Show 1 T A W S tory ta 1 y by robert ert e r t stead kiy ANDERSEN stroked WA tl le lean lo aurrel of 0 hie bis r rifle III e as lied b e bat t li in the window arx of the little shanty on his prarle prairie bom homestead estead the full moon of a christmas eve poured r d its white elgh aa on 1 illimitable wast of snow now A shaft abatt ot of that same light ight beell I 1 through the window gleamed along the rifle on andres knees played about the great hands that fondled its barrel but andre was not at co conscious of the moon moonlight except as it served to at accentuate hla his lonell loneliness neaL across the prairie half a mile to the southward lay the shanty of his brother axel and aad his brothers wife olga A point of yellow light shone from abels window like a 4 star on the horizon halt half a mile I 1 Andres rifle would carry cam two thousand yards but it would need a rare marksman to hit that point of light ight halt half a mile away he sighted the rifle carefully estimating to himself whether there was an possibility of finding that little target then as though convinced of the futility of such a purpose lie he return returned eti the weapon tenderly to his knee vor for exactly three years the brothers had bad lived aim strangers although their homesteads adjoined each other it was three years ago this very christmas eve that axel had brought olga his bride to share his stanty shanty and his life olga who in far off scandinavia had pledged herself to andre I 1 axel had met her at the railway station thirty miles away while andre lay at home burning with fever then when she came it was as abels wifel wife I 1 anore andre never had bad asked and never dever learned what had happened at the little prairie town when the fair haired lonely tired girl rushed to the arms of axel his brother afie three had been playmates together but andre never had guessed that his brother loved her too it if in that moment axel had taken advantage of her loneliness and her delight at meeting an old friend to force his suit to instant decision andre saw in their action nothing but treachery and deceit never since had he stepped on hla his brothers farm and he haj had given axel to understand that Ifil if either ther he be or olga crossed the dividing line the rin rills would bark and bite to kill during the short but busy summers andre managed to drown his anger in work but in winter the pangs of lone cluess were upon him they always were worse on moonlit nighta then he would sit in his window fork fondling ing his rifle especially on christmas eve the anniversary of the blighting of his life his loneliness and rage were unbearable andre sighted his rifle again but it was against all reason that he could find a target so small so 0 o far very well he could go to the target it was a plan that long had bad simmered in the back of his mind f tonight he would put it into effect he drew on his heavy coat his mv cap he drove a bright brass cartridge into the barrel and saw that there were others in the magazine and set out across the snow silent save for the crunching of his heavy boots and the strange clamor of his bis heart hearl at first he walked hurriedly but as he neared the window he reduced his pace silently he crept up in the shadow along the wall three years ago this very night I 1 presently he was at the window stealthily he raised his head until he could see within in ID a corner of the little room was wa a small spruce tree which axel no doubt had cut somewhere by the river and axel and olga very happy it seemed were knotting it with bits of colored paper on a table full in andres sight a yellow haired baby clapped her hands with glee andre watched the scene spellbound for a moment then slumped to the ground for br a lous long while he be lay there oblivious to the cold kgb t ing wrestling then leaving his bis rifle on the snow he be made his way to the door and knocked why andrei andre f they exclaimed as he stood on their threshold peace I 1 said andre it Is the th night of pence peace I 1 bring you yon pe peace ace and forgiveness the christmas sun was s shining finla fig X when andre retracted his steps across I 1 the snow to feed his stock a 1137 western newspaper paper union onion |