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Show a p1l 1 tt 6y Jgnes Ayers " " .HE HE . HE doorbell , , Amand Amandal Amanda tl < ! It Itmay ItJJJ Itmay "THE THE may be the man with Wlti ) thehobby the thehobby thehobby JJJ hobby horse , " cried Natal1e Natalie Natal1eParker NatalieParker NatalieParker Parker , as Sh sue gathered up R n a con confused confused confused fused heap hcap of Christmas ribbons and andgay andgay andgay gay colored wrappings wrappmgs strewn about aboutthe aboutthe aboutthe the sitting roomThere roomThere room roomThere There Thereas \\as as ttas \ \ as a sound of qUIck qUIckstampmg quickstamping quickstamping stampmg stamping and crunching of boots onthe on onthe onthe the sciaper scraper The old servant opened openedthe openedthe openedthe the front door and a man set sct an anenormous anenormous anenormous enormous package packnge in the hall said saidsomethmg saidsomethmg saidsomething somethmg about the blustermg blustering blustermgsnowstorm blusteringsnowstorm blusteringsnowstorm snowstorm and was gone . . As the woman carried c'lrrled clrrled ' the pack package package package age in to Natalie , a chirpy clurpy sound of offunny offunny offunny funny little tinkling tmklmg music Issued Issuedfrom issuedfrom issuedfrom from the bulky bundle . Her black blackeyes blackeyes blackeyes eyes snapped with delight as she shecut shecut shecut cut the heavy cordsOut cordsOut cords cordsOut Out tumbled a hobbyhorse , a ahandsome ahandsome ahandsome handsome fellow with a leather leatherbrIdle leatherbridle leatherbridle brIdle , a white , woolly 13mb1th lamb 13mb lambithbutton s \\1th 1th \\ithbutton ithbutton \ 1thbutton \ \ ith ithbutton button eyes and a bell on his neck ; a long eared rabbit rabbituth rabbitlth \uth uth \\lth lth tcith \ \ a perky perkytall perkytail perkytail tall tail ; and a queer qucer little whImsIcal whImsIcaltop whimsicaltop whimsicaltop top that seemed to laugh with merry merrymusic merrymusic merrymusic music every time bme it was moved movedThere movedThere movedThere There was a wispy angora cap just justbIg justbig justbig bIg enough for a baby , and a tinywhite tmy tiny tmywhite tinywhite white muff , oh , so little , of real fur furWIth furwith furv/ith furv ith WIth / a tippet to matchAmanda matchAmanda match matchAmanda Amanda gasped ! "All All "AIl AIl " 'cm cm 'em em ' Chris- Chris Chrismas Chris-mas Chris mas - . - mas gifsl glfsl grfsl No one cep'm cepm cep'in cepin ' ' you , . MIs Mrs MIsN MrsNatly MisNatly N Natly a tly , \ would ould ever eer eter e\ e \ er think of sech sechthmgs sechthings sechthings thmgs things ' I jes yes hopes 'em em ' Harlow Harlowchillun Harlowchillun Harlowchillun chillun 'preciates preciates 'preclates preclates ' the-the- the thethebut the-the the the - - the - " " but buther buther buther her voice wavered The sleeve of ofher ofher ofher her alpaca frock brushed across acrosstear acrosstear acrosstear tear dimmed eyes as she picked plckcd up upthe upthe upthe the crumpled brown wrappings and andfled andfled andfled fled from the roomEarly roomEarly room roomEarly Early next net " , morning Natalie Natnhe set- set settled set settled t- t ttied - tled tied back in a train tram tor for a five hour hourrIde hourride hourride rIde , her heart brimming bnmmmg with hap hap- happmess happiness happiness - piness pmess pinessMany pmessMany Many changes had come over the theyung theyoung theyoung yung young ? girl's girls glrl's glrls ' ' life hfe Edith , her olderIII older older"Why I , .t t III . ----.I .I - _ - - - fi11 fi11.I . .Ii f.jjit'T'y , f.jjit fjjit . - k L _ 'T'y Ty ' ' 't t ' . = - Y4- Y4 Y4M - : ! M 7--- 7 " - = - ) ' 4 : 74 t ' r1 ' i ( f ( . , " ' ' J1 . 1)Jj7 1Jj7 ) II : ' 1 ' c1 1 _ r.l rl . \ q j 4 i 'If/ 'If If ' / 'Ifr.l _ - . } J e : ! 3 , m1'L m1L ! " ' , . - "Why Why "Shy Shy " , " , Natalie Parker ! " I\.clalmed I.clalmed I .clalmed clalmed Etclaimed Etclaimedthe I.clalmedthe : Exclaimedthe ' \ . the Dumfounded DumCoundcd Youthsister Youth Youthsister sister slster , married Arnold Harlow and andlived andlived andlived lived in m Hillsboro HllIsboro Her house ad adJomed adjoined adjoined Jomed joined the lovely old rambling rambhng stone stonehomestead stonehomestead stonehomestead homestead where Benjamin BenJamm Parker Parkera , , a widower wldo\\er wldo er \ \ lived with his daughterNatalie daughter daughterNatalle daughterNatalie Natalle Natalie and the faithful Atnanda Amanda AtnandaWhen AmandaWhen AmandaWhen When Mr Parker p passed rssed < a.ay aay away awayNatalie a.ayNatalie awayNatalie . Natalie closed the house andent and \\ent ent sent sentto \ wentto \ entto to teach kindergarten in m Boston BostonAmanda BostonAmanda BostonAmanda Amanda Amandaent \ went \\ent ent sent \ with herThe herThe her herThe The tram train dashed along through througha a whirling whnlmg snowstorm Deep in the thetender thetender thetender tender mood of reminiscent remmlscent reverIe reverieNatalie , NatalIe fell asleep"Hlllsboro asleep"HillsboroHillsboro asleep asleep"HiUsboro "HlllsboroHlllsboro "Hillsboro-Hillsboro "Hillsboro Hillsboro "HiUsboro HiUsboro "Hlllsboro Hlllsboro " ' ' -Hlllsboro Hlllsboro - Hillsboro " ' " She a\ a avakened aakened awakened \ ' akened with a bound boundClutchmg boundClutching boundClutching Clutchmg Clutching her grip a box of barley barleycandy barleycandy barleycandy candy , . and almost dragging draggmg the thecumbersome thecumbersome thecumbersome packNatalie cumbersome and unwieldy pack , , NatalIe , still shlI half asleep , stepped steppedout steppedout steppedout out at the very end e'ld eld e'id eid ' ' of a long frosty frostyplatform frostyplatform frostyplatform platform . . A tall young ; } oung man in m a big fur furcoat furcoat furcoat coat wasavmg was waving \\avmg avmg saving \ good by to some someone someone someone Inhis one on the tram train as it pulled out In Inhis his excitement he took a long treestride free freestnde freestride stnde stride backwards on the platform platformand platformand platformand and crashed into mto Natalie Natahe NataheThe NatalieThe NatalieThe The tv tvo 0 o 0ent \ went \\ent ent \ down in m the dr drifted driftedsnow driftedsnow ted tedsno sno\/ sno snow snom \ / in m a heap The cord broke on the onthe the , onthe big bundle Helter HeIter skelter skeIter the themultitude themultitude themultitude multitude of Christmas g gifts ts scat scattered scattered tered m in every direction dlrechon They looked at each other in m bhnk blank blankastonishmentthen bhnkastoOlshmentthen blankastonishment astoOlshment-then astoOlshment then astonishment-then astonishment - then amazed recog recogmtJon recognation rccognition mtJon nation . , . ' Why WIlY . , Natalie NIt'lHe NItlHe NstalIe : ; ' Parkeri Parkerl Parker ! " g\sped g sped gasped gspedthe gaspedthe gaspedthe ' \ the dumbfounded youth"Bruce youth"Bruce youth youth"Bruce " " exclaimed the thebewlldcred thebewildered thebewildered "Bruce Bruce Draperl-exclalmed Draperl exclalmed Draper--exclaimed Draper exclaimed Draper ! ' - - - bewlldcred bewildered girl , actually spell spell- spellbound spellbound spellbound - bound boundFrom From somewhere in the snow snowcame snowcame snowcame came the sound of queer little rip- rip rippling rip rippling , - pling music . They looked at each eachother eachother eachother other again WIthwide with wide open eyes eyesthen , then burst into mto rollicking rolllckmg laughter . . They gathered up t the e wayward tvaytvard waywardto tvaytvardtoys waywardto3s to toys } , s and Bruce loaded them into his hiscar hiscar hiscar car With the tl1e girl beside him , a aI atriumphant atriumphant I trIUmphant smile played over his hisface hisface hisface face , and nnd they talked talh.ed talhed . excitedly excltedJy as astile asthe asthe tile the motor raced rnced over the hIlls"Mother hills"Mother hills hills"Mother "Mother Mother " : and md Aunt Em just left for forgrandfather's forgrandfather's forgrandfather's forgrandfathers grandfather's grandfathers ' farm and ' I'm Im ' gomg going gomgup goingup gomgup up tomorrow , but no now nos . tell me about aboutJ aboutyourself aboutyourself J yourself ourself , Natalie Nntalfe " . ' ' much muchfun muchfun muchfun Bruce , . surprises are so fun Edith doesn't doesnt ' know ' I'm Im ' com com- corn- corn coming cornlag coming - ing lag " Natalie Natahe got a real surprf surprise surprlce : e , how how- however however however - ever , in a n few moments , for no one onewas onewas onewas was home at her sister's sisters ' house houseMter houseAfter houseAfter Mter After repeated nngmg rmgmg ringing and pound pound- pounding poundmg pounding - ing mg . , she looked at Bruce in m rn dismayHer dismayHer dismay dismayHer Her ey eyes eyes s \ wandered andered \ toward the theParher theParker theParker Parher Parker home ' Oh , Bruce1 Bruce ' I have the keys ke } s of ofthe ofthe ofthe the stone house ' Let's Lets ' go over and andbulld andbuild andbuild bulld build a fire , \ we se e can at least keep keepwarm keepwarm warm \ \ arm until they comeVlth come " \ With \Vlth Vlth lo logs s from Harlow's Harlows Harlon's Harlons HarIotv's HarIotvs ' woodplle woodpile woodplleBruce woodpileBruce woodpileBruce Bruce soon had a roaring fire romp rompmg romping romping mg ing on the hearth They stood be- be before before be before - fore the flames , the girl's girls ' ' blond haIr haIr11h.e hairlike hairlike 11h.e 11he like . an aureole of gold framing her t1 : j , I , Bruce Soon Had a Roaring Roarmg : FIre FIreRompmg FireRomping FireRomping Rompmg Romping on the Hearth . , face , the man , tall talI and bronzed bronzedalert , alert and capable ' ' Let's Lets ' look through the house house"suggested housesuggested , , " suggested Natalie , leading leadmg the wayAt wayAt way wayAt At the turn on the stairs there therewas therewas was \ as a wonderful beehive window wmdow on onthe onthe onthe the landing landmg , and a friendly wmdow- wmdow window- window wmdowseat windowseat window-seat window seat - - seat They lifted ldted the lid lld Many ManyI Manythings Manythings thmgs things were stored in the seat"What's seat seat"What's "What's Whats " ' this box box9 ? ' Candle- Candle Candles- Candles CandleChnstmas CandlesChristmas Candles-Christmas Candles Christmas : . ' - Chnstmas Christmas candles candIes ' " called caned out outBruce outBruce outBruce Bruce ' Let's Lets ' light up the win wm- wm win- wmdows windows windows - dows " ' " , Back down stairs they dashed and andsoon andsoon andsoon soon the rambling ramblmg stone house was wasa wasa wasa a glitter ghtter of lights Bruceent Bruce \ went \\ent ent sent \ over overto overto overto to Harlow's Harlows ' to get some more logs logs.and logsand , . an.d and . returned with the wood and a apackage apackage apackage package ' Natalie , somebod somebody ) delivered deliveredthese deliveredthese deliveredthese these holly wreaths at Edith's Ediths ' , I Ifound Ifound Ifound found them at the back door We'll Well We'llput We'llput We'llput Wellput ' ' put them in m the windows wmdows Ho , ho- ho hoWhat's hoWhat's ho ' - What's Whats ' this this9 ? ' Mistletoe , too ' " 1 Here's Heres ' a footstool , Bruce , tack tach It Iton iton iton on the hall arch " . With a flutter of ecstasy Natahe Natalie Natahelooked Natalielooked Natalielooked looked up smilmg sm1lmg smiling , . , but the firm face faceof faceof faceof of Bruce Draper wore an expres expres- expresSlon expression expression - - sion Slon of grave appeal With a com com- combmatIon combination combination - bination bmatIon of strength and tenderness tendernesshe he took her in m his arms"Dear arms arms"Dear "Dear Dear " Natalie , this mistletoe is a asymbol asymbol asymbol symbol of the plighting phghtmg of love's loves love'stroth love'stroth love'stroth lovestroth ' troth " His Hisoice s \ \oice oice olce once trembledThere trembled trembledThere There was a moment of silence silencea , , s a momentof moment moment- - of mutual confidence and andunderstandmg andunderstanding andunderstanding understandmg understanding which had been al almost almost almost most instantaneous mstnntaneous Her blond head headrested headrested headrested rested in m the hollow of his shoulder shoulderThrough shoulderThrough shoulderThrough Through the half closed eyes warm warmtears warmtears warmtears tears gathered-hls gathered hls gathered-his his gathered - his words clung to toher toher toher her senses like 11h.e 11he . a benedictionThe benediction benedlchon * . . . The heavy front door swung open opensuddenly opensuddenly opensuddenly suddenly There stood Edith , Ar- Ar Arnold Arnold Ar Arnold - nold , little httle Phillip PhlIlIp and Peter-and Peter and Peterandtmy Peterandtiny Peter - andtiny tmy tiny Marjone Marjorie , looking lookmg in wonder , as asNatalIe asNatalie asNatalie NatalIe and Bruce awkwardly awk\/ardly awk ardly awktiardly \ / stam stam- stammered stammered stammered - - mered and nnd blushed in m confusion ' Well 1Vell , well , " chuckled Arnold , , ' ' t \ e saw the l1ghts-we-we l1ghts we lights-we-we lights lights - we - we thought thoughter thoughtcr -cr- cr -er- er - crand erand er - , " and crossing crossmg the hall hegripped he hegflpped hegripped gflpped gripped Bruce firmly with a frIendly frIendlyhand friendlyhand friendlyhand hand happyhearted , t while uhile hlle Edith kissed klssed her happy happyhearted happyhearted hearted sister slstcr ' Look here , Bruce , " said Arnold , , 'let's lets ' ' let's lets ' make this the reopening reopemng of ofthe ofthe ofthe the old homestead and send for forAmanda forAmanda torAmanda Amanda " . @ Western Newspaper Newsp:1per Newsp1per : Union Un10n e x\emrM x emrM xemrMNY \ ; NY / I Iw 'i i I'i ' w - ' - - - . , 'r r 'rx ' + / / x r\ r r'A ' \ 1 . { / 'A A ' r r r / e m mS S y yI I n , 7r r y yf , , 7 f / jtt\ jtt rjtt jttlVk ; ' \ 0 + i - r ) lVk lVkvrX , rr vrX / rf ' " ' fg } f y yda A da dacj cj % ' yr n"r nr " N . , at atw atf1 w f1 ' i : ; w wa a |