Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1888-12-20


fur tn ma'am. tow. Eef yeou wanter
wait. rll take yc hum, but l gotter CIV
scmo Christmas axlns fust"
Tho speaker was the farmer With whom
toh lodged. Tho offer Of the ride homo
was declined by Job, who thrust the letter
| in his pocket and continued his walk.
"Qucor cuss thet Old Cos. Ruthcf
walk than ride on sich or night cz this I'm |
wouldn't keich mo walk.n' Of didn't hev-
tef, beoshl Geel Ho-bahl Git-er-lang,
there, yewri and he whipped up his horses
70 faster gait and soon widened the dis
tanco between himself and Job.
When Job reached tho turn That led
| into the dark gup between the hills, ne
| paused and leaned on the railing Of n
short bridge that spannod tho frozen
brink.
Christmas Evel Beautiful Christmas
Evel Ha looked up TO the sky II soemod az
though tho stars were scofling nt him and
the snow-fringed treos noddinf VI defisioh.
The moon shona With n whittier, brighter
ilFht and wore mocking smile. The
water lying under the trees fringing tho
bed Of the brook was completely frozen
and occasionally snapped like the pop Of
a chestnut; tho evergreens stood out dis
tinct aud clear, and the weird music of the
wind, as II stirred the great trees, sounded
as though the very spirit OF Christmas was
already abroad He thought of tho happy
homes on which that moon was shining, Of
devoted husbands ard wives, fond fathers
aud mothers, merry children, "his fam
ily,n home from school OF happy lovers,
and kind friends.
And he-he stool alone in the world, IN
Isolated being on that silent country road
on this Christmas Eve.
| A s..I ~ he
stood there. He glanced at the deserted
houJe Part Of its roof had dropped in
ward, and the snow had drifted through
the inlet and piled itself IN the center %
the flooring. How like Ms own heartl He
felt thut the ruin Of that home was an in.
animate picture OF himself; for the roof OF
his heart had been upliftedI and the chilly
snow Of nRrcaulted love had drifted In
| Npon its hoor.
A strange fascination that house held for
himl Il had never been occupied during
the nine years he had been in CiderburR
He had never been inside o. A. Il bore the
repstatloh Of being haunted; but Job was
not superstitious, and he feared neither
Boblins, spirits nor spooks. SO when some
stranae feeling impelled him 10 jump the
fence, wade knee-deep through the snow
and enter the ruin, he was not frightened
at the noise made by some animal that
made its escape rather than resent the in
trusion.
He walked through the several rooms on
the ground hoor, then exnloted the stcUiid
story whert AZ Sat upon some broken tim
bers ami buried his face in his hands. The
loose shingles tapped as the angry wind
fcuffled over the dismEst tied roof and tho
dangling tmhcrs eteahsq 10 'hcarnfti
tensa thai were soothing ~ tSe safled
feelings Of the intruder.
Hours passed, but he needed not Sme
In his sheltered position he felt no cold I;
he was partially stunned by an almost
double shock lie had figured nut Dots
etnbafr9ssmen, 10 We On hnihtent5nal be-
trayal on her regard for him and the re-
tufn OF his Christmas Offering 10 imply a
silent rejection OF his nuspokon love 20
him II was like gsttitg 70 the gate Of par
adisc just in time to have II slammed in
his face. He brooded until he fell asleep.
Meanwh hile something uncommon took
place at the house of the hard hearted
Mayor" something that upset the plans
he had laid for twenty years past
When Ieh fippin let the volume Of
boeins drop from his hand snd departed
without sowing "goni-nightn he left
Dorothy Flint equally as speechless as
himself
It was some little time before shs re.
covered sufiicient ccmposure to gather the
! letter. The Book and its wrapper from the
noor. Her eyes br mined with tears as
she brought them TO tho comfortable In
spread ng the wrapper TO onvclop the
volume she saw her name In Jobs hand.
writing. She opened the work and read
the inscription on the hy-leat For mo-
ment she hesitlted, then cpSr Cd thd letter
and quickly read Us mortifying contents.
Ono moments pause and she had de-
eided.
Hastily showing the letter in her pocket,
she ran upstairs and rotrrncd with a lew
elrv ea.ket That had belonged 10 her
mother; then, after examining a humber
Of deeds and papers, one Of which lacked
! like a will she inclo-st them in tho casket
and losset H.
An hour later she was vending her way
down the moonlit road along which Job
had travelled in the direction Of the haunt.
/ cd house.
1t took a man Of grit 70 ride tosr ,be
road on srch D told hiHhh ahd what pluck
must Woman possess 10 walk
! Dot paused on tho little bridge where
JOB had stood, and, liRe 500 che Aiused on
the Ernhdeur OF the scene, the sweet,
| White world that lag under tho canopy Of
the Christmas night sRy and its golden
stars Soon the silver -toncucl bells ia
the little church would ring forth their
pteans proclaiming the anniversary Of the
birth Of the S@vyGE and their mus
would rise and fall over the trees, would
| die away across the snow
Dot had thus far followed the tracks OF
Jobs footsteps, which we're easily recog-
nizable in the moonlight, for but few per-
sons had Travelled the road since the last
snowfall All the farmers drove 10 town
in teams Now she missed the traces she
| was following but shd soon found the
| place where be jumped the fence
When Job awoko irc.. his crampei DO
sition and gaze about him be was some
| what nonplussed At first his memory was
not equal TO an explanation OF how a.,
| came there; but only for a second ala a.
/ fail 10 recollect for something stirred IN
his heart and brought tears 10 has eyes
when the bells began 70 ring and the soft,
| sweet chimes cams 10 him across the snow.
And softer and sweeter than the Christ
mas chimes was the cheek Of velvet that
was pressed close to his own plain face,
and softer and sweeter still were the tones
OF the voice that VIII spercd in his ear,
Merry Christmas, my lovepi
When the village pastor was rousei
! from his warm bed to listen TO their story.
he was somewhat annoyed, but when they
had finished, he exclaimed;
"Til du eti Pll du ct ef ct costs nier pas
sonship"
Aud he married them then and there.
Ezra Flint awoko on Christmas morn ng
and found himsef a poor man, indeed.
The papers Dot placed IN tho casket were
her mothers viii and the title deeds 10
the property left her b. the will over
which, now that she was Of ago aud mar
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