Show J r M EZED One Christmas in the Mountains By EARL MARBLE f i J I I y 0 I Copyright Two or three days before tho holy holiday as Christmas has not Inaptly been termed l the dense almost sol Idsnow clouds settled set-tled down over the Rocky mountains I and the adjacent region as though burying thorn mountain d o e p 1o with the feathery flakes that came a silently and swirl Ingly down steadily stead-ily and persistent Tv2t f ly ousy as thought 41ft iU building a now I L W 1fk t range of mountains i moun-tains of solid and P4xq never a nding pearl stretching away seemingly In any endless chain and y creeping up toward to-ward tho zenith In A an ambition to z 71 outdo Nature herself r her-self Watersprouts have been known In a few moments of time to inundate Inun-date valleys and r oven hills themselves IVJ I rf them-selves and such n display of the forces of Nature as this seemed to be a snowspout if such a word may be coined Just before entering the snowy realm on an eastbound train Harold Lancaster had telegraphed to Uollyvllle n pretty little village In Illinois that ho was on his way home and would be there in season to assist as-sist in the church festivities on Christmas Christ-mas after Which tho train had plunged into tho mountain region Ho did not know that his telegram was not sent as before It was dispatched tho wires had broken under the weight of tho snow and allcommunication with the east was suspended The train plunged ahead assisted occasionally by a convenient con-venient snowplow and was making fair progress toward tho summit wnere It was expected It woum meet with less obstruction than on the western slope Harold had gono on a trip up through the wonderful Canadian country In the fall promising to return re-turn to assist In giving a Christmas entertainment In the church of which Edith Lowell his sweetheart was the soprano as ho was the tenor Ho had written a little musical skit in which ho was to essay tho part of n trumpeter and messenger to announce to the Christian worldor the soon tobe Christian world tho birth of the Saviour and his announcement of that event was to be greeted by tho beautiful soprano voice of Miss Lowell Low-ell In a welcoming aria which haG been composed with particular reference refer-ence to her exquisite method of birdlike bird-like trillings which was one of the features of her voice that made her so popular with those who listened to her voice Sunday after Sunday As Christmas approached and day after day passed without any word being received from young Lancaster she seemed burled In gloom as deeply as were the foothills and even the peaks as well as the canyons of the great dividing range of the country All this time out In tho Rocky mountains a train was creeping along slowly and a muffled tenor voice was murmuring almost muttering In occasional oc-casional volclngs A son Is born to the Highest and again Glory Hallelujah Halle-lujah as though In rehearsal of the event In tho little church In Holly vllle At last Christmas eve arrived and the congregation In their seats were expectant The choir singers seemed to take their cue from Miss Lowell and a small modicum of success only was anticipated Everybody was ready for the start and there was a pause Tho blast on the trumpet sounded which was the signal for Edith to rise and be ready to greet the tenor announcement If only Harold were hero she said sotto voice as sho arose It will bo hard for me to sing It She stood expectantly I havo no inspiration < inspi-ration without Harold Following tho trumpet signal a flg ure appeared In tho distance but Edith did not havo the heart to look There seemed to be a little commotion commo-tion 0 dear sho exclaimed I hope that end of it will not fall also as I fear this will Then a clear ringing voice sounded forth which acted on Edith like an electric battery A son Is born to the Highest she heard which was followed by Glory Hallelujah taken up by both choir and congregation Her Inspiration had arrived Sho knew the voice so well and her heart leaped as her voice rang out in the opening notes of lor aria which In turn was so inspiring that it brought tho entire audience to its feet and all remained standing In deference to her sweet delivery of tho words and notes alike It was a great triumph said tub old pastor as ho was being congratulated congratu-lated And lovo was the keynote said i knowing young deacon Yes love toGod said the pastor And to man added the deacon |