OCR Text |
Show Kg f ffillQW FrancpJ Efa i ' n iii' null iv n of nfl A V be 'V i I 'nunc ' .i I jiff iafyJ1 ft lc i nilli'o frniii gill'- wTSi 'm&i li '"' ,'"'1''' ''""i "" la I lKcd: ""' '""" h """ KG I WSI , Mime ill IViij I'iiii Wg i t-fcs '' ,',m " M,is RL I Il I''""" ' i c.i ii Wjj "tfil of nirc, it wealthy Hfi I hl Inn In Id who, Willi tile eV'ep- Uh Moll il ii hollxckc, per, ll"l alone Hi III ii gtcat w i flther-tioflteii nl I mil li- f kmi da Hi.' river road, lie IImmI He u iry pi-rluded kind ot Hie, was Hfi 'clilein wen upon I lie Mil Is nl the Hi) t ii, mill ulirurtcd mtj Utile ntteii WRt Hull when ln win Heeil. Tliele Wele ffi llllllllv Mil ieu If In tile ptaie t tint DTK I. In u Hie mull or anything eoili'cmliig l Ills life. B Yt I there llilil been It Mine III thu mJf life I'ciry I'liui'lilon uheu he hml 13 iilr:i (I'll II jm'llt !i'lll of tllleiilliiii, B , unit mm the sjiiipnthy timl pii of Hr , the whole tow ii. That hint been over Dp ; lolly .vnirs ago, ami In the meimtii'ie JDt' the town hllll changed l'l'ol'l II IUllgo Prj Into a cltj. The old families hml died Rjll out ami the .lounger generation lui'l 1m j f..ri.'otti'it the history of I'eir.v l'aii- Vv ! i 'noli, WE I It win (Mill duns ee night anil bit- fljj ; terly colli. Sleet nml mmv drove w lilt sKm ! Inn ".iiiiii fury against the great I'reni'h jWJ j window h. The heavy old oak doors Vipl riillled and hltouk, while the wind BWf slirlllcil taoiirnfully ninoii;: the I mn Hi old-fashioned pities and ehlmno.is, jTsf I'erry sat giuIng Into the Die lis JfifcS hair was snow-white, Ids eyes were jjwij daik, and Imilirht lhe. had a tragi.-. Sn k'lnoniy look. IMK On the old colonial furniture the Kul sinister laces caned there grinned hor Mr ilhly and the Iron claws seined in IS' ""wk-VfllliV ' ll' VrV ! i -Jn"S "Well, Well -I Hope the Children Are Bj All n Bed." I Vn crip tl.o Hi or 1 .ird. as tle.iuh iti,- ; 111 were repressing some dark i.iiitiim or I Hu eU thought. Wjt 1'orly years ago this nlglii lVrr I 'A; was it happy man, for toiacirow he j H was to marry t'.ie beautiful Ml Nel H ly l.croy. daughter of the ivtur at B St. Amies. tn i Mill that great tuclor In the events H 'i i miili'.s career, fate, willed other H5 wire, for only a few days before the, H ' wedding was to lake place (he hilde- K to-ho wiih Htrlcketi with a fatal Illness K : mid less than a week later was laid 'XJt ""'0' 1" Hi' vlllaue Kiue.ard. , Mt After the funeral IVn 1'an. h..ii I H shut himself up, almost alone in die Q Ki'eat liotiso. Time moved on inn' pen-1 pie forKot I One !y one his friend- I Qj left him, until at last he stood alone, a j H straiiKor In a stranger world' IE Aliout this time the poorer people. U the destitute of the elly became nw.m H of thu fact that they hint a in. 1. 1,1 H it very K'huI. inysterlous friend. in,-' HI icrlous because, try as they might (and K did) tliey novcr could discover his K Identity. I H? (,h' time when a severe htndloid H vas about to turn a poor tiiatl out B ot tltn lioiiui they lived In. Ihi'iium Hj Hiey were nut able to pay the rent HJ Hint family found the required amoiini HH and it short note asking theia to a.- HH ie,t the money as it gift, by the lliv- Hl place. Several tln.es Inchlents like mm tills occurred among the unfortunale, HH but as to whero these in.v.stcilous pies- H cuts caiae from, or by whom present- fa ed, none could ever tell. Hut the dill- IS 'Iron suspected Santa Clans ot having HH a hand It. the matter. B Tonight as I'erry sat hy the tire he B was very sud and very, very linie.ome. jf The town clock sti tick ten. I'erry I arose, donned it huge fur ceat to II lilay his Utile net btavely. A worn. I tired smile played a round Lis ttsmill) Hffi griui mouth as hu thotight of the scenes n of Joy and poverty lie wontii witness HI this uli'ht. He crossed the town with 11 rapid, nervous utrldes mid entered a DM llltle I'ainlly burying ground, lie was HI gone for thirty iiiiiiiites and when hu HI returned his face showed limes of Hj Ideep emotion. HJ I "(iooil-iilght, sweetheart, I have walt- ln led forty years; Kitrely the end cannot Ut bo far distant I" Ito murmured us he Bjf softly closed thu gate. JJM There came u Jingling of sleigh hells HJ a sleigh drove up, lie entered and H was whirled away over the snow. Hj In a uny little hncl on thu edge of I I the city live Utile curlylteaded dill-1 dill-1 1 ilrcn, dressed In old aid ragged but II i lean clothes were grouped around u J I small Hro tryltio In l.eii w.nn Their .timlur vn tewing tut' n iuin;, her huband hnUng die 1 i-ou'ial .M-ars ago, lealng the chlldr-'i In her lo provide for and being u woman of good education. educa-tion. fcht was tr.ng to rear her elul-lien elul-lien as best she might. She was ha-lug ha-lug a desperate truggle and day by d'O she hiw with d-spair the light growing harder and harder. ".Mother, when is S.tiita Clans com-IngV com-IngV Imiulreil little Itill). 1'or a while mother didn't seem lo want to mi anjiliing. a large tear fell Mlcntl on her work. Willi a ImMy niovenient, almost angrily, hhu brushed It abide. "l'eiluips he won't come tit till!" sin replied wli a little catch In her voice. "N-o-o-o-o!" came a chorus of tin-(c!leiug tin-(c!leiug voices from the lire. "He Is coining!" Hitddciiiy there came a Jlngllm; of hellb uud n sleigh drew up In front of 'he hiiine, "Whoop r yt-nod .lohuny. 'Como on kltti-- Simla iTaus! .My eye I" la mi instant lln lire was deserted and the hule heads were peering eag- ll) out l , ,001.4 "i ee wllliklus! Look at Iho toys!" '"wu. well' said Sauty In u loud voli!-, preieiKiing not to see thu little out-, "i ,,. ,lu, children are all In ben w ii f ,r ,f u.y Jlru ot t will not C, . Five in. ,, v , ,,.,, , u Ml0. on I and - , , l. twi. ilw r , n.. s,,u- is :u I.. , -nan is ,iu , , li(1 whft in Ii.- i eliemeiit and I i, . pUll.-d till "' N"' "I' over hi- !, ull,j t.ft hi- feet and body un, . . , .m.i ITaus laughed ,i,, dniainl the cmuMits ot his pack a. ii ti i,.!irt,. Hi' iv were drum-, .1...'. ,, M.idicrs, t'ks, candy, nuts nnd hr. ..rUs. In-i ai lids mom, i.i n uj , toe rubbed up a splinter, uni n r'(. ,.,mu. i. ii'liiinl grunt fr.uu ii i, nMvU hanged io a lliful ! . , kllll, , ugh as (he -..id i,' u ,urllw ar-aind. The .-nor.-s red-iil.l , vo- U'"". nil! Snnty mllll! (ll,u,r sciiled envelope and ihiuned i.eroro he niiild Klilllelentl) im.ui n,,M wr eonftiNion and surprl-e p. n, ,lk hI11( ll was adilres-ed to h.r .tl. i,,.,,, the heal. Tlio sum lllli. Ml ii, , ,,f it ii. tlfil the house and pr. p. nv of rnniltloii and Mmiething like ,. i,,m. ilred dollars were to he her- up.,,, tiu ileaih of ivrry Funchlon, So nt hiht (he Identity ot the .,Vs. leiioits t-.uta i'illus ml thl, h1l(,,of Ui" poor uud unfortunate w., dls- iUimmI, Herhonie was only one ot ii Miany I" whi.li he iu I,,.,.,, hi a ,,,. To. tliorrow thuy would leu,,,, ,n n,,.y would eoine one and all t ,,!U,iv ,lim '" ',r,lU" W-. to l'"-s Iuin p. Laps to I .- .. mo,,. s the ,..,. IUI , ,Jlt I, l!" '', '' ' ' ' "' "'" ' ion . "" 'N,M' ' .-aid i rvl ed ,'', I ll., nnwii tin- dark, g. ..... i...Tl ne almost dropped with fatigue. Fatigue of tho body, weuriness of the soul, the soreness sore-ness of u broken heart, all cou-plred against him! Wearily he slid out of ho illsgtilse. Ills eyes wundered with .1 rTiluUl exprenh'.oil oer Hie eliiplj, dark room. None came to welcome lilm. No one to love or care for him. She had gone on before. I'eihaps she wits waiting for lilm up there now. He didn't know, 'iho bloodchllling fnce grinned and the cruel claws gripped. Ho drew one of the heavy old chairs up before tho dying embers and cast down, bowing his head far over Into tho grate. Closer he huddled. What whs this dreadful chill that seemed to bo taking possession of Ids body' His great sorrow preyed upon lilm. "Oh, Oodl" ho murmured; "1 can sland It no longer." Somethlni; Kcnllo ami sort stroked his hair! Ills lialr that was white as mow. Two tiruis euclicled lilm lov-Inirly. lov-Inirly. Ho lookeJ Up. r.t first linhellelngly, mid then u wonderful smile lit up hU fin i "Nelly!' ho exclaimed, Jeyou-lj. "At last you have como for mo. I knew you would I 1 thank Thee O " His voice nulled away in the dl- . .mice. Tho lire Hod out timl the faces t i 'oncer grilled, hu se 1 1. 1 to mi 111 tlm dai.sne.ss. car oil". Just as tl; dawn was breaking, the chimes rang out their message. Was It fancy or did a miuI far out In space echo: "Glory to Cod In the highest anil on earth pence, good will toward men." I'erry was ut rest I |