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Show P Q HEARTS OF GOLD By Otillia Frances Pfeiffer it (. l&O. Western Newspaper Union.) 1 HERE had come a great change over Judson Marsh during the brief space of a year and Cedar Grove marvelled. mar-velled. Marsh had usually made the holidays a wild, riotous occasion of revelry, such as "shooting up the town." distributing time and money squanderingly in . games of chance, Indulging In a fist fight daily, generally maintaining a terrorizing Influence. In-fluence. Always had he disdained the gentle cheer of Christmas and the good pledges of New Year's, but this especial Yuletlde period he had remained re-mained quietly on his ranch, had donated do-nated freely to charity and only his agle eye had flashed and his lips became stern and firm ns some derisive pal of the past sneeringly intimated that he had reformed and had taken "(he goody, goody pledge!" Xo one could trace the cause of the remarkable alteration in manner and deed except Marsh himself and he was a close mouthed man. Perhaps Gladys Revere suspected, but If so she said nothing. She had 'come to the crude, wild settlement to teach school. The Marsh ranch was ten miles from the settlement and there was no school In Its Immediate vicinity. Its owner was a young man not over twenty-five years of age,- but he maintained quite an establishment. His widowed sisler had lived with him until she died, leaving a shy, puny little girl, Madeline, Made-line, who was Idolized by Marsh. "I have come to see you about my little niece, Miss Revere," spoke Harsh, and Ids face and manner did not belle what she had heard of his being a well educated member of a prominent Eastern family. "She Is lonesome where we live; never has any young companions. I have heard of your kindly care for these little ones. Won't you find her a good hoarding place in the town and sort of look after her?" "She shall be as an own sister," replied Miss Revere spontaneously, taking the shy, reticent child in a tender embrace, and the result was that little Madeline became an occupant occu-pant of the home where Miss Revere boarded. Once a week .Tudson Marsh called to pass half an hour with Madeline. Op- on each succeeding visit it pleased him to note the change for the better in the child. Her devotion to her teacher teach-er was something pathetic. This was the period when Judson Marsh changed his course of life., A time too when the merest passing word with Miss Revere seemed to cause him to lift his head higher, and the Influence of a worthy resolve was' noticeable lu his bronzed, Impressive face. It was about a month before Christmas Christ-mas when the settlement was visited by Marsh on horseback. There was something about him that reminded of his old time briskness and forcible, imperative ways. In turn he visited twenty of the leading men and presented pre-sented to each his proposition. Time was when anything Marsh suggested was carried out from motives of policy. ; In the present instance be found will-1 will-1 ing auditors, interested and sympathetic. sympa-thetic. ; '. "It's about a Christmas present for Miss" Revere," said Marsh. "I understand un-derstand she Is a proficient musician, and-there isn't a piano In the place. She has been royally good to all of our children, little Madeline among them, j I'll head the subscription list." M "And who'll pick out the Instru-I Instru-I ment?" one of the town committee-i committee-i men asked. ' ' "Oh, I'll go to the city and attend to that, l'ou can trust nm. hoys." answered Marsh readily. " was something of a player myself years ago. Now then, this is to he a secret until Christmas." That was agreed upon. Also It was arranged so that on Christmas Eve the scholars gave a 'concert in honor of their devoted teacher. The piano had been smuggled Into the home at dusk while she was ai I he sohonlhnuse. She came home alone, as It was j planned that she should. She noticed ! a light in .he house its she uhhi-i'iI II. J As she fitted .he key .0 Hie demr h j stream of pretty tntisic met her enr. The next monieut she s.ood at .he j parlor threshold. I 1 fci re nt the piano sat .lii'hrm I Marsh. He was softly playing "Love's , Old Sweet Song." (Jladys noted a ! wreath on the piano holding a cardboard card-board disc reading : I "Merry Christmas A token of love from the people of Cedar Orove." i "Oh! It Is inipiissihU " l.eran Oladys, and hroke down -from eino-(inn eino-(inn vnd then us I he hand of .It.dson M:trh gently clasped her own, with 1 riownrast eyes and happy, happy heart she listened to his fervent . avmvul of the love that had made j him better maD. |