Show 0 1 Vii j 1 lA A FORBIDDEN CHRISTMAS V t I L I By MARY HASTINGS I f fJ L i J i I I i ii the th e third time timo th 10 tho girl moved ove FOR her spinning wheel ii I am om too far tar tho lire 1 I freeze e and It If I am too near the Uie fire I r cook laughingly complained feet Mt Ct ting tIn her wheel a whirl again agato It ll 13 Ia a bitter her old agreed from his corner or ot the tho settle on the other side aide of ot the cobbled of oC rough and mortar the great logs wore wert blazing merrily Young on the settle beside him eald ad nothing at all but his Ills eyes cye followed her hor every eOry movement nt with a n sort of or reluctant fascination They Thoy had been following her ever since her h r arrival In tho Massachusetts colony six SE months before Ho had never n er seen such a n girl nor dreamed of or such bright bewilderment of ot beauty Something In the silence perhaps something In oyes oye which rested on her seemed to disconcert tho the girl for tor sho she cast cat about for lor a sub subject of ot remark romark Dropping her distaff she bent to rouses rouse the children Wako ako up UI folk olk I 1 must take talc you up to bell bed Miles lUes dear wake upi up I Tho The apples you OU set sel setto setto to roast ore are all cinders rs Ellzabeth wako upi Tho little girl sat st up with a n start her round sleepy eyes opening In bewilder bewilderment meaL ment mentIs Is It Christmas yet 1 she demanded The old man roused as at a n shot nd his deep eyes eves e cs under their th lr shaggy shag prows rows bent upon them Christmas he repeated with angry emphasis Where have hae you heard of Christmas 24 said ald id stammered the little I that in merry England Englund Merry England came camo grimly from D PIC h he e old mans throat i She Sho said they did no work that Jay ar but hud had a u great creat dinner and some acme I IIII III ret et t up a n tree from Iho forest lore t with I candles candle on It I Yea said the old man there were I 1 not enough abominations in England with their masking and but P they must needs bring in this German flummery And what did she tell you ou I was as tho tim meaning of or it 7 Tho The small brother rescued her with a o remembered phrase I They The are aro ar so glad that tho the Lord is isborn Isborn I born he repeated In his grave grae little singsong And that is the way for lor or a righteous people to show sho a holy thanksgiving By B sticking up a tree like a popish Idol In the house hou e and rigging It with heathen candles Ve Ye keep no Christ Christmas mas here The Thu laws provide punish punishment punishment ment meat for Cor anyone anone who keeps l that day dayI with Ith a n feast cast or even cven ceases c es from his I usual labor Put Iut this his folly foil from your our minds let me me hear no more of or it ind do you o to his niece keep you ou tongue from running on such suc L natters atter 1 I you ou for tor your souls soul soui I lake gake lal e Nay oay Mr Mi I Colton Collon young oung touched by b her Hushed I face race she did but tell them ot of the not commend It to them She Sho took tho the little ones up to bed and phen hen tho the girl presently returned she thc jound her uncle asleep I I Reluctantly Westcott Iose lose to go goIt goI goIt I I It Is late he ho murmured I I She nodded v with unconscious rueful i ness floss Westcott took a quick step nearer f her bel his fur tur cap gripped tensely In both bothI I I hands bands There was something that he h had come over oer to say sa that L evening something the sight of this thi 3 girl always tempted him to say sa salie sayBe He lie distrusted her beauty and his de desire desire sire elre for tor It It Undeniably there had bad been tender an anticipation In the tho girls face it went I out DUt now before beCore a flush of ot hot shame and her eyes were twin fires ot of pride I You are so thoughtful she said with a n scornful smile whoso i mockery ery he felt but scarcely under linder understood stood I I will wUl come tomorrow he prom promised promised l ed lingering To wish me Merry Merr Christmas or see if Sf I 1 am nm wickedly abstaining from fron rom romI I I work york sho she Impishly impish persisted I 1 I could not think any un such ill m doing or bt b you ho bo answered gravely Ill doing she hotly bolly flared back Do you OU In truth see sec any ill III doing in ii Observing the day Thus TItus driven I 1 do Indeed he lie averred I see sec great harm in outraging outragIng ing i ng tho wise opinion Oh tho the wise opinion came camo her mocking echo You sec ace It Is tho the opinion opinion ion olt j of ot others that matters to you ou Mr r Westcott and not your own it ll Is 13 not of or course my m affair It Is not she promptly agreed I 1 shall trust said not only to your our better Judgment but butto to to to plainly ho did not nol know to what to trul to your oUr valuation of or orm my m good opinion he concluded Im Impressively Perhaps that Is not nol so great creat as ns you flatter yourself she flashed hashed back hack de do defiantly A goodnight t to Mr Ir Westcott And you ou must never neer never noor tell Never echoed tho the small Elizabeth th solemnly Never echoed the smaller Miles Because went on Zellah as fiS she Khe bent lent over oel them In the chill chili dark of or tho the Christmas morning because If It you ever tell ono one word about It there will never be another no III e r tree t re c cA A drawn came from them Tho ho tree was a very el small one anti ann the tho candles were the tho green bay bayberry ba bayberry berry berl wax of or their dally daily dall use uso and the scarlet garlands were only the thc red for forest forest forest est berries but to their round eyes C CS it was a blazing spectacle of oC delight A Christmas tree whispered Elba Ellza Ellzabeth beth In awestruck tones Miles could coult only ani stare Yes Yen a Christmas tree repeated gayly A Joyous sense Henso of o ad adventure adventure venture and of or daring d with a subtle feminine satisfaction at nt this title de do defiance defiance fiance of o cautious West Westcott colt filled HUed her with merry merr excitement She whisked across the room and bundling the children up In comforters sat hugging hU gln them to lo hor her whilo they thc watched tho candles burn burnSo bUrnSo burnSo So was sho she that she hie did not hear henr the step on tIle the stairs Without warning the door was HunS hung open and Uncle stood staring In on them as on ou oni onit it i scene accursed Her offense seemed such a n trivial thing to the tho girl so harmless and child childish childIsh ish a u disobedience that she was wm total totally totally ly I unprepared for COl the catastrophe It brought brou ht upon her herShe Sho She Colton to bo be brought into court like a 11 common ill III doer denounced by b her hor ow own n uncle stared at by b a n dread dreadful ful Cui UI ring of oC neighbors I Over Oer her head had rattled tho the hall hail of o otho tho the magistrates rebuke she had heard too as In a dream her lice uncles voice lamenting this disgrace to his house but accepting the Lords Lord will In tones of or fervor and then cutting into her hei he consciousness like a a knife the sentence of ot punishment She Sho was to stand two hours in the tho public square beside the thi pillory bearing about her neck the th placard A wayward and contumacious person Beside tho the house of ot correction they the halted hailed and Zellah mounted the small smal platform beside the stocks stock Justice Justic Bliss pinned on the paper with Its con condemning condemning description and aud shook his hiI grizzled head In stern sadness over o er it Without turning her rigid head she slit was aware of o the th faces IncreasinG about her hel Frankly Franl l curious In tho thu fore tore foreground foreground ground trooped the children lured by bj this new spectacle from their mockery of o fat old Goody Good May a chained to a post at nt tho the corner of oC Prison Lane for tor lm hn liar ing luG slapped her husbands cheek check neighbors children some lome of or them whom sho hio knew and played with star starIng starIng Ing log at her with awed well a horror others the tho children of ot servants and slaves and anc I freedmen sniggering and und laughing In Ir I Ithe the tho Ignorant cruelty of ot their young oung years ears Behind them sauntered tho the sailors sailor from the Conrad gaping and Jesting at nt ather her beauty and all around crossing tho the square in lu twos and threes came tho th townspeople In tho thu release from work won that lecture day brought them Sho She drew her lien hood further lurther over oer her hei head and as ns the ohe did so sho she lowered her eyes and saw three figures crossing dossing the th square Betty Morrison gay In her now new ne London cloak and her mother and anc William Westcott In that moment it Il seemed to Zellah that slid she tasted lasted all tho the shame that life can hold bolt boldA holdA A laugh Inu h roso rosti ros from the children ever pressing closer coser to the platform foot I 4 2 b PW rIk it WP V Ai rT M f S p wA v 1 Cite fr A i I i ri klC I 4 W W 4 W k rt 3 f T Ife r o M I v wH v 7 4 Y m U s j p 11 ti 38 3 44 N J u w j 1 I ij I 1 r t s 0 i 4 1 i j I c rie i 4 sj i ii J r eq v t tJ tp p k ki I i 4 fL I r d fy 5 C ir irI I fr ir od u moment Iq t f 1 i vU and a snowball struck her chin In Involuntarily Involuntarily voluntarily her hand went to tho the bruise Tho The laughter gained and another ball flew flow past her car ear A sick terror shook her then for she I knew well to what rude lengths tho the rougher classes went In their treat treatment treatment treatment I ment of ot pilloried offenders True sho she was not nol pilloried and she could dodge e their missiles but her pride v voul d never furnish such a n pitiful amuse amus amusement mont ment Another baR ban and another reached her h er and then her heart henrt gave a great rent leap l cap eap for or across the tho square came co me Will YIU Willam lam l am Westcott sending her h r tormentors torm to t o right and left I rt Then ho stepped up upon upon on o n tho the platform by her side sido looking hooking down clown d own at the crowd In grim alertness She did not look at him After Atter that first throb of relief came again the thc tor ter terrible ible r Inrush of shame with added poignancy Go away she said suddenly denly in a choked c little voice that tha she sho hated tinted for tor Its tremor remor t Ho did dl not stir sUr Go 00 away she oho reiterated once more and after alter that she shu neither spoke nor looked 1001 ed at him Westcott scarcely understood himself the tho t force loreo that had brought him there I or the strange new emotions surging through t him Ho lb had held back buck from tho girl distrusting her latent Intent while sho she was yet ct Innocent of ot offense ofen e but now that her humiliation was offered o ored to every overy oer eye e ho he had sprung to sharo share It his reproach lost In the th thrill of or nn an unknown fooling feeling more moro poignant nant than pity or shame When hen the Interminable time was at nt I last over and Zellah stiff and chilled stepped down from tho the little platform I ho put at her wide side i Go away from rom me meI I want to see flea no noone noone I one she sho flung out nt at him and with I bent head darted down a n side street Her Hor route led her to the shore which sho she skirted for tor a time floundering through the damp snowdrifts in the rough wagon road rondo Zollah eyed the water with gloomy gloom fascination She wished miserably that she possessed tho the courage to fling her herself hersel herself self sel Into it and so 50 end at once tho the menace of or the tho tomorrows Ship ahoy aho there therel rang out a jovial voice and lifting her bent head tho the girl saw a young man almost In front of her herLet herLet herLet Let mo ma pass she sho commanded him fiercely Presently presently I mean no harm I am Bob captain of the Conrad yonder and very ery much at your our service By n St George and tho Dragon but this Is no place for tor a n maid like you jou ou Where aro you OU going God Go knows she he answered wildly wild her voice breaking Nay he returned coming nearer his lila eyes shining more moro and more Bob Dob knows Como Come with me out of this thin place where they the made a mock of ot you ou Como Conic back to England lass laSsI To England 7 she faltered held by the bluff decision of ot his mannor Aye Ae to England on tho the Conrad She anchor at 5 when tho the tide tid I turns Again looked at the ship On Os L the tho Conrad to England England En land I seemed heaven realized It did not matter where she v went after arLer sho she Jot gel ot there anything was better hetter than taking up her hr life liCe again here Tho The captain I saw her eyes COS flash her lips take pu on L resolution But but I would have havo to go In se secret crot cret sho she put pul before him Aye Ae he laughed well weil stow you yoc I safely away way a till out of ot harbor Never fear for tor that my m lass You aro are of ot tho th I right stuff you aro are And then I know leno not If It I can enn get et L money mone enough for tor my m passage pa I have I but a few pieces Is In It much 7 Tut a n trifle All will be made right with a kiss now for earnest money my m prettiness ho laughed bending toward her herShe Sho She sprang away but before slit she u could speak the hot Indignation ho he saw sa r ur flame fiame Into her face ho lie dashed Into apology apolo A dozen pardons mistress There do not run I r meant no harm u but a poor Joke a sailors Joke jole She came slowly toward him again searching his face tace and ho lie had 1 enough to keep It serious and at a I proper distance And so HO after more inor 3 talk talle she promised pr to meet him there ther thereat i at that place at al half after four tour with will I such belongings as ns she he could get got to togo go thor When hen hor fathers huge timepiece sagging sag down her pocket warned her heror hie r of or the approaching time sho she lifted her he r bundle from its hiding place and nn start started cd ed down donn tho the shore Merry Christmas lass softly called I Ithe the Iho waiting walling figure as she hesitated un curtain c of or hlo bia Identity In the winter WI twilight t t Merry lorry Christmas she gave av 11 with w ith a u quick uplift of oC spirits It Wl wa wao l to t o be a l Merry Merr after all her herndo i ui declared defiantly Sho She was turns turn l ng ag tho tables on thorn them all nil Give us your our bundle the captain old told t her swinging It under his left leil arm w while hilo his right went vent skillfully out to encIrcle e her figure And now lass for the earnest mon moe money monC moey ey e C y ho whispered dragging hor her toward him h im Furiously sho Bho tried to wrench herself away awa a way but dropping tho ho bundle tho the cap tain thIn held her fast anti and pressed one hand handover handover over o ver her mouth Nay Na I 1 like not screams though hese t will do mo mc no harm ho he chuckled roused r to incaution In by b his additional supply s of oC rum Body of oC the dragon girl g in stop struggling trumlIng I 1 mean menn you no harm h arm Where hero aro your our manners A Al Aiss l k kiss iss Is i a small thing a small thing he h e repeated with a tipsy laugh and a 0 kiss I mean to havo I Come stop slop J this his t hisA A sudden hand at tho the captains col coi colar l ar Jerked him a good four our feet teel away arid n ud a blow under his chin added an another anther other ther o foot Coot to that distance Surprised but sobered by b tho the attack stood a n moment blinking at his an antagonist agonist t then with a rush he mado fiercely rl f reely at him The Tho captain was tho the heavier hea man and Inflamed with rago rage and rum but the other oilier had tho the longer reach and the thu quicker sight t Suddenly there |