Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-12-21

i
a broad beam Of ruddy lish' flashed
vu. over the snow. A blufLfaced man
Tent over him and shook him vigorous
~ Come, MY man. he said. this
Won aoi Another half-hour and you d
never nave heard the Christmas bells. y
Inc man dragged him inside and looked
NJ MIN hali-curiously. half compassion
ately. Tramp, eh?" he calculated,
well even tramp ought to have
shelter q night like this Wait here till
The stranger looked stupidity around
MN: Above bis head rose a vaulted
ROOT supported by lofty columns around
WAich woro wreathed long strings Of
evergreens, frightened here and there
by sprays of flaming holly. Some
church. of Course, but everything
looked strange and unfamiliar The
biuil-faced man stood on n stcp-ladder
busily engaged in fashloning in ever
greens n motto on the wall. His guest
looked on, fascinated as the sentence
grew under the makers def fingers.
Unto ms a child is born-hnto us
Son lit read at last; and a. its mean
ing grew upon him he groaned aloud.
The sexton. as he evidently was,
turned around pleasantly, looming
round, i see,' no said. "Well, now,
We been thinking that it's hardly right
TO send YOU out again tonight. Sup
pose you stay and help me. and I'll see
you through on bed and breakfast"
why, you don't know anything
about me" said the other, slowly.
I'm risk all that. Just come up
here and finish out this sentence.
Here the rest Of il written out on this
piece Of paper"
Il know il well enough-I don't
want the paper" said the stranger
roughly; then changing his tone, he
added: 81 beg your pardon for speak
ing hastily. just give me the greens
and I'll do my best.
Well, you are n queer chapr' said
the sexton, refectively, "but Jim
Davidson doesn't 20 back on his word,
and II do as 1 said. Here are the
greens, and you'll find the holly over
there in the corne-'
The two men worked on in silence for
some moments; then came knock ut
the door, aud the sexton disappeared
for n moment. Only the rector" he
explained. as he came back and met his
companions inquiriLg glance. ''He
always comes 90 the church Christmas
Eve and waits till the bells begin To
rlng-leastways. he's always done so
since he took charge here, and that's
nine years ago. don't know what he
does here and | suppose its his own
business, anyway. Well. NV lad. and
what is IL now" turning TO a boy who
had been vainly endcavoring to attract
his attention
PLEASE, sir, and there's n gentleman
down at your house that must see YOU
at oace-impOrtant business"
"Tell him To come uD here, Jimmy.
It's nigh To twelve. and I'll have to DC
on hand to ring the bells"
''He says. Mr.. Davidson. that he can't
possibly come up To the church, but that
he won't keep YOU but n moment"
"Well. l suppose | might run around
for minute or So hesitated the sex
ton. Then, turning To the stranger,
who had stood silently looking on:
you'll start the bells for me if I
shouldn't get back i'm time, won't YOU?
Here are the ropes, and you can easily
get the knack. I'll be back, though.
l think, in time"
AA' AAANN WI HIS ONtINOil anu NlHTIRO
for the door, then stopped. aud turning
around with n curious expression on his
face, walked up to little closet set i'm
the wall. Closing the door, which was
partially open. he locked il, and slip
ping the key in his pocket went out in
silence.
who's that in the church
with you, Davidson" inquired the
rector, rs he put off his heavy overcoat.
"Only n poor fellow that | found
half frozen to death on the steps, sir;
I'm keeping him with me to help dress
the church, and I'm thinking I'll help
him to lodging tonight. It's bitter
weather 90 be about outside.'
Quite right. You might ask him to
come and see me tomorrow. Don't
let me be disturbed just now, though"
Rev. Arthur Drayton, rector of St.
Peters, raked the Goals down in the
glowing CRATE and then, drawing up an
easy-chair, sat down before the fire. A
handsome man, most people would have
called him. Iron-gray hair and beard,
clear, clean-cut features, mouth some
what too much compressed, perhaps
but altogether face that exacted re-
spect, If nothing more. No one of his
nu.lerous acquaintances pretended to
really know him. His parishioners re-
spected and looked up TO him, but they
never offered him their confidence and
he never seemed to expect il. At any
rate, he never showed the slightest dis
position to bestow his upon them. He
lived apart, and people respected his
seclusion. His past history none knew,
although many coniectured that he had
seen trouble. However. there are al
ways some people ready to set up any
number of theories for any given set Of
facts.
Rev. Arthur Drayton looked long and
earnestly into the glowing Goals. and rs
he looked his thoughts wandered back
To days that had long gone past, and
this is what he saw. A young man Just
entering upon his first pastoral charge,
strong in love and enthusiasm for his
calling. A year of happiness that passed
like n dream, and then long DAYS of
pain and sorrow that saw him bending
over the bedside of his wife. watching
her drift away from his strong yet, ali
how helpless grasp! A time of blank
Inconsistencies, and then the laughter
of his baby son ringing in his ears call
ing him back to take up the burden of
lite again. A sweet child's face with
big black eyes and long clustering curls
comes 6efOre him now. His eyes are
growing dim, and when he looks again
Il has disappeared. The years roll by
all too soon. and now the night is com
ing on. IL Is in his old church aud he
is looking down sternly--unforgivingly
on his son bending for pardon at his
feet. There come hard and bitter words
that lac would fain forget; then the door
slams and he is standing alone in the
deserted church listening 90 the sound
ing mockery Of tho Christmas bells.
He pushed back his chair from the
fire and covered his face with his hands.
The fire sinks lower and lower, until
only little heap of cold and ;ifeless
ashes remains, but still he sits there