Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-01-07

OhCOAI 0AA ~ ", !,
ltabls. Z suPPsss ~ ~ n,
riou's.'
4 would he "a - -,
from Marion's o. CkuI -
Uhole Ralph. 4 s
If the snow was e. - -
would have to So zs~ 80
laughing.
; IL You don't vs3n -
mittee Of half } d. -
young sava&eo = -
upon his shoulder.
What is il 2. Some weighty matter,
to Judge by your face
DO you remember Christmas time
six years agof'
Six years ago? Let me s<e! Why,
it is just six years since Maynard
Wight went to Baltimore
just six years
'And you invested five thousand dol.
lars 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 flourishing
as ever. More so, indeed, for he will
not have his father making ducks and
brakes of his capital. The old gentle
man is coming money in Chicago in
real estate. think, my dear, you may
now send in your bill
Nonsense, Uncle Ralph! had ! let
ter this afternoon from Maynard
oh, ho So I am to lose youf
He loves me. He has loved ne all
these years
And your
you know she answered, with a
bright blush.
Yes, 1 know he said, gravely. Tt
is hard to give you up, Eta, hut I 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 committee
you mentioned
'Etta'
'Wellv
4 am afraid I can't keep that secret
of yours much longer
Keep it till tomorrow, Uncle Ralph.
l am to say yes or no at Marion's to-
night
The Christmas party at Marion's 9
wondered loudly at Aunt Etta's, unac-
countable delay. All the young savages
were beating tattoos with their feet
upon the staircases. and tcudlx Eaclar-
ing it was too bad Aunt Eta lid not
come, that the tree might be lighted.
The more decorous party of older peo-
pie in the drawing-room wondered why
Marion was watching the door so
Maynard Wight, listening
to the small talk of Ma
rion's eldest daughter, was thinking
Eta meant to say no, and stay at
home.
Suddenly Marion vanished, and in a
few minutes all the children fled into
the front parlor, and fixed their eye
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 certainty of disap-
pointment for him.
1t opened, revealing glare of light,
and the great tree in the centre. Be-
side it stood Eta, dressed in bright
blue silk, with her light curls decorated
with blue ribbons, and a bright light of
in her large eyes, and flush
ing her round cheeks. In her hand
was long wand, with which she de-
tached the glittering presents from the
tree. Everybody was too busy in ex-
amining 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 a gay OBJ
ject dangling from one of the branches
of the wonderful tree. 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. Ger
tainly in the past six years he had toe
often speculated upon a similar one to
be mistaken. Blue and red stripes and
yellow stars might exist in q 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 il pass.
ed into his hands He was beginning
to think he must be asleep, when the
long wand hovered for q moment ovel
the gay sock, detached it, and Eta,
clear voice said:
'Kriss Kringle to Maynard Wight.
Uncle Ralph took it from the wand
and handed it to the still bewildered
young man.
I believe you know where to find the
mate he said, with a meaning smile
Then it was your Maynard said
Not bit of it. 1t was Eta
Eta = cried the young man, deeply
moved.
See what is in this one. No one i.
noticing us; they are all too busy Will
the tree
1t was a very tiny gift down in th,
toe of the gay sack. Only little golt
locket for a watch charm; but when j,
was opened, Etta's sweet face looket
into his, and n curl Of Etta's brigh'
hair faced the miniature
Ny story is told. Uncle Ralph Ia.
one more nephew, and Mrs. Maynart
Wight says her husband has one pail