Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-02-11

resigned has ialirn.
Her father forgaye her before he
died, and would have made another
will if another day hal been given
him.
Look here, Katie, says 1latton
still impatiently; Il will seek out my
cousin Rosie, and if she leaves her
beast of husband, I'll provide for
her and the little ones. Will that
satisfy you ?"
Il knew Rose Hatton," Katie an
swers. "She was proud and obstinate,
and she would die of starvation sooner
than except as charity, what is hers
by right
He comes close and stands before
her, his eyes flashing angrllv.
Il must either choose between re-
signing you or my uncle's fortune =
" Oh must.
"lf resign it. am a pauper as be-
fore. and your father will order me
from his doors. You will not disobey
your father, So in either case | am to
lose you.'
| love Won. Harry" she SAYS, with a
gasp. Il would wait"
Thank you," he says, with short
laugh THAT is poor consolation. You
are q woman, and waiting NAV be easy
to you. am man and don't choose
to wait. Since | must lose you in any
case. I'll not lose my money as we'll.
Good night, Miss Englehart; | wish
you very merry Christmas.
"Harrv!' she cries. But he is gone
gone IN fine fairy. banging the
street door after him-and 1t is her
father, White with passion, who stands
before her.
Twice the Christmas tide has come
and gone--twice the joyful anthem Of
Peace on Earthe, TO Men Good Will,
Ia, sound down the stately aisles of
81. Philips and the time is here.
Once more it IS Christmas eve: once
mere altar and pulpit are wreathed
with evergreens; once more the voices
OF the choristers rise to the yanlted
roof; once more the slender pale faced
browneyed organlst sits At her post.
her white fingers evoking wondrous
music from those pearl keys. But
the face has graver beauty, the dark
eyes a sadder light than OF old, and
for the silk aud sables Of other DAYS
her dress is deepest mourning, plain
Of make aud poor Of texture.
The last piece is sung-something
grand aud old, and triumphant; and
good night, Mrs. Englshart." one
and all CRY. as they tiutter away aud
down the stairs. She smiles her fare
we'll, Int fingers after they have gone,
as IS her custom; and Us her hands
float over the KEYS, and her eyes rest
On the music, she is thinking of an
other Christmas eve. three years ago,
aud Of her father and lover WHO stood
by her side that night.
She has lost them both-her lover
,hcu, never 10 hear Of or see since
ths father ele YEAR ago. \ great
financial crisis had come had involved
shrewed lawyer Englehart, and
swampcl him. he had broken down
under the blow, and in less thsn three
month after he was dead md buried.
He had never forgiven Katie her
refusal cf Harry Hattou; ne did not
forgive her even on his death. bed.
~lf you had not been fool with
your scruples and whimcs," he had
said to her, bitterly, YOU need not
have been beggar TODAY. Harry
Hatten is married long ago. no doubt.
TO some wiser woman, and when I'm
gone YOU msy earn your living rs best
you may.
They had buried him, and Rather
Inc had earned her living bravely and
we'll. For years she had played the
oagan OF St. Philips as a labor of
love. Now it became a labor of nee
es,ity. Her salary as organist and
half L dozen piano pupils gave her all
she needed, and life went on, some
how, aud Christmas had come again.
she dreaded Christma.-the old
pain and struggle seemed to come
back afresh. She did not regret what
she had done. Better Loneliness and
poverty than illgotten gain-bettcr
lose her love forever than become the
wife of man capable Of wronsing the
living and the dead. She had lost
him, but she had deplored his sins,
her pure prayers followed him in his
reckless wanderings over the world.
She left the organ at last, aud slow
lv quilted the church. Unlike that
other Christmas, no moon nor stars
shone. White, soft, ceaseleSsly, the
snow fell. She put up her umbrella
and hurried home the of boarding
hause-took her belated and solitary
supper, and ran up to her own little
sitting room. A fire burned in CRATE
and her piano-sole relic of former
splendor stood open with some new
music upon it. Before sitting down
to her long practice she went to the
window and looked ont. All the
world was white aud still and ghostly,
and faster and faster the snow was
falling. AS she stood the tall dark
figure of man opened the gate and
came plowing through the snow to the
front door
''One of the boaders," she thought.
"belated as I was. How cross Mrs.
White will be-
She left the window and went to
the piano. Beforeshe commenced her
practice, and half unconsciously, she
began softly to sing the old anthem:
lIark the herald angles sing
Glory to the newborn king
Peace on earth-and mercy mild
God and sinners reconcied.
Then she stopped, conscious that the
door had opened. and that the in
did not lvance.
"Comc in," she said, "and shut the
door, please there is drau-"
She stopped with a low cry, but he
tool, bar st har ,yorl 81,