The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-26

garden plat in front. The gate was
ajar, and light was streaming from the
parlor window. Her hopes reviving,
She gently pushed the gate open, and
made her way to high stone seat just
under the window from which the light
came.
Four happy-looking children were as
busy as so many bees, decorating a
large. beautiful iir-tree with all sorts OF
pretty things. Will-for they were our
Young friends of the mother ROOM
was standing on chair disposing the
chains, which pretty golden-haired
Isabel was holding up to him, in grace
full festoons. Mary was hanging on 1t
gilded nuts and apples. Anna, thought
ful-looking, gentle Anna, was fixing
the red, yellow and green tapers into
their proper position.
"How kind she looks, and how nice
they all arer' thinks Lottie. ''How
happy they mnst be to have such q
sister, Is there no papa or mamma, L
wonder, that they are doing all this
by themselvesp All, there comes the
mammal How nice and good she looks!
How she smiles at them!n The little
girl, in her eager delight, forgets eau
ton, and rising on tiptoe on the bench,
presses her face close to the pane. At
that moment Anna happens to glance
in that direction.
'sWhat is the matter, Anna?' says
Mary. You look as if you had seen a
ghost"
"Somebody is staring at us through
the window she replies in a half
frightened whisper"
ssStaring at us through the window!
impudent fellow'' cries VIII, jumping,
boy-like, to the conclusion that the
starer can only be che Hold on,
Isabel, I'll soon put a stop to that"
"Oh. don't 90 TO the window, WIFI
cries Mary, whose head is full of wild
stories heard in the nursery long ago,
and not forgotten yet. Suppose it is a
robber, and he were to shoot you!''
"Nonsense, Mary" SAYS her mother,
advancing toward the window, which
viii had already thrown open. "Oh,
what was thatp"
They hear fall, followed by a low
moaning. Lottie, seeing them come to
the window, had tried hurriedly to get
down. But in her haste her foot slip
ped, and she fell heavily, hitting her
self against the edge of the seat.
1.-The robber has hurt himself evident
w." says VIII, rather remorsefully.
They all rush to the door, which Will
by this time had opened. Lottie was
trying painfully to limp away. Mrs.
Lister put her hand on her shoulder.
"What are you doing here, my
childo" she said gently, on seeing how
very tiny and how frightened the iuv-
emile spy was. Don't be afraid. We
are never angry with any one on Christ
mas-eve, and least of all with such a
little creature as you"
"Indeed, indeed, ma'am," sobbed
Lottie, II ment no harm. | wished so
much to see Christmas tree, and L
thought the people to whom the Christ
child brought them left the windows
open, as papa used to do, so that the
poor folks who hadn't them might see
how pretty they were"
'Are your parents doad, then, my
poor child?"
Eyes, ma am, Papa died first, then
mamma. We lived in another country,
far away over the sea, He lost all his
money, and then we came here. But
he did not get any more money, and
one day he died"
"And who takes care of you now?"
sDame Bridget said that as there
was nobody left to take care of me, she
would do so as well as she could. So L
live with her.
This Dame Bridget must be good
woman. What is your name, and how
old are you, my poor child?"
81 am eight years old, and my name
is Lottie Lindhardt.'
"Lindhardtr' cried Will and Mary
in breath. "That is Annals name,
MOTHER
Mrs. Lister, too, started on hearing
the wcll-known name, and looked more
attentively at the child. Strange, u
she said. chow the two stories seem to
tally! But no, no. she continued, sit
can not be. Such strange things hap
pen only in books. And yet the name
And she is evidently of German parent
age. "Lottie." she resumed, "do you
remember the name of the place you
were born at?'
mo, ma 'am." answered the child,
looking up wonderingly ut this contin-
ued ere ss-examination. AFTER papa's
death, mamma was always so sorrowful
that she never spoke much of anything.
But think Dame Bridget knows"
"Well, well, my dear; stay here
moment till l return. No one will harm
you"
Mrs, Lister ran upstairs, and found
her friend still seated where she had
left her.
"Helen." she cried breathlcssly, show
old was your brothers child, and what
was her namep"
"Why, Edith" smiled the other, chow
eager you are. What makes you ask
.Neyer mind why l ask : only tell
me-
.'She would be eight years old now,
replied her friend. "She was remark
ably pretty girl with thick flaXen curls'
and blue eyes rs dark as blue corn
flowers"
.But the name-the nameP"
"Charlotte, or Lottie rather. But
tell me why YOU ask this Just now?"