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

'Yes,, f'lfzbe 81 myself = some foreign
and for . yoar-or two Or three or twen-
=" And waxing angrier and angrier be
went on ."She always was = flirt, and al-
ways made me wretcheti. There's Frank
Mca1s, she danced with him almost al
evening at Kate GuiaeaIs party, and Al
Adams carr1es violet in his pocket book
she gave him last spring; and - for this
dandy book.keeper, she's smiled 80 sweet
OF him every time she met him that it's
been with the greatest difficulty I've
kept myself from knocking hlm down.
Hang it if I had him here / seossld knock
him down." and he squared of and shook
q formidable fist at the empty air, just as
from the basement Of the small church
he was passing, rang out in sweet child
lsh voices verse Of an old Christina
hymn:
"And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide Of Christmas
All others doth deface."
Christmas morning. Essie Smith sat
in her pretty little sitting-room, holding
her pretty little hands over her pretty
little ears. In truth the noise was deaf
ening, for Essie's modest apartments
were only small part Of the big house
IN which she lived, and all the other
rooms were blessed with two or more
children. Whistles and TIN horns were
being blown, drums were being beaten,
rattl - sprung, and all kinds Of animals
Santa Claus ANIMALS, l mean-werc ut
tering, or trying to utter, oil kinds Of
cries, and apparently alive to the import.
ancc of the day, and anxious to contrib
ute each his mite to the rejoicing, Essie s
canary, taking second breakfast in de-
sultory way, sang loud and shrill after
every seed.
Esther was saleswOman in large mil.
inery establishment, and very glad she
was Of a holiday that really ,oas holi.
day, for most Of The days SO called were
for her the hardest working days OF all
A pretty girl-a very pretty girl,
with frank, hazel eyes, shad-
ed by Wonderful long, curling lashes,
and bronze brown hair arranged in some
mysterious manner, in puffs and waves
and braids, all mingled together 80 that
you couldn't tell where the puf1s began
and the braios ended.
The waves however, ripped away
from a low white forehead, and down be-
hind two pretty little ears-mentioned
before, :. believe-and lost themselves in
the braids at the back Of the head, and
Just above the left ear was stuck q CO.
Quettish little knot OF blue ribbon.
Essie WAS not alone. Brother Joe waa
there, too, his chair tipped back on its
hind-legs and his feet on the window-sill,
reading thrilling romance in The Won
der Of tho World. Brother Joe was three
years younger than his sister, and cash
boy in the same store she frightened by
her presence every day, Sundays and hol.
days excepted, for a moderate salary paid
weekly. Suddenly he threw down the
pspcr, dropped his feet On the floor, and
converted the chair from biped to a
quadruped with u thump that made the
flower pots on the window-sill trcmble
"Oh, l say, Essie,,' he shouted, ''take
down your hands; l want ia speak te
you. Shut up, will you'll" to the canary
and springing from his, seat, he grasped
the two little hands, bringing away with
one OF them as he did so the butterdyish
blue how.
''There now, Joe, see what you've done
and I dare say you've tumbled all my
hair about, too" said Essie, making q
wrlnkle-it didn't amount to a frown-
in her brow.
"Tumbled your hair!' said Joe, with q
broad grin. "Why, I couldn't have tum.
bled it much more than it crinkled
and frizzed and standing out ten ways
for Sunday. But I say, Es, isn't Tol
coming here to-day; That was all bosh
about parting forever, wasn't it?'
I'm sure I don't know whether Mr..
Lolliver is coming here to-day or not, and
I'm sure I don't care, either" said
Essie, with toss Of the bronze brown
head-the bow was carefully pinned in
its place again.
':Phew!" whistled Joe. saint you get
tin polite, sis? Mr.. Lolliver, when he's
been Tol' ever since was small chap.
I say, Els, wasn't lovely babel And
you don t care, either,'" mimlcking tho
toss of the head. ''What a whopper! If
he don't come, nice time I'll have with
you. Look out for red eyes and noses"
To which tlippant remarks isis" listened
in dignified silence.
Not at all disconnected, Joe began
again 'Look-a-herc, sis, think-and az
you're an orphan, and I'm you're only
guardian 'cept auntic, and she don't
amount to nothin', you ought to pay a
little attention to my opioions-I think
it wasn't quite right for you not to an.
swer Mr.. Lolliver' about that glove"
"Don't say another word, Joe, on that
subject--not another word" interrupted
Essie, her eyes flashing aad her cheek
flushing. "How dare he insult me by
asking me such question: I'll never
answer it no, never. uorrid jealous
old thing! And he always was, too ex-
Observation-Disclosures musta ;,
look at anybody else. Let him stay
away. If he comes, l won't see him.
A knock at the door. "Therc he is now
with smile that looked wonderfully
like glad one. "Joc, don't you leave
the room."
Joe took chair and The Wonder Of tn
World again, and Essie hastily snatched
handkerchief from the table, and began
to hem 1t, as she called out, in voice She
tried to make severe, "Come in"
1t eoas Ptolemy, heavy-eyed and grave.
faced; and for the first time IN ten years
he and Essie exchanged no "Merry
Christmas on Christmas morning; but
in silence be flung his hat on the floor
marched straight up to his betrothed
captured the handkerchief, took hel
round chin in his hand, and forced her te