The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-12-25

can't explain. Ho may have bound You
to silence. Why don't You speak, Essiei
.Confound the glovesl 1 wiah I'd never
seen them. What shall ! dot
"Cut your Julia, /" suggested Joe.
"Boy IL" began Ptolemy.
"Vile ca;tiA, would be better" said
Joe. =
The indignant lover cast whitening
glance of sco5n ut him, but jos smiled
s'child.like and bland" and didn't with
OF bit. - = =
"Esther," began Lolliver. again, "you
know how I love you, you know how I've
loved you for years, and yet you never
gave ~ glove"
II couldn't afford to-" said Essie, in
nocently. II never had but two pairs of
kids year, and thread gloves are not
p0etical, nor wooden ones either. 1 might
have given you lace mitten last sum
mel, but didn't think of it,
"A mitten" cried he, choking with
rage. II understand you, I'll say no more
will be calm'-choking more than ever.
"lt's all over. THIS Christmas, which l
hoped would be the merriest will be the
ssddest Of my life, and the Now Year
Good.by."
Sweetheart, goodby," gently added
Joe.
Essie put her apron to her eyes and be-
gan to cry. "Ohl oh! oh!'' she sobbed,
''who would have dreamed of such q
thingg Ny Toll saying goodbye on
Christmas cay! But you always were
too jealous" taking the apron away a
moment to look reproacbfully at him,
and don't know how I've endured you
SO long," and up went the apron again ;
land I've worked your initial s"-sob-
Tin my hair"-another- silk hand
kerchief for you"-many sobs.
"You didn't give it to him cried Tol,
ray ofhope darting into his face. "Then
where is it," no reply, only sobs behind
the apron. A shadow quickly succeeded
the ray. "Good-by, Essie, said Ptolemy,
the obstinate wretch. And as he turned
to leave the room carrying his head very
high, he stumbled over Snowfall, Essie's
great white cat, and her especial pet,
who was coming in with mouse-no.
not mouse-mice are not Of dark, in
discribable color-but some small object
dangling from her mouth.
"Oh, my graciousl sisl' yelled Joe,
| falling fat on the floor in bis eagerness
to snatch the prize.
"What, Joe, what is it9'' cried Essie,
and down came the apron, leaving the
long, wonderful lashes glittezing with
tears.
"Somethln9 the cat brought in" he
shouted. "Hurrah!" And there, soiled
on1 ~vo< hu tho .uox,, =, ~,h:oh - Ia l.:-
all night, was the missing glove.
II must have dropped it as Arthur
kissed my hand" said Esaie, as cool as
you please. II suppose the one he had
was Kate Guinsa's. She went and got
pair like mine the moment she saw
them. They're engaged, but they didn't
want her father to know IT, so he made
believe he was in love with me-"
Ptolemy seized SNOWFALL in his arma,
and fell ON his knees--he did indeed.
"My darling, forgive me-" he said-only
this and nothing more. His eloQuence
had fed with his jealousy.
x"Dont you do it, Es," said Joe. Hell
be jealous again tomorrow, and swear
somebody's got that bow in your hair, if
you should happen to lose it, and puss
didn't find it,"
"Try me, Essie," pleaded the lover.
Essie turned away. Don't turn from
me, dear. oh, how unjust I've been; 20
unhappy, Essie won't you come to my
arms, my own little girl?"
"How can /, Toll Lolliver," said his
| 'sown little girl,' mischievously, "when
you've got the cat?'
"Bless my soul! so l have" said
Ptolemy, dropping puss as unceremonl-
ously as he had picked her up.
what ingratitude!" said Joe.
"Essie," again entreated the penitent,
holding out his arms. Essie took one
! step, Tol two-on his knees-and, az he
clasped her to his heart, kissing the
laughing eyes and lips, the neon time
Christmas chimes burst out merrily with
the good old-fashioned tune, "Lfe let US
CHERISH"
by all MEANS" said Joe, waving the
silk handkerchief above his head, and
joining in the last notes with "Tol-Lol-
liver"