The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-12-25

ted herself upon the fact.
| am sure it will kill me if Etti
marries now" she would say
"Those young ones Of mine thinl
more of Aunt Eta than they do of me
As for Uncle Ralph, he would never
consent now to lose Eta; she is al
the world to him. And Eta would
smile and kiss her sister, never wbis
pering one word of the hope that
was still alive in her heart.
Uncle Ralph knew her secret. and
Uncle Ralph was the wisest and kind
est of friends. He knew how the
new partner of Hill Il Hill was pros
pering in every thing he touched.
He heard the first rumor of the fact
that Maynard Wight was to again
return to his old home, and estab.
Ilish himself once more in his former
business. He was one of the first to
offer his congratulations to the rising
young merchant, and invite him to
resume his visits to the house.
Christmas Eve, and showing
fast" Eta said, as she rose from the
dinner table. IL suppose we must
go to Marion's
IL would like to see you staying
away from Marion's on Christmas
Eve" said Uncle Ralph.
If the snow was two feet deep,
we would have to go, / suppose"
said Eta laughing.
fyou don't, we shall havea COM
mittee of half a dozen or so of
those young savages of hers here,
to see what had become of aunt Eta. I"
Uncle Ralph !" said Eta, coming
to her unele's side, and putting her
hand upon his shoulder.
What is it? Some weighty mat
ter, to judge by your face"
Do you remember Christmas time
six years ago."
Six years ago? Let me see =
Why, it is just six years since May
nard Wight went to Baltimore"
Just six years"
"And you invested five thousand
dollars in his future business. Well,
it was pretty well invested, it seems
Here is the young man at home again,
in his old business, and as fiourishing
as ever. More so indeed, for he will
not have his father making ducks and
brakes of his capital. The old gem
tleman is coming money in Chicago
in real estate. / think, my dear, you
may now send in your bill"
Nonsense, Uncle Ralph! had a
letter this afternoon from Maynard. !"
"0h, no! So | am to lose you 2"
"He loves me He has loved me
all these years.
And you?"
"You know she answered, with q
bright blush.
''Yes, l know" he said, gravely.-
1T is hard to give you up, Eta, but
| will give you gladly to Maynard
Wight. He is my beau ideal of an
honorable gentleman"
Thank you! Now we must go, or
Marion will be sending that commit
tee you mentioned"
Eta"
"Well ?r
Il am afraid | cant keep that Sc
cret of yours much longer"
Keep it till tomorrow, Uncle
Ralph. l am to say YES or no at
Marion's tonight"
The Christmas party at Marion's
wondered loudly at Aunt Etta's un-
accountable delay. All the young
savages were beating tattoos with
their feet upon the staircases, and
loudly declaring it was too bad Aunt
Eta did not come, that the tree might
be lighted. The more decorous party
of older people in the drawing-room
wondered why Marion was watching
the door so anxiously. Maynard
Wight, listening eourtcously to the
small talk of Marion's eldest daugh-
ter, was thinking Eta meant to say
no. and stay at home.
Suddenly Marion vanished, and in
o few minutes all the children filed
into the front parlor, and fixed their
eyes upon the folding door that hid so
many delightful treasures upon the
Christmas tree Maynard Wight
fixed his eyes also upon that door,
certain that when it opened there
would be a message of hope or GER
tainty of disappointment for him.
1t opened, revealing a glare of
light, and the great tree in the centre.
Beside it stood Eta, dressed in q
bright blue silk, with her light curls
decorated with blue ribbons, and a
bright light of happiness in her large
eyes, and flushing her round cheeks
In her hand was long wand, with
which she detached the glittering
presents from the tree Everybody
was too busy in examining the various
gifts that were being distributed to
watch Maynard Wight, but had they
done so, they would have seen his
eyes, wide open with astonishment,
gazing at gay object dangling from
one of the branches of the wonderful
true. There was every variety of
Christmas fruit there, but he never
needed any of it. Wider and wider
grew his eyes.
Certainly he knew that Object
Certainly in the past six years he had
too often speculated upon a similar
one to he mistaken, Blue and red
stripes and yellow stars might exist
in a thousand socks, but certainly the
one dangling from that tree was the
mate to the one Kriss Kringle had
sent him six years ago. How did it
get there ? Who had owned the
other one before it passed into his
hands +? He was beginning to think
he must be asleep, when the long
wand hovered for moment over the
gay sock, detached it, and Etta's
clear voice said -
"Kriss Kringle to Maynard Wight.
Uncle Ralph took it from the wand,
and handed it to the still bewildered
young man.
II believe you know where to find
The mate" he said, with a meaning
smile.
''Then it was you ~ Maynard said
mot a bit of it. 1t was Eta"
Eta ~ cried the young man,