Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-01-13
ANACORTES. w. T, SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1883.

bestowing, yet already beginning tc
grow damp and heavy under the
warm glow, when turning the corner
of fence, where the drifts were
blown up like blocks of marble, his
horse gave startled spring and
stopped at sight of small, dark
figure trudging along on foot, pic
ture unusual enough to scare any
horse in the country where not q
farmers daughter, in however mod
crate circumstances, will undertake a
mile journey at any season of the yea1
unless provided with some shape OF
form of mag" And Mr.. Brindle
gazed down with wonder that grew
deep and intense at sight of the fair
little face with its dark eyes and
slightly upturned nose raised toward
him.
NAB Lacyw he cried, '.is it Nab
Lacy, or Christmas vision?"
1T is Nab Lacy" she answered,
with a little fiuttering laugh. "I've
come back to see Aunt Nancy"
"Then you've come on as much of
a wild goose chase as [ have" he re-
turned, ruefully. "She's gone-gone
plum to the Branch. Her old Pepper
beats my Floss woefully, and 1 saw
the gable end of her sleigh shy
around the corner before L got to the
end of the lane"
"Oh, then what-what shall 1 doY'
cried Nab, overcome with the sud
denly desperate appearance of her
position, and sitting recklessly down
upon wayside stump, whose white
cap of snow was gradually shrinking
away and oozing in drops down its
sides.
Don't do thatr' cried Mr.. Brindle
with alarmed sharpness; "you mustn't
sit on wet stump and catch cold
just because Aunt Nancy took a no.
ton to go bumming around for
Christmas lark. Jump in my sleigh.
like sensible girl, and we'll see."
"What's the use?" walled Nab,
trying to stop little rill of tears
that was slipping DOWN her cheek,
with the corner of her veil. II can't
go home with you, and there's no.
where to go. Oh, Mr.. Brindle-Ben,
what shall dow
sDo just what l tell you," said Mr.
Brindle. "First, give me your hand,
and you jump in here back OF this
robe. Now we'll have talk. SO
you're alone, Mab?"
"All alone, Ben," sighed Nab.
"Well, look here. I'm the same
old Ben you always knew-and
hated?"
Il didn't" said Nab. "I-I-you
know, Ben"
"And you're the same Nab Lacy 1
always knew?"
"Yes; I'm tempted to wish was
somebody else just now."
''Well I aint. If you're alone we're
both alone, Nab, for / am; and its
rather rough in my opinion. Now,
why couldn't we drop overheard this
big slice of time that's separated us
so long, and go back to where we left
off before we flew out at each other?"
"How could WEI" asked Nab.
''Look through yonder," said Ben
pointing to little yellow cottage at
the end of lane branching off the
road. Sour new minister lives there,
Nab"
'.Does he?" Mab's tone expressed
whatever, but Bachelor
Brindle's solemn gray eyes caught
the flicker of blush in her cheek.
"Yes he does" he answered. Nab,
I've got ten dollars in my pocket. I
expect the minister is needing about
ten dollars awful bad"
Hadn't you better make him a
present of it" asked Nab, sweetly
smiling off at the lace-work of the
snow-dappled tree branches in the
winterblue distance. Ben looked a
little disconnected, then rallied.
But, Mab," he said, she's kind of
proud. wouldn't dare to offer it to
him without giving him chance to
earn it. Mab-Mab, you haven't lost
your tormenting ways, but tho bar
gain We made back yonder at the
stump was that would help you out
of your trouble if you'd do as / said.
There's no one to find fault with what
We do-nothing to keep us apart.
Now, Nab, we're going straight to
the minister's cottage, and you know
what for"
"Then," said Nab, turning her
blooming face to him, "all I've got to
say, Ben is, if you're right sure
your right, why 60 ahead"
So MIR. Brindle had wife to cook
his Christmas dinner, after all. There
was merry bustling, there was
laughter and gladness in the hith-
erto lonely bachelor quarters. And
there was, too, a sweetly solemn
hour in the tender gray Christmas
twilight, wherein Ben and Nab, with
the big Bible between them, bent low
their heads in grateful acknowledge
ment of the loving care of the One
who, through trial and sorrow, ever
and always, leads us on.