Connecticut western news., 1884-01-23

its Christmas greenery than ever before in its existence, and tomorrow he hoped to speak nobler, and more earnest words to the men and women who would listen to him than he had ever done before.
 Some one knocked at the door. He went to it and opened it. A little boy came in.
 "Please, sir, mothers worse, and the lady says she's going to die, and sent me to ask you to come right away" Then the boy broke down, and cried softly in the shadow of the open door.
 "I will go with you," Trevor said, putting on his gloves and cloak. Then he went out into the stormy night, with the child's hand in his.
 It was bitterly cold, and the wind blew the sleet into their faces. He felt the boy shivering, in the keen breath of the northsaster, and took of his cloak and wrapped the thinly-clad form.
 "Oh, don't do that l" the child cried. "You need it. am used to the cold"
 "You need it most" Trevor said. The boy smiled up into his face through tears.
 "You're good man. Iknow 50. She said so."
 - "Who?" Trevor asked.
 "The lady that's with mother. She's a fine lady, but ain't bit afraid of her."
 Someting told Trevor whom the boy meant without further questioning.
 They climbed two flights of rickety stairs, and he followed the boy into a small, scantily furnished room. The dying woman's face shown out against 8 background of gloom, white and wan. By the bedside there was another wo- man, and he knew who she was before she rose and turned to him.
 Alice smiled softly and gave him her hand. He thought he had never seen so beautiful face, with such tender, womanly sympathy looking out of it. One thought came to him in a swift way. He had feared this woman might be trihing with his heart. Now he knew that she was incapable of doing that. She was a woman with true woman's soul, and he blamed himself for his in- justice to her.
 He went to the bed and bent over the dying woman.
 "Pray," she whispered. He saw that she was very near the open future, and knelt down to obey her last request. Alice Graeme knelt beside him, while the boy clung to his mcther's wasted hand, weeping bitterly.
 It was 8 tender, simple, earnest prayer that went heavenward in that lit- tie room, and it bore on its wings the soul of the weary pilgrim who had longed for rest, for when prayer was done and they rose up the woman was dead.
 "She will keep her Christmas in Heaven," John Trevor said softly.
 When, shortly after, two or three women came in to care for the dead body, Alice prepared to go. Trevor waited for her at the door. When she came out, he drew her hand within his arm, and silently, thoughtiully, they went down the white street. The storm had ended, and the town was transfig- ured in the moonlight. Everything was pure; it seemed like new world.
 But little was said between them, but both were full of busy thoughts. He was thinking of what life might be, if he could have the woman nt his side to walk with him forever. And she was think ing how glad she would be to walk by his side for evermore.
 They reached her home. He went up the steps with her, and left her at the door, with wild yearning to fold her to his heart and tell her that he loved her and that neither wealth nor pride should keep them apart. But he still held back.
 He went down the path, he had al- most reached the gate. Suddenly he stopped and looked behind him.
 In the moonlight he saw her still standing at the door, gazing after him.
 Before he realized what he was doing he was at her side again.
 "Alice, my darling" he was crying, "I love you. l want you for my wife. Gan you-can you care for me?"
 "Oh, John," she cried, putting both her hands in his, while her face was sweet with that beauty which woman's face never wears until she listens to her lover's story, 'I have loved you long, long time. And you have been so blind" And she fell upon his breast.
 My heart called you mine," he whis- pered, pressing her to him; "but I dared not speak out before the world-dared not be called fortune hunter-dared not do what my heart longed to do."
 "The king may claim his own" she said softly, lifting her eyes, full of tender light, to his for one brief moment, and then hiding them on his broad chest.
 And he held her to his breast, and kissed the beautiful face in the rapture of an unutterable gladness. At last, at last, he had HIS OWN. A Matter of Wages.