Newspaper Page Text
WHEN THE CHRISTMAS
SHIP CAME IN
BY TEMPLE BAILEY.
Copyright, 1004, by Temple Bliley.
The two men leaned over the rail
-011 the pier at Port Tampa, and watch
ed a school of angel fish float through
the limpid green waters. Now and
then a sudden splash drew their eyes
to a line of outlying piles, as one in
the row if placid pelicans plunged
heavily beneath the waves, to flounder
out again with a sea trout that shone
silver where the sun struck it. The
air from the shore, fragrant with the
scent of orange blossoms, mingled
with the salt breezes from the Gulf
There was a rose, fresh picked, in
Herrick's buttonhole* and Alexander
wore white duck.
“Not much like Christmas," said the
little man.
But Herrick was looking off toward
the horizon, where a faint line of
smoke was etched against the sunset,
and he did not answer.
"No horns, no holly, no snow, no
crowds,” Alexander complained. ‘‘Just
palms and palmettos, poinsettas and
pineapples. Herrick, did you ever
notice how alliterative Florida is 7
When I write my book I shall call
it the land of moss, moccasins and
miasma, of yachts. Yankees and
yams—. Oh, listen, isn’t this great,
"Where are the yams of yester
year ”
Herrick broke in rudely on the
other’s nonsense. “My wife is on that
steamer,” he said, still watching the
line of smoke.
"Yes?” said Alexander, as politely
as Is possible for a man interrupted in
the midst of an inspiration.
"I haven’t seen her for nearlv a
year,” said Herrick.
“Pick?” asked the journalist.
"No.”
"Sightseeing?”
"No.”
“Hum—separation?” Alexander put
In his hand lay bulky letter and within the gold of a biiby’y curl.
the question Jokingly, then had the
grace to blush at his bad taste.
But Herrick did not seem to re
sent his curiosity. “Yes, we sepa
rated,” he said, slowly, “and she
doesn’t know I am to be here, but I
couldn’t wait."
He was straining his eyes toward
the distant black dot, his big figure
drawn up to its fullest hight. His
hat was ofE and the evening wind
blew against his strong, eager face
end ruffled the dark red curls on his
massive head.
Alexander dropped down on a pile
of cordage and wrote things in his
not book.
"Oh, sit down,” he urged Herrick
presently, "sit down. If you stand
like that until the boat gets here
you'll petrify. Sit down.”
Herrick gfave a short laugh. “I
believe lam excited,” he said, “but
then you know I haven’t seen her for
a year.”
“Her. ? Who?” Alexander said ab
stractedly; he was deep in his notes
again. "Oh, your wife. Is she pret
ty?"
“She is beautiful.” There was a long
pause, during which Alexander still
scribbled and Herrick gazed across
the dividing waters. Then he broke
out fervently, “Jove! she was lovely
that last night, with her eyes blazing
and her cheeks as red as fire. I don’t
know she Wad it in her. I might as
well tell you all about it,” he went
on - "I've got to talk to somebody,
and If you won't listen I'll talk to the
little fishes.”
"Oh, let the fishes off,” said Alex
ander, resignedly and put up his pen-
Hut Herrick did not begin at once.
Instead ho struck his hand into an
loner pocket and brought out a blue
l<th*r case. He touched a spring
with ids thumb.
'That's her t'hrlstmas present,” he
*ld, and held It toward hla staring
friend.
"Diamonds ?'* cried th* little man.
"You bloated millionaire!”
"No,”* said Herrick quietly. "I am
bottling of the kind. lam a rising
**wyer on a small income.”
"Then how—*'
' Hid I get them? I worked for
them, saved f,r them, staved for them,
You see h was shout a diamond neck*
laic that ws quarreled ”
"Just think of If, Alexander. My
w|f md | married for two years, |
loving verb other deeply, living eutti
fortfably and economically on two
thousand a year, quarreled about a
ne ,vS“ lce ’ quarreled and separated.”
_\vhose necklace?”
Nobod yy. j ust a necklace that
never had been and never could be
at least, it seemed so then.”
Alexander stared at him blankly.
Oh, say that over again,” he said,
tt sounds mixed somehow."
Herrick explained patiently.
_ * **a d dined out just a year ago,
on Christmas night. It was Viola's
planning, for I had wanted to eat our
own turkey at our own table. There
was a woman there with a diamond
necklace—one of those big blonde friv
olities, who made me feel as if I want
ed to build a fence around my wife,
but Viola raved over her, over her
govvn, over her beauty and over the
necklace.
"I hated to hear her. She was so
sweet herself—all in white, with the
string of pearls that her father gave
her as a wedding present—you know
Viola s people were well off, and she
sacrificed a lot to marry me, but there
was the love, you know, and that
counted ” His voice trailed off into
silence, and Alexander cleared his
throat sympathetically. For a little
while the two stared at the dark spot,
growing gradually larger against the
dull red sky—the dark spot with the
smoky steamer, the incoming ship.
“AH the way home Viola talked of
that woman and the necklace, and
well, it spoiled my evening. But when
we reached our home I helped her to
take off her wraps, and then I drew
a big chair' in front of the fire, and
took her in my arms ”
Again there was a long silence, un
til Alexander broke it.
“Well?”
Herrick shook himself out of his
dream.
“It meant so much to me, who had
so long been homeless—our little home,
so I had bought it without her knowl
edge and had waited until we should
be alone to tell her of it—and then —
then before I could say a word of all
that was in my heart, she asked a
question—this question, ‘When we are
rich will you get me a diamond neck
lace, Bob!’
“It wasn’t what I had expected,
Alex. Perhaps that will explain all
that followed. I answered sharply
that I didn’t know that she cared for
such things, and that I thought it un
just that she should complain when
she knew I was poor. Oh, I said all
of the fool things, Alexander, that a
man says when he is tired and dis
appointed. and has been dragged out
to a social function that he hates.
And all the time she looked at me with
her big eyes, and said over and over
again. 'I didn't mean that. Bob, you
know I didn’t mean that.’ But she
couldn't explain what she did mean,
and before %ve knew It we were In a
hot quarrel, and we both said things
that stung—stung like thorns.”
He paced back and forth excitedly.
“Sit down," commanded Alexander
again. "I will not listen to a man who
acts like a wild beast.”
Herrick flung himself beside him.
“Somehow we could never straighten
It out—that quarrel of a poor man and
a poor woman over a necklace which
was only a hypothesis. Oh, It was ab
surd, but now I know why the di
vorce courts are full—lt Is the little
things. She was disillusioned, nnd I
knew It; I was disappointed, and she
knew It.
"At last, one evening In the late
spring, she came to me with a white
face nnd told me that her people were
going to spend a few months at their
country home. She would like to go
with them, she faltered—they had ask
ed her. Then I whirled around on her.
“ 'You want to leave me?’ I asked.
'"Just for a little while,’’ she plead
ed. ’I can’t stand this, nob.'
“If I had only tried to keep her then.
Alexander, but I Just stood still and
looked at her. It took the life right
out of me to know that she wanted
to go—wanted to go sway from ms. I
drugged out my ehsck book and wrote
a eheck and handed It to her, and then
she flared up.
" 'Oh, I don’t want your monay,
Hob, How dare you!’ And fill’ll she
went away and left ms dssad."
The smokestacks of the ileantei
wera plainly visible, as she ploughed
a> roaa the sunset. At her stem wae a
gulden wake, while bar how out into
SAVANN AH MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY. DECEMBER 18 1904.
the gray of darkening waters. The
wharf was beginning to take on little
activities of preparation. A half dozen
negroes sauntered up, the lights of
vehicles showed on the road from
Tampa, and smart little groups of peo
ple gathered, their Christmas greet
ings sounding unreal and theatrical
in the tropical twlight.
Herrick lowered his voice.
“Well, I let her go and she stayed
all summer, and then in the fall they
all went to Havana, and not once did
she send for me. And then I began to
see that there was only one thing to
do to win her pardon—and that was
to buy her a diamond necklace. I
sold the little house, and I worked
hard, and I have It—not such a one
as that blonde creature wore, but still
a necklace. I was going to send it to
her, but heard in a roundabout way
that they were coming home on this
boat, and so I came to meet it.”
“Do you think she will make up?”
“I don't know. I only know that
I want to see her—that I shall never
let her go again if she comes.”
The outline of the ship was almost
lost in the purple shades of the night,
but her twinkling lights shone like
stars.
Alexander pondered.
“Don’t give her the necklace, old
man,” he said.
Herrick gazed at him frowningly.
“Why not?” he demanded. “Wasn’t
It what she wanted?”
“Oh, Lord, no,” groaned Alexander;
“it wasn’t discontent that made her
wish for it, but just a woman's air
castle for the future, and you couldn’t
see the difference.”
“But she wanted one.”
"No, she didn’t. She wanted you
to want her to have one.”
Herrick put his hand to his head.
“Only a woman or a writer could
understand the distinction, Alexan
der.”
“It’s a woman’s way,” went on the
wise little man. "They will do with
out things cheerfully, but they want
a man to think that they should have
everything from airships to automo
biles.”
Under the glare of the deck lights
they caught the flutter of a white
veil, as 1 woman leaned over the rail.
“Don’t give her the diamonds, Her
rick.” Alexander stood up and laid
his hand affectionately on his friend’s
shoulder. “It would be adding insult
to injury. You will find that she
wants you—not the old
man.”
Into Herrick's eyes came a look
that made the little man wince. It
was the soul-hungry demand of the
lover for his life's mate, and Alex
ander felt for the moment the pang of
his lonely bachelorhood.
“She is coming, my own, my
sweet.” Herrick’s voice was uplift
ed. “I never cared much for poetry,
Alexander. I leave such things to you
literary fellows; but Tennyson struck
It sometimes. ’My heart would hear
her and beat, had it lain for a century
dead—would start and tremble under
her feet.”
The shadow of the great hulk loom
ed through the darkness. The pas
sengers crowded to her sides, and
Herrick's eyes flashed from figure to
figure, seeking the one woman.
“There is a tan rain coat—Viola had
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a coat like that. No, that's not Viola,
Her hair was dark, not peroxide,
thank heaven. Can you see that wom
an’s face, the one with the red hat?
Walt—wait, until she turns around—
no, that’s not Viola. Where do you
suppose she is? She isn't there, Alex
ander.”
The gangplank was down, and In
the square of light on the lower deck
was the waiting crowd. The first to
touch the pier was a dark-haired boy,
but Herrick's eyes went over him to
the veiled and cloaked femininity be
yond. He searched the faces eagerly
at first, then anxiously, then wearily.'
“She didn’t come,” lie said, as the
last one straggled out. “She didn’t
come, Alexander. What shall I do?”
He was like a child in his disappoint
ment.
But Alexander would not give up
hope. “She may have stayed on board
for some reason. Let’s go and look.”
They went through the gorgeous
ness of the ship's saloon. A question
to the stewardess ended their search.
“No, indeedy; no lady by dat name
on dls boat.”
Alexander, walking behind his
friend down the length of the pier,
noted the hopeless droop of the big
man’s frame then suddenly there was
an alert lift of the lion-like head, as
Herrick shot forward and caught by
the shoulder the young stripling who
had first left the ship, and who now
stood where a swinging light fell
across his face.
Chafing 1 Dish Sweets
for Holiday Nights
BY MRS. O. B. BUNCE.
The old-fashioned candy-pull has
been practically supplanted by
chafing dish functions for holiday
week. A young girl always looks her
best when concocting toothsome dain
ties In this very modern and eminent
ly satisfactory article of household
equipment, which has something to do
with the change.
In the first place, everything must
be in readiness for use the moment
it is needed. Have, the dining-room
table covered with white oilcloth which
can be purchased at any house-hold
furnishing store for 29 cents a yard.
By all means avoid lace or paper
doilies, which have caused many
shocking accidents at chafing dish
functions. For a large party have two
chafing dishes, one at each end of the
table with a bottle of wood alcohol
on a side stand, from which to re
plenish the alcohol lamps. Scatter
along the sides of the table a bowl of
English walnuts, one of hickorynuts,
another of peanuts, and still another
of the delicious creamy butternuts.
Beside each bowl should be two nut
crackers, a nut pick and a deep sau
cer to receive the kernels. These are
much more apt to come out of the
shell whole if the nuts are cracked
from end to end. When only a few
guests are to participate in the candy
making, the nut kernels should be
taken from the shells beforehand.
In the next place read your receipts
through carefully and make sure you
have not forgotten any of the ingre
dients, including a bottle of vanilla
and some baking soda, which will
make the molasses candy a lighter
yellow if a teaspoonful is stirred In
just before the mixture is poured into
the tins to cool. On a side stand must
be a pitcher of ice water, a small dish
of butter and one of flour for use when
the pulling begins. You will need any
number of cake tins which should be
well greased and piled in pairs fac
ing each other. Do not fall to supply
plenty of clean towels.
In the center of the table place a
punch bowl filled with delicately but
tered and salted popcorn. When the
candy making Is finished, cook a pint
of molasses and two tablespoonfuls
of butter until the mixture strings on
the spoon, add a teaspoonful of va
nilla and pour over the popcorn. Take
the popcorn from the bowl in handfuls
and form into balls.
French Cream Candy—For half a
cup of cream, fresh and sweet, allow
two cupfuls of powdered sugar and a
quarter of a pound of candled fruits,
with one square of sweetened choco
late and half a small cupful of blanch
ed almonds cut in strips. Put the
cream and sugar together Into chafing
dish blazer. Stir Just enough to dis
solve the sugar, then place over the
alcohol cup. 801 l up quickly and con
tinue the boiling for five minutes long
er. Place the blazer in a pan of cold
water and whip the mixture until it is
stiff enough to hold candied fruit. Di
vide into three parts. Add the can
died or crystallzed French fruits (cut
into bits) to one part, flavor the second
with a teaspoonful of the soft melted
chocolate, and color the third with
pink vegetable coloring bought of a
dealer In confectioner's supplies, and
then stir In the shredded almonds.
Line a bread pan with paraffine pa
per, and first pour very evenly the
white layer, then the chocolate, and
finally the pink. Stand in a cool place
until very firm; cut into even slices
or blocks. Slices should be further
divided Into strips.
Christmas Maple Fudge—Fudge
has become almost a household word,
but the sweetmeat can be converted
into a holiday novelty by introducing
n combination of nuts with cocoanut.
The best nuts for the purpose are
pecans and English walnuts, which
require to be shelled and chopped.
The cocoanut should be perfectly
fresh, peeled and cut Into tiny strips.
It is not possible to give the exact
quantity of either nuts or cocoanut, as
tastes vary, but to get the best results
they should be in equal proportions,
generously used. For a good founda
tion allow one and a half cupfuls of
grated maple sugar to half a cupful
of cream. Put both together In the
blazer and bring to a boll. Cook until
the syrup spins a hair, then add butter
the size of a ißrge walnut, and when
well-mixed heat until the mixture be
gins to grain. Htlr in the nuts and
cocoanut. turn Into a greased pan, and
when It Is cool, yet not firm, mark Into
squares. If the mixture of nuts and
ciM'oanuts Is not liked, either butter
nuts or English walnuts can he sub
stituted. These small square* are
often neatly wrapped In paraffine pa
per, and by this means the candy is
kept soft.
Molasses Candy—Measure one cup
ful of light brown sugar and put In
the blaser with two cupfuls of New
Orleans molasses, a tablespoonful of
vlnegur and a lump of batter about
one-fourth the else of an egg. Holl
without stirring until the syrup be
“Where is Viola?" demanded Her
rick.
“Why, Bob Herrick,” cried the boy.
“How did you get here?”
"I ame for Viola,” said the big
man, briefly. “Alexander, this is my
wife's brother. Where is your sister,
Don?”
"She sent you this,” he said. “I
was to take it to you in New York.
Who would have thought of meeting
you here?” He seemed a bit embar
rassed, and turned to Alexander with
a conventional remark, “I've had a
Jolly trip over—fine weather all
through.”
"Did you " but Alexander never
finished the question, for Herrick
drew him hastily aside.
“She has sent me a Christmas pres
ent, Alex,” he said unsteadily. "Look
here.”
In his hand lay a bulky letter scrib
bled thick with feminine writing, and
within the letter was a bit of pink
paper, and within the paper a shining
wisp—the gold of a baby’s curl.
"She wants me to come to her and
to him,” Herrick was transformed.
His excitement had left him, but his
eyes shone with the steady light of
assured happiness. “She says, ‘How
silly we were, Bob. how ‘silly we
were.’ ” His laugh had a sob in It.
“I am going by return boat." Then
he thrust the blue leather ease into
Alexander’s hands. “Keep it for me,
Alex. She won’t want it. She wants
me, and I want her. thank God—and
the boy.”
comes brittle when dropped into ice
water. Then pour in shallow, well
greased pans and let It stand until It
can be handled comfortably when the
delicate part of the process begins.
Confectioners make use of a big hook
on which to hang Ihe candy. To pro
duce the same results, each portion
should be worked by two people, one
so holding the hands as to take the
place of (he hook, the other throwing
the candy over them and pulling it
out, but taking care never to twist It
When too stiff to be worked further,
stretch it out on a pastry board and
break Into pieces.
Panocha —This* sweetmeat Is at the
best when pecan nuts can be obtained,
although other nuts, such as walnuts,
English or black, butternuts, or even
Brazil nuts, can be substituted. To
two cupfuls of grated maple sugar
allow one cupful of granulated sugar
and one of milk, with a level teaspoon
ful of butter and one half pint of pe
can meats. Put the granulated sugar
In the blazer and stir until It melts
and becomes slightly brown. Then add
the milk, the butter and the maple
sugar, and boll all together until the
mixture forms what Is known as a
soft ball when dropped In cold water.
Add the nuts and stir until the syrup
begins to thicken. Pour at once Into
buttered nans and stand aside until
cool. Mark off Into squares, and when
quite cold break apart.
Crystallzed Fruits and Nuts—The
best fruits for the Christmas season
are oranges and English walnuts. To
make the syrup put into a porcelain
kettle one cupful of granulated sugar
with half a gill of water, boll until the
syrup becomes brittle when dropped
into ice water. Have ready the oranges
divided Into sections, and the walnut
meats in perfect halves. Set the
saucepan containing the syrup Into
another pan partly filled with boiling
water to keep hot. Stick each bit of
orange or each nut on the point of a
fine skewer and dip into the syrup so
as to coat It thoroughly. Then lay
It on a lightly oiled dish until cold and
firm.
Peanut Brittle—Select freshly
roasted peanuts. Shell, skin and split
in halves of sufficient number to yield
one and one half cupfuls Then spread
the nuts evenly over a shallow, greas
ed pan. Put one cupful of genuine
dark molasses and one cupful of
brown sugar in the blazer of the
chafing dish. Add one tablespoonful
of vinegar and one generous table
spoonful of butter and boll until the
mixture becomes crisp on being drop
ped into cold water. Add a scant
teaspoonful of baking soda, mix
thoroughly and pour over the nuts.
Stand in a cold place where It will
harden quickly, and when very hard
■break into pieces. Home-made pea
nut brittle surpasses the factory brand.
Maple Sugar Candy—For one cup
ful of cream allow one of milk and
one pound of pure maple sugar. Break
the sugar into bits and put all the In
gredients together in the blazer. Stir
the mixture steadily as it boils, and
when it will harden on being dropped
into iee water, stir In a generous quan
tity of black walnut meats broken into
small bits. Pour Into a greased pan
to the depth of an inch, and when cold
break Into Irregular pieces. When the
nuts are not added to the mixture the
candy Is excellent for small children.
Caramels au Cafe —For one pound
of sugar allow half a rup of strong
cold coffee and one cupful of sweet
cream. 801 l the coffee and sugar until
they form a syrup, then add the cream
and continue boiling until the mixture
hardens when dropped into lee water.
Stir in a teaspoon ful of butter, and
when well blended turn In shallow
pans which have been greased with
olive oil. When sufficiently hardened
mark off into squares and let stand
until perfectly firm. To make the
coffee, pulverize a sufficient quantity
to yield two and o half heaping table
spoonfuls. Put into any drip coffee
pot. and pour over it one cupful of
boiling water.
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The Old-Time Gtirlstmas
BY ETHEL BARRINGTON.
Copyright, 1904, by Ethel Barrington.
Lesbla re-read her letter. The last
paragraph almost shook her determi
nation.
"Do come,” it ran. “Mother says she
Is growing old. and wants an old
time Christmas with her children—
don’t let us think the horrid world
and success have stolen you away.
Have no fear of meeting Rodger. He
is as much a stranger here as your
self—"
An old-time Christmas! There was
magic in the phrase. Six years she
had been out in the world, struggling
for existence and recognition. Now
success, in a measure, was attained.
Her name was a "head liner” in the
vaudeville theaters. She had reaped
money and position, yet she was pin
ing for the old farm, which she had
not visited in years, not since her
quarrel with Rodger Radnor, the
young farmer, who had held that a
woman's place was at home, unless
necessity drive her to the market of
work.
He had been young, and dogmatic,
Lesbia equally determined, and the
break had followed. Suddenly as she
sat with eyes half closed, the past
years looked weary and profitless. An
old-time Christmas! Surely any sac
rifice was light that could give her
such a pleasure! Impulsively she
wrote, canceling the holiday week at
the theater, to the Indignation of her
agent.
On Christmas Eve Lesbla reached
her home. She wrapped her furs close
ly, as she stepped from the wagon and
gave directions for the care of her
trunk. The door was flung open at
the sound of wheels, and a cloud of
happy faces peered out and shouted
a welcome. She was drawn into the
warm glow and surrounded. The
heavy-beamed kitchen was gay with
holly and boughs of evergreens; the
table laden with steaming dishes.
1 /eshla—you—”
“It's not changed one bit!” cried
Lesbia tremulously, as her mother
clung to her hand.
“Can't say the same for your, Les
bia,” remarked her sister, a stout,
rosy mother of half a dozen children,
as she admired Lesbia’s gown. It was
plained than her own. but she recog
nized its perfection of detail. “You
are city clean through,” she decided
half regretfully.
“Hush,” said Lesbia. "Let us be
gin where we left off. I’ve never been
away—never. Only my memory Is
bad, and you must remind me of
everything that has happened.” This
the children proceeded to do, and the
sisters found It difficult to have a word
together. The men soon followed,
and then the family gathered around
the table, the mother at the head, her
face shining with pride and happiness.
Father cracked Jokes and chuckled op
posite. Lesbia listened and answered
as if In a dream. Had they been go
ing on Just the same always, and she
alone had missed it all? She started
at the sound of steps outside. It seem
ed to her that Rodger must be com
ing, as of old.
“Don't eat much now, Aunt I>s
bla,” advised a small nephew consid
erately. “Save yourself for to-mor
row. The turkey is as big as me, and
the pudding—’’
"Everybody Is to stir It after sup
per," explained little Polly, "and make
a wish. What will yours be ” The
blue eyes looked up inquiringly. Les
bia stooped and kissed her. “I don't
know. What should you advise?”
Polly puckered her brows. “Wish
that you get your own true beau.
Aunt Kittle did at Hallowe'en, and she
got him.”
"Polly!” Kittle's cheeks reddened In
confusion, while the good looking
young fellow by her side laughed. "I
didn’t, Ned, Indeed," she protested
earnestly. Polly perceived her blun
dsr.
“I'm real sorry, Aunt Kittle —hon-
est I thought everybody knew.” The
mirth lasted until the meal was finish
ed. Afterwards, each solemnly stirred
the pudding, mother standing guard,
that no baby fingers made It heavy by
turning the wrong way. How often
Lesbia had performed the ceremony In
other days. “Wish—wish hard,” cau
tioned F’oilv.
“I wish—for an old-time Christ
mas,” breathed Leshla softly and
passed the spoon to Kittle, who,
blushing, called for Ned's assistance
in the rite,
l-esbla made her escape to Ihe old
fashioned parlor, where the tree was
being set up. Only the “grown-ups"
were admitted, though the tree was
an open secret to th* youngsters.
Then followed a lively time, stringing
pop-corn and hanging Unset. Next
came the presents tied with scarlet
ribbon, then candles, and the hundred
tilings that make a Christmas tree
beautiful, lesbia was won absorbed,
throwing all her energy and imagina
tion into the task.
"It's done"' she cried, fastening a
glittering star on the highest point,
bur prised St the silence, six found the
others had deserted sit but Ned and
Ktme. who wars whispering In fha
alcove. Lesbia sympathetically with
drew and was about to enter the sit
ing-room, when she caught sight of
Hannah In her husband's arms. After
twelve years they were still lovers!
"I guess it’s the kitchen," she ad
mitted to herself, but paused In the
entry. Her father held a scrap of mis
tletoe above her mother, as she tied
the pudding cloth and stole a kiss.
"Job, If you ain’t foolish," the old
wife laughed, tenderly. Her daughter’s
eyes were dim, as she took a shawl
from the peg and stepped out Into the
night. It had been snowing, but the
moon shone brilliantly. “I only am
alone! Was It worth the sacrifice?”
Her heart ached with the question.
"Lesbla—you—” Raising her head
she saw Rodger Radnor before her.
Rodger, but changed even as she, with
the passuge of years.
“Rodger—l heard you never came
here—l —”
“I hungered for sight of someone
who knew you. who had seen you—”
His voice trembled as he caught her
hands In his own.
“I came for an old-time Christmas,”
explained Lesbla a little unsteadily.
"For old friendship’s sake make one
of us—to-morrow.”
! "To-morrow—always 1f you will.
Lesbia. I was ignorant, a fool, to think
life here could satisfy you, knowing
your gifts and ambition. But that Is
over. I have enough to give you all
you crave. I'll not stand In your light,
but rather help you In your career."
Lesbia smiled through her tears. “I,
too, am wiser. A career fills and satis
fies the head—but It leaves the heart
empty—while love—”
Down the road floated voices of the
village choir, making Its rounds with
hymn and carol.
“Lesbla, give me the old troth, tha
old faith. What does anything mat
ter—l love you, dear.”
“I am happy—so happy," sighed
Lesbia presently, with Rodger's arms
a cloak of warmth about her. The
voices sounded wondrous sweet in the
night air.
“Peace on earth, and good will to
wards men.”
MAUD HLIZA’I 1)01,1-
I s'pose that Hanty will bring me
A bran’ now doll, most sweet to see;
And I’ll be glad enough, I guess.
For I’m Just kind of sick of Bess,
That's my old doll, you know, and she
Is getting shaby as can be.
Oh, my! But what Is this I hear
Why, Bess, what makes you cry bo,
dear?
Why, bless your lovely heart, did you
Think that I meant it, honest true?
No, no, my darling Ittsy dove,
'Twas only just a Joke, my love.
I don’t care how plain you are dressed,
You’ll always be your mamma’s best.
There’s Health
HIE
Various experiments by enl>
nent scientists harn provaa
the (Treat rain* of lentous la
destroying the pirmi of ty
Phold fever*. Germ* of dbh
eases ore deposited In the
system by the failure of the
bowels to act regular!*,
MOZLKY'B LEMON
11l I* an Ideal laxative, made
from the Juice of pure Icm
on*, and haa no equal foe
cleansing the system of all
Impurities. It acta prompt,
ly on the bowels, Uvcr and
kidneys, and does not gripe
or cause any unpleasantness,
10 cents per bottle at all drug
stores.
LEMON HOT DROPS
CUItE ALL CO ROUS AND
COLDS.
MOZLETS
LEMON ELIXIR
29