie liro deliylitliil becoUK of the (.harnniiuiKixijeeiudncss of bis society - aimt Jane had seeu the intiinacy tiiat had spruug up between tlieiu, to tKö éöibittèi'iug of Susié'é happinoss, and her own indignation aml disgust. The sere and yellow tlays of the year had come, and Eleauor still lingered at thf old fannhoue, lraubo amt Jauc ?ni! nij.lc Fl'yd hu'l not the heart tp lel) lier tu go, üeoiiusc slio was just as ïnuuli their liiece as Susie; uiiU Mr. Tuin üelwyn still coutiuued U bo a ïinio-U cuw to the one UoLol-lMepur iu tlm villagc, bacauae hu cuuld toar hiinselt' away froui tUe clianiu of Uio ilii'uiliouse. And so the state of thiujs were thüt bkiö-aud-gold wintor luoruing, wheii biisii! siood bcslde auut Juuu's snowwhiiü kitcheu table, telling her ules, just as tuero souudeu a rustió oí gkil'is and u cliuk ol' boothuuls iu the hall, and Elcuuur tíüloluU' cuino iinu the kitclien. A haiuLomc gflvl, bcyoud questiou. Ï.U1, quouuly, gracöful m a flowtsr; witli a einar cruüiiiy coiuplexioii mul sligbtly tinLed cheeKS, and a weakh ot' ripptiu, satiuy blutli liair, all ot' VVliiCh eh.'irms Susie kiiow to ba natural - [avge, liquid eycs, durk mul lustruus, aiid houvy browed, and witli a niouih timt was, liku tho rost oi' her, be.iutit'nl. "Miucc-pies, nunt Janu? Snio, 1 thouyïit you wero oui il'cJiii-;' tlie cliickeiia umi - taiking to Mr. bohryu, ï)i In'l i seo liini o by ust no wï" Sns'ic answeiHsd, vory coldly- "Pcrhapa you did - [f you woro looking íor hiñ). Auntlc, mav I luilp Sarah in the ilalrv i littli; wiiile?" Miss Siiiplalr rí)lcd üito a llght laiitfh iis tlio door closcd after Susio. "Wrliat ft Irausparent littlo g'oo-ie sho ii! AiiiiiiTuuotshc iit'tuiilly baliuves thut I ain in lovu with Mr. Selwyn." And aimt Jano louked severely at tlie handsome, smlling face opposite lier. "Othor people besidcs Susie thhik so, too, Eloanor." A louk of displcasurü ci'ossed her face. 'Can I help it if gentleman always eek iuy society? Auut June, it is too bad - " And just then únele Jim carne iu witu a uuskot oí'eggs. '■lien.', mothui', 's youreggs. You'ro iQcky to get so many. WVie hitclüu' up, and ju.-t s toon as you can havo the rest o' tno stuff ready, we'll bc oü" to market." New-Year'a Day dawned fair and colíl - a day witii an exhilaratiug northwest wind een tl v nioviuar the [eafluss tree-tops, and íviüg' one just .he sort oí' appelite fur thö savoryimelliug turkey iliat was roas t ing to brown perl'ecUon boíbre Aunt Janc's brisk Uve. All the moriiing Susie had been busy ossiating in scoros oí' uscí'ul littlc way, but ahvays vvith such a piteoua look in her eyes, and such a hojiuless sort of J)atience, that made tho good oíd laly's heart acbe, tbr all she took no notico of it. And tiicii, just before Tom Sehvyn, aud Frank Archer, and oousin Harry Slade carne for theii' Year dlnner, and while Eleanor was ah-eady waiting in the Wg, cosy, old-iashioned parlor, dressed üko a youug duchess in hor trainnd garnet siik aud volvot, and hor magniitccnl gold ornameuts, Susio crept away to her own little room, to put on her simple caslimere dress with its blue satín bow-i - wondoriDir liow it was that people make so much Tuss ovcr Xcw-ear's Day, and tnaking up her mind that it was the most eaiy iiusuraüie uay that had ever come t her. And yet she liad been looking forward ever slm;e midsiinnner tu lt - midsWmmer time, when she had thought hersolf the happiost girl ín all tue wide world, because she had thoughl Toni Selwyn loved her. And now - now - the hot tours gathered in hor blue eyes and feil iu big, slow crystals on lier cheeks. And juet that minute, from the parlor beiow, she heard tho umnislakible sound of Toni Sclwyn's melodious lauïh, "lic has corao, and bow happy he is in Elcanor's society ! Qli, dear - Vfhat a baby I un to cm-o - only - I do care, and I can't help it! And I h-a-t-e her, now !"' She leisurely flnislied her toilet, .iml then went down by the little fliüht of baok-sUiirs that led into the dmingrooin to take a last glimpae át the table to see ifevcrythiiiLT was a!l right. At the very foot of tlie stairg, just as she laid her hand on the knob to turu it, she heard Eleanor Siuciairs voice, immcdiately on the opposito side. "U's rather diffloult to believe that you are as desperately iu lovc as you say, Mr. Selwyn." "All the Sfinïe, it's a faot - and vou are the last person to doubt that fact, Elennor." Susio stood cold and (hint, with her hand clutching the handlu ot' the door. "Oh, dear, what shall 1 do? I shall die il' I hear him teil her he - loves- her !" "Well, perhaps I nm a rnore ftwsighted judge than you tbink, Mr. Sclwyn. Seriously thoii'ih, do you really menu what you gay?" Mr. Selwyn's voice was suflicient index ofliis intention. "As 1 hope to live! Don't look so diqiuteresteu, Eleanor - let that fiower alone, aud attend to me. Have 1 auy reasou to hope?" l'oor Suo! Bhe rank softly down ou tho lowest stex), her boai't failiii' her most pitifully. "As If I shall teil you I As if- you don't know just as well as - I - do!" Thcrc was a spice of ooquotry in Eleanor's voice that moniBiitarily aroused Susie's wrath. "Why can't she teil him, and bo dono with it, whethershelovcshiinor not?" she askcd herself indlgnantly. "But," Eleanor oatinued slowly, "I think - yon - may hope, although I dare uo t be positivo vet." Mr. Sol win was silent scveral seconds - and Susic coulil hear the lick of hia watch through the crack in the door. "Ifthey would only jjo away !" sho moaned in her wild aesu'e to rush o'F where she could never see or hear thi'iii agnin. "Woil," Mr. Sehvyn resumed, "your enoouragement has taken a Krent ureijfht off in y niind. I havo been fightktg agaiiut hopo for severa] woeka back, bat you iustill new courage in me - and the very first opportunity Üiat offers I shall go to my little ffirl and teil hor all about it. She is a d 'irlinir, Eleanor." Susio's heart snddenly throbbed witb a forcé t.hat made "her trcmble iVom licad to foot. "Indoed slio is - alwavs excptin? a littlo jealousy. Sbeana dearotd Aunt Jane blame me for Susie'i drooping face, wlicn, all thts whlle, Mr. Selwyn, it is you who are to blame." "Bnt it won't be 1 muoh kmger. Vlurc íkIio? If I could ouly havo lier here, just this minuto - " And tlie door oponed, and Suflle -ti'Pped in - her oyes wet with the audeven gush of happy taars, her lips dimpling botween smilos and tears. '■Mr. Belwyn, I am here, if you wish to see me." Eleanor gavo a littlc laugh.ing esdam'!"iv "Alas I Poor 1 am rnost awkwardly de trop, I Will seo yon bíter." And hIk; flang a 'kiss and wout out of thé room. ot vcry imic!i later, as sho stood "n a quiet corner of tho parlor looking out into tho calm glory of the latu uiterndon, Stisie crept up to hor. "üh, E lea nor, I aia so happy! - and so sorry aiid nshamud bccause I thuug'ht - beca use - " Eloanor kissoil the clear, fiirlish cyCii that wero socloquciit ot' the youiy hoiin's happiuesa, "It was only amistiike ou your part, child.OJld Aiuitie's. tío you're happy, Susiü? And, after all, Xow-Yen-'s Day is tho bumilost day you over saw, iau't it?" And Suii? kiiows that 110 No Year can ever agniu bi-inj her inoro perfect oy thaii "the gil't of Torn Sehvyirs love.