Show it to sylvia A christunas Chri nj ROBERT STEAD chose till bit homestead high up the ati toot till villey talley pot wl only for ali of surrounding hills hill and prot k amit to groves roro of simce pi uc and ands pole Is pine plot lie bad an other red on work for retreating so 10 fir far from that reason wai is sylvia palmer dare dart and silvia bad had been pal pals dono dovin the plains chero both were born bom they had attend ed td the serif school the same pic nic dalam bauce country concert concerts stacy i a starry knitht lib sylvia at bli his tide aide dare dave bad had driven the prairie 1 trails con too eager to reach their d and syl via too teemed seemed quite content to dally daily on the war way it wit tree truc there never bad had beta been bifi y formal top engagement lement between them it hardly seemed they bad had gone together tott ther so loaf loot that some time dare days supposed when be was la 14 a lon to offer her a borne home he would tell her so 10 and salvia would uy my all right dave whenever you are ready read then the she would turn her tempting mouth to him ani h w would 0 id kin 1 tier bet tend tc odry aly sad d a 11 little t t I 1 t du differently cow now that ahe she WH wit ao so coon soon to ba bit bride but dave had dot not counted on a woman i willand III and shat hat comet comes of it it at eighteen sylvia having ie se cured ber her teacher teachers i certificate op p piled for and wa was accepted bj by a tonn win school some distance dia tance from her home bome she wit was all enthusiasm and excitement over her plunge into the treat grest elf self supporting world dave may hare shared her tier ex cit ement but not her enthus lAim ue ile told her to bf dare dave volden im ism ours ur 1 at youl sylvia retorted retort hL 1 I thought you would rould bo glad to ace see mit D set get a chance of corrol I 1 wal wara you to hive have your chance he explained but im 01 figuring cia filing aring a chance tor for you too dad la Is filing fifing me a man a wase wages now in another year or two be all bet set to take up land of ay my own and then 4 she waited wafted for elm to put something definite into words hut but a certain ebenesa held him back anyway ebe she knew what be he meant she rave give his disengaged hand a squeeze ant that will be ine ebe eald you will male make a at good farmer famer dave 1 jazbe he be admitted and maybe by that tine time hive have taken up with one of those town and I 1 won wont t care then whether I 1 so go fanning or noo not dont you worry over that rm bot riot planning on ticking sp p lib any town sheik net with a big boy like dave holden running amund loose but dave worried jost just the same and by the second term he knew he ti bad ad occasion for it IL sylvias talk bad had turned crops and country picnics and all thing things of the land to port and tennis and particularly one jack fulton whose name waa was often on ler her lips dave had a feeling of being taken at a disadvantage instead of a w ing sylvia for himself be he bluntly charted her with having tran trial berred her affections to I 1 ulton 1 I aint blaming you he eald said sarcastically 0 no o doubt be he Is 13 a J hes he pretty string streng dave sylvia teased better be B careful wy tory ane fellow but if it I 1 meet him ewe sime lay ofay Is S well cee see alch is a the best man roan iles lit pretty strong etron dave sylvia teased tensed 11 titer be careful whereupon dare lost bis his temper aldege ther maybe I 1 should be careful and mabbe be you should be careful too ili bit hat I 1 im m sa saving ing la is anther you give him up or ism through 11 that was too much for the spir cited sylria sylvia 11 whether hether or not the he cared for jack fulton bhe she gasn wasn t going to take orders about it from dave dave new bad had actually asked her ber to marry him she had given hini him opportunity enough all right youre through il the she cald said and herself cut out of jila its presence dave had not expected expect d that renit suit but he be bad bal coce tore too far to retreat lie ile wd thotant tho tAht that sylvia bould bow to his ultimatum slier cart curt rejection bait hurt his pride more baa thin anything ho bed had thought possible ble lie fell that be had bad and denly lot lost all faith la in human nr A ture lure anil and that life his old would tit b intolerable so be drew lis wro ziss lathered gathered up hl ahli 1 equipment and trekked into tb the e foothill colaw to the cry farthest for thet homestead oo 00 t the be amma p he ile found a place by a mountain stream tream rot cut down spruce lop and land built himself a cabin when win ter let set la in he began cutting potti pots and ralli rills for fencing on his fann farm to keep from thin klag be worked feverishly early earl ind and late but thoughts would come in pile spite of al all be could do to top them par ticul arl at the christma Ch drew neer near his mind would tarn urn to the old farm arm down on 00 the tle plains what ample preparation preparations would be going on w in till his ta othere kitchen kitche ml what stocks of food I 1 what happ chatter chaffer meted a bit perhaps because of the boy who bad left home in i a buff and never bad had writ ten back backi I 1 and sylvia would be b boma cow now ht for the christ maa was vacation Perli aps this ful ten too fellow would tx visiting with her ave tamed ith a it shim bruc ag and achord more wood into his rusty N 1 11 I am jack fulton Ful tort perhaps you have heard of mo tore stores after all he told himself be was not so badly off ile bad had I 1 cabin and plenty of fuel he lie hail had a doc dog ind and a fun gun a team of horse balf half a dozen bearlin ye arlin calves he vis was taking comfort in such thoughts when suddenly his dog 0 o sprang bp up barking dave was on his feet in an instant bis his gun in fit his band hand perhaps a deer or a bear had wandered into mi his little clear ing at that moment came a knock something alch never before bad happened on his cabin cillin door for an instant dave besita hesitated ted then swung the door open the tight light fell on the figure ofa of a young man are you dave the stranger Inqui inquired ted lee ies come inthe stranger entered dave made him and gave taro him supper walting to bear bis his mission ft 11 hen ben they were seated in on liber side of the hot store the it it I 1 anger began 11 1 I am jack fulton be he said perhaps you haie bai e beard heard of f me dares yellin seemed to fr freay 1 I hat brauss you berer he J demanded cant can t jou you leave me a alone fulton kept his temper 0 0 not under be the circumstances let iet me tell you I 1 III be brief I 1 am tre tte principal of the school where mies miss palmer leaches tea chei all through the term I 1 litre seen she was worried at arst I 1 asked her why by naturally atu rally she as diffident at firsts but finally told me she Is wearing her ler heart out for you dave faced him je Is his this true and villy by do you tell me I 1 thought bluse I 1 am to he be to a little girl of my own at ht caster and I 1 I 1 know how both of you frel so I 1 got your location from the homestead and took my christmas vacation to look yea up I 1 hope you are lot annoyed by my interest dave seized his hi hand and I 1 1 neter mind what hit you thourl ive walked talked in from the he bearett to ran ocher chwe a if you have a team that can travel you can male make the railway station by aad and ent your chrlotia ma turkey at sylvia Patt Ilat nere mers ill stay arat look after jour lour cattle it will be L i real holiday for me me iut but dare dave had both hia his hands la in iiii a my friend I 1 I 1 dont know m aliat ila t I 1 can sa say it to III give you elz fill daj days to pet et back and brins bring her you or charse charge you for my time ill brine bring her it with ith me air you can beep keep the farin farm ald said dave nho ft ho vas was Fil already into bl bli heavy oser 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