Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-12-25
THE RED LIGHT.
1t was Christmas Eve.
BY AMY RANDOLPH.


ways at the full, the snow always a-sparkle like
pulverized diamonds, and the air always still
and cold and clear, but stormy twilight, with
the snow driving steadily from the east, the
wind raw and biting, and the sky-what you
could see of it-Elacli as ink.
But 1t was Christmas Eve, all the sapae, and
Bertha Hooper's checks were as red as the bit
ter-sweet berries in the woods as she sat, all
wrapped up, in tho train that was steaming
ncrthward, on her way to spend Christmas with
her Aunt Amira Higgins.
Christmas III the country. To Bertha, who
had lived all her life in the brick walls and
stone pavements of city, the very words
seemed to convey somewhat OF cheer and JOY
business. And Bertha, rs she sat with her eyes
closed, and her little gloved hands safely nestled
into gray squirrel mufI beheld in her minds
eye great fires of logs roaring up wide-throated
chimneys, walls fcstooned with hcmock boughs
and black-green tufts of mistletoe; and she had
half composed poem on Christmas and its
cherished associations when the ruthless con-
ductor came along for her ticket.
''How far are we from Montcourt station?"
she inquired, as she gave up the bit of paste
board.
Next but one, Miss" said the man, as he
hurried on, with his lantern under his arm.
''Half an hour yet"
She had never been so far from New York in
all her life before. The driving rain in which
she had left her home, had changed as they
progressed northward into the steady fall of
snow, which tluttered around them like white
waving shroud. But Bertha Hooper cared lit
tie for this Had not Aunt Almira promised to
send Zebedee her Youngest son, to the station
with the pony to meet her on the arrival of the
sX-forty train from New York? And was not
Zebedee to have lantern with a red glass door
to it, SO she could identify him at once.
She was very pretty as she sat i'll her little
black velvet toque, with its curling plume of
cardinal red and the wine-red ribbon bow at
ness of eighteen. She dark, with large
hazel eyes, almonG-shaped and long lashed, a
clear, rosy bloom on either cheek, and wavy
dark hair hanging in silkcn fringe over her
broad, low forehead.
'Mont-Court-Stat bawed the brake
man, putting in a snow powdered fur cap, and
withdrawing it again as quickly as if he had
been magnited edition of the Jack-in-the-box
which children much rejoice at i'll holiday time.
And Bertha Hooper knew that she had reached
her destination.
Stiff and cramp9d from the length of time in
which she had been sitting in one position, she
rose up, with little steel-clasped travelling
bag in one hand and dainty silk umbrella in
the other and made her way to the door.
All she could see when she stepped out upon
the wet and slippery platform, was q blur of
driving snow, through which the lights of the
solitary little country depot cleaned fitfully;
but the next instant something flashed athwart
her vision like friendly red eyc-and beneath
the reflector over the station door, she saw a
tall, tnc-looking young man, in fur-trimmed
overcoat, sealskin cap set jauntily on one side
of crop of chestnut curls, and a red-llShted
lantern swinging from his left hand, as he stood
straining his eyes into the stormy darkness as
if to catch sight of some familiar face in the
little crowd.
''Cousin Zebedce!" cried Bertha, aloud, and
she made one spring into the arms of this
blonde-whiskered young giant. For had not
she and Zebedee played dominoes and fox-and-
geese together in the days when she wore blue
ribbon sashes, and his hair was a closely shorn
mat of corroty-red? "Oh! Cousin Zcbedee,
I'm SO glad to see you; and hadn't any idea
you had grown half SO handsome !"
And she gave him great hug, at the same
time holding up her rosebud lips for a kiss.
But, to her infinite amaZement, the hero of
the sealskin cap seemed little backward i'll
responding to her cousinly advances.
Il beg your pardon, said he, slightly re-
cedinS, ''but I'm afraid there is some mistake.
My name is not Zebedee and the lady for whom
l am looking is some years older than YOU"
Bertha Hooper started back, coloring and
confused, and as she did so a fat, comfortable
looking old lady came trundling along the
platform in an India shawl and boa of Russia
sable worth its weight in srcenbacks.
Charlie" she cried, 81 thought | never
should find you. Is the carriage here?"
"All here and waiting, Aunt Efiie, respond
ed the young man; but he still hestated sec
Onu as Bertha hooper STOOD, Win aNerted lace
and motionless figure, in the shadow of the
building.
''Can be of any service to you?" he asked.
eff you are expecting friends who have failed
to meet you--"
anybody here by the name of Bertha
Hoo-ooper?" shouted a stentorian voice, and a
tall, raw looking lad with lantern-aso light
cd with red glass rushed shuffling around the
corner.
Zebcdee himself Zebedee, red haired and
stumbling and awkward as he had been in the
old foX-and-G days.
"Oh!" said he, catching up his lantern so
that the scarlet birds wings flashed out like a
spit of fame-scarcely more scarlet, alas, than
Berthas own face Here you be- I'm little
late, for the roads is so ALFRED bad, and l
couldn't start tine pony out of walk. Come
on How dc do? BE you very cold?"
'Zebedee," said Bertha, clinGing almost hys-
terically to her cousins arm, ''who's that Young
gentleman with-.with the other lantern?"
''Eh!" said Zebedee. ''That teller with the
old lady in patchwork shawl"
''Ycs."
cts Charley Harcourt, the squire's son."
said Zebedee. "Just come from furrin parts!''
''Zebedee," said Bertha, with a curious little
sound between laugh and sob, ''put me into
the cutter, quick; and drive me somewhere.
don't care where Because"