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Show SOUTH CACHE COURIER, HYRUM, UTAH Tke Spirit of Cnri ias By Robert Stead jfr'HE Widow Statelys home lay in a nook In the f Othllls o where the sun in came mornings up from the east. At noon he poured is No Party of down gently among the Third Part the evergreens that clothed the hillsides of her little farm, and In the evenings, before time for sunset on the plains below, he faded out in yellow splendor over stark white peaks that guarded the widows valley from the west. The Widow Stately had been a widow even when she came into that little nook in the foothills with her son Frank, a winsome lad of fourteen or thereabouts. Here they had dug In with their little herd of heifers, and Frank had plowed the valley field for oats and potatoes, and, wdth the help of a carpenter, they had built the house of spruce logs where a mountain stream gurgled lullabies in the still nights. At the end of the six years they were on their feet. The fields had extended ; the herd had grown ; the cream cans went down to town three times a week; there was new furniture in the log house and a lilt of song again in the widows heart. But one new pang was hers ; mother love could not quite stifle the pang when her handsome Frank rode out with the yellow-haire- d Allison girl from south of the ridge. At the end of that same six years came the war. And now the Widow Stately Is doubly a widow, and the Allison girl is old before her time. Down the valley a mile or more live the Freedmans. And Freddie Freedman, at fourteen, unhappily runs to mischief, as the sparks fly upward. Was it not Freddie who left the Stately gates open at Halloween? Was it not Freddie who unbolted the reach in the widows wagon? Who but Freddie transposed the front and rear wheels of her buckboard ? Who but Freddie shot the wild ducks which she was taming, and drank cream in her dairy whdn she had gone to town? And tonight, as a blanket of Christmas snow carpets the foothills and the valley, the widow returns from town with her melancholy parcels for Christmas cheer. Tonight the fire will burn on her hearth, and strange visions will wax and wane in the glow of embers; visions of the First Frank and the Second Frank, and a nightmare of horror . Who are you? Who are you?" she called after him. I am the Spirit of Christmas," he answered. And then she knew his voice. Youre not! 6he laughed. "Youre Freddie Freedman!" Friend Husband had had a busy day at the office and Friend Wife had moped all day at home. It seemed to Friend Wife that her husband took his office duties altogether too complacently. For a time after they were married he always was home before six ; now he was freAnd he didnt seem quently late. over It That was distressed properly what worried her most. So Friend Wife learned to mope a little, and to complain' a little, and to wonder a good deal. And the more she moped and complained the less did Friend Husband hurry from the office. The office had become his re- treat. Moreover, there was the Party of the Third Part. Friend Wife had - There at the End Sat an Oldish Man. It Was Her Husband! never seen the Party of the Third Part, but she could not doubt her existence. For a year back her husband had forgotten to kiss her when he went to the office, and when he came home. And on those rare nights when he stayed at home he read the newspaper, and yawned, and found the time heavy on his hands. So yon see there must be a Party of the Third Part. - This fear gripped the little woman ' that one night she determined she would know the worst. Her husband had not come home to dinner ; he had telephoned that he was very busy in the office. He would just slip out and have a bite. And he would . likely be late dont sit up She would know the truth ! So she put on a long cloak, and a veil affair that she could draw over her face, and she went straight to his office In time to Intercept him before he left for his appointment.' A light shone through the frosted doors, but all inside was silent as the tomb. she exHe, has gone already ! claimed to herself. Then she gently tried the door. It opened to her hand. Her eyes swept a vista of deserted desks. How forlorn and irksome they looked But everyone was gone. No ! There at the end;' sat an oldish man. It was her husband! It had never struck her before that her husband was beginning to be an oldish man. He had not heard her. He was intent over a statement with long columns of figures, and he was making calculations on a pad of paper before him. From where she stood she could see the gray tinge about his temples, and the thinning hair on the top of his head. His brow was set in deep furrows. And suddenly Friend Wife found herself swallowing desperately at something-iher throat Suddenly she knew, that there was no Party, of the Third Part, and never had been a Party of the Third Part, and that she was a foolish, wicked woman. ; She drew the door gently shut In the basement of the building was a restaurant where also was a waiter who, for a consideration, would carry a meal to her husbands office. Quickly she gave the order, for two; it was to be a modest meal, not too expensive, but healthful, and garnished with love. The waiter carried it in and set it down on the little correspondence table beside Friend Husbands desk. And a beautiful woman sat down beside it and held out her hands to the troubled man with the lojig column of figures, and smiled. Who are you? Who are you? he demanded. I am the Spirit of Christmas, she said: You are more than that!" he cried. You are my wife . my my love!" so deeply ' Blanket of Christmas Snow Carpets the Foothills and the Valley. at Vlmy Kidge. The fire will die out, and Christmas will creep in, wan and cheerless and alone. But as she drives up by the log house she sees a sturdy young figure at work in the woodshed, and can she be dreaming? the spruce logs at the end of the house have been cut and piled for the winters burning. And the sturdy young figure comes out and takes her horses by the head. Let me put your team away while you go in and warm yourself, Mrs. See, I have Stately," said a voice. started a fire for you.' So like Frank it seemed that she dared not break the spell. Without a word, she sank in the rocker by the fire. . , , But he. was. so long' In coming that at length, she went to the door. The sturdy figure was just disappearing down the road In the gray cloud of Bight. , , K 1 OME, ye happy girls and hoys. 4 Lend a hand for Christinas joys. Christmas-tim- e is well begun With our jolly loads of fun. 1 A vx Blow the horn and scoot the sled Jill its time to go to bed. Christmas must not pass away Without sports both glad and gay. t Christopher Q. Hazard n , , , ... 1921. .. Westers Newepsper Valoa.) cr and , broadened, and fattened, a goo look up, until it came" to like the face of that old fairy is always young and kindly. 9 foolishness would allow. His spare So the mask that fell off form was now rotund, his sober garand stayed on, and fa ments had become gay, and the jolly imprint able to be merry, became the q mask that had been adjusted to his friend of the children. Christop face exhim a new long gave quite Hazard. , pression. I9S. Western NewsDaperU As the joy among the children pro' gressed and the spirit of fun and SPEAKING OF FUEL frolic mounted high Philetus began to experience a change of heart. To man vvM A Christmas gift for the his amazement he began having a good domestic supp time himself and to feel like a real the average A magnifying glass, a pa Keep the Saint Nicholas. For this reason,- perand the framed motto. erf haps, he overexerted himself to such home fires burning. Louisville an' extent that his mask fell off and It was revealed to the' surprised audience that It had been contradicting ,the face of Mr. Solemcolly. ; This was really the best feature of the evening, and It proved to have a After receiving her gifts,,ar will be devoted Christmas about from that It, for, permanence time, the Philetus phiz shortened, and The MaskWhich Grew on His Face HILETUS SOLEMCOLLY could n not understand why the did not like him. He gave them good advice. He patted them upon their heads. He expressed the hope that they would be successful in life as he had been." He promised them rewards if they would behave themselves as he wanted them to. Yet they came to his school unwillingly and went home from It gladly. They were respectful, but unsmiling. It was with hope, but not without difficulty, that ' a friend persuaded Philetus to officiate as Santa Claus at the Christmas festival and to assume the traditional garb of the part. Philetus did not see much use In such fanciful doings, but yielded to solicitation and appeared upon the occasion with as much grace as a feeling of chil-dre- . ; ' - . 1 ; (. JJ r(f - rier-Journ- |