Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-12-25

PeAeoA tUIucO 10 see again
the strange couple-the tall, straight
youth with the long hair and the foreign
features, and the short, dumpy Aaron
Ashermayer, whose broad face mad been
TRANSPORTED by something.
Where is this dress you spoke ofT'
asked Aaron. Laboski led the way up
fremont and down a side street to an
unpretentious store, the front of which
ne had haunted many times of late.
They entered, and Paul, with conscious
pride, bought the dress, paid for it, and
had it wrapped up in bundle. Then
1t was Aaron's turn. The old bachelor
blushed as he asked, "Let me see some
good wooden stockings for girls" He
turned and winked to Paul when the
price was announced for ten pairs of me-
rino hose; but none the less he bought
them. A whispered consultation with
the girl in waiting resulted in the rolling
up of very large package of flannel
and white linen. Then the pawn broker
purchased toilet soap, work box, a
silver thjmble, velvet rabbit with a
solid head into which needles might be
thrust and secured, ruAes, delicately
painted fan, an eighth of pound of
pins, high carved comb, belt with
gorgeous gilt clasp, an embroidery pat
tern portraying spanieps chasing
very funny auckland everything else
in the stoce which his bachelo. magma.
ton coupled with the female desires.
There were many other stores visited,
among them the milliner's, the shoe
dealers, the book store (where We pur.
chased sumptuous edition of "Swiss
Family Robinson" which Aaron re.
called with the liveliest pleasure, but
which, shall / confess it, Josephine never
really liked, and lastly, the confection.
er's, where some wonderful packets
were put up. Theh the two turned their
steps toward home, or the tenement in
which what there was of home for them
was placed.
They walked silently along through
the throng which still jostled in the
shop'streets. As they crossed, and
turned into still, narrow residence
thoroughfsre, Aaron stopped suddenly.
Paul followed the direction of his eyes
and shared the sight which engaged his
attention. On the opposite side, from
broad, hall.curtained window, streamed
a food of light broken regularly by the
swift shadow of children dancing. The
two men standing in the quiet night,
could hear shouts of gay laughter above
the ripping melody of the violin. A
nurse passed the window, bearing an
infant high in her arms The tiny crea-
ture crowed and clapped its baby hands
to the music. Back of it all could be
seen wonderful Christmas tree, glow
ing with prismstic tints and tapers that
cleaned like stars. They twinkled
merrily as the little madcaps raced around
them. owe have forgotten something"
said Aaron. So they crossed the COM
mon again, and went to the great mar
ket where eversreens were on sale.
1t was after midnight when the weary
policeman, pacing his rounds, noticed
the light shining from Josephine's room
in the attic. 81 must speak to some
one at the bower" he said to himself.
"That young one will Kill herself work
ing 20 late" And this put pleasant
thoughts into his mind of his own little
curly heads st home. He dwelt with
pleasure upon the thought that their
stockings were well filled, and that the
morrow WAS an off day for him, and 80
passed on, buttoning his coat tighter
against the east wind, and whistling
softly to himself.
The roundsman was wrong. Instead
of working, the little laundress lay
coiled up fast asleep in the closet-like
recess where her mother died. And in
the larger front room two good angels
were watching-and working. Said one
of them
ave paid ridiculous prices for most of
these things. ! could have got neatly
all of them from my own shop. But |
wanted them all brand new" And the
other answered;
Luckily, / know the shoe dealer. 1t
shall be easy TO change these If they will
not fit"
The time came for the morning bells,
which usually call the lsborer to his
work. /. was holiday, and they were
dumb. The absence of the noise awak-
ened Josephine. At seven o'clock this
muggy Christmas morning it WAS quite
dark. The little one rubbed her eyes
then held her breath in mingled terror
and smazement. A moments though -
yes, she was sure she put out the candle
the night before. Yet there, through
the crack above the closet door, cleaned
broad band of golden radiance which
was not daylight. What was it, She
leaped from her cot, and, with an i'm
pulsiye gesture of childish bravery, flung