Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-12-26

crafty and possessed q keen lntnltlVe per-
| ception. and 1t was seldom his Judgment
was far out Of the way. After duo consid-
Grafton he rightly coniectured that Job
would read the note and believe Dot had
commissioned her fath> to return the
volume. a # " s ~
1t irritated the naturally turDul OFT des-
pot to think that the poor schoolmaster
had dared to lift his eyes toward Dot.
But eknew little Of the teacher,s strength
Of character. The mute Christmas token
was the only evidence he would have
given to indicate that the poor and hui mble
mentor of the district school entertained
toward the rich mans daughter any other
feeling than that Of the most profound rev.
erence and loyal respect.
Mayor" Flint decided to be absent
when Job should arrive, and he left orders
that the parcel on the comfortable should
be handed the schoolmaster.
| Job putred aud bowed and kicked 80
hard on the scraper outside the magnate's
front door, that he was heard long before
he attempted to ring the bell. As he was
about to ring, the door opened softly and
| Dot held out q hand Of welcome that sent
| an electric thrill through tho schoolmas-
tors system when her little t1nger.tips
touched his calloused hand. job was IN
lehabod Crane IN appearance, but his man
| ners were those Of o polished member Of
! the intellectual and refined grade in s0ci-
city, over which money L. without influ-
ence; 90. externally, he appeared entirely
at ease in Dots company, yet, if the truth
was known, his heart was fluttering be-
Meath IS vest like q Gagged bird.
Here is Christmas present, Job,
made for you myself" said Dot, handing
him a parcel, as he stood ready to depart.
| "You must not open it until you hear the
Christmas chimes at midnight q, I al
most forgot thntl Father left it for you,"
| she added by the way of explanation. II
presume it may contain another Christ
mas remembrance"
As she took the volume from the table,
Job watched her beautiful face and when
their eyes next mot his own told of his
smothered pa ssion as plainly as if he had
spoken. She trembled, blushed and hung
her head as she lnnocently proffered tho
package addressed to him by her father.
Job glanced at the package and started
as he recognized the volume through its
torn wrapper.
Mechanically he received the book, but
it fell from his nerveless grasp. He es-
sayed to speak, ard his tongue refused its
function. With one parting glance no
tottered through the doorway and along
the path leading to the road, where he
caught glimpse of the mayors scowling
face as the moon shone on window in
the second story of the house.
He walked with head cast down, neither
looking to the right nor the left. He was
dazed. He was like one whose reason was
clouded. If her eyes spoke the truth-but
no, his Christmas token! Why did she
return it ii such was the casea And yet
no, he had even no right to think that. It
might have been natural embarrassment
through fear of wouuding his feelings by
the return OF the book. ~
"Hellow, Gogi" exclaimed familiar
voice, as the path was blocked by q form
that was irrecogn liable beneath its great
coat and heavy muffler. "Hyer's letter
fur yer got outer the pust-uf1s. got ono
fur tn ma'am, tew. Eef yeoo wanter
wait 1'll take ye hum; but 1 sotter git
some Christmas dxins fust."
The speaker was the farmer with whom
was declined by Job, who thrust the letter
in b 5 pocket and continued his walk.
"Qneer cuss thet Oh Cog. Ruther
walk than riie on SIGH or night ez this uni
Wouldn't ketch me walk n ct didn't hev-
ter, b'gosh! .Geel Ho-bahl Git-er.lang.
there, yew r. and he whipped up his horses
to faster gait and soon widened the dis
lance between himself and Job.
When Job reached the turn that led
into the dark gap between the hills, he
paused and leaned ON tho rail ng of q
short bridge that spanned tho frozen
brink. >7S' - y as.s5 s,.-s .
Christmas Evel = Beautiful Chriatn,as
Evel He looked up to the sky. It seemed as
though the stars were soothing at him and
the snow fringed trees nodding in dorision.
The moon shone with whittier, brighter
light and wore : knocking smile. The
water lying under the trees fripging the
bed OF the brook Was completely frozen
and occasionally snapped like the pop Of
q chestnut; the evergreens stood out dis
tinct and clear. and the weird music at the
wind, as 1t stirred the great trees, sounded
as though the very spirit OF Christmas was
already abroad. He thought Of the happy
homes on which that moon was shining, Of
devoted husbands and wives, fond fathers
and mothers, merry children, "his fam
ily," home from school, of happy lovers,
and kind friends.
And he-he stood alone In the world, an
isolated being on that silent country road
on this Chris tmas Eve. " i.
! A weird Sc nsatiOn crept over him as he
stood there. He glanced at the deserted
house. Part of Its roof had dropped In
] WdEU 0uu tu0 euO" uUN uIl4V0u kuIOuSu
the inlet and piled itself in tho center of
the flooring. How like his own hearth He
felt that the ruin of that home was an in
animate picture Of himself; for the roof OF
his heart had been uplifted, and the chilly
snow Of unrequited love had drifted in
upon its floor. 9as, T.. - ss ~
A strange fascination that house held for
himl It had never been occupied during
the nine years he had been in Ciderburg.
He had never been inside Of it. It bore the
reputation Of being haunted; but Job was
not superstitious, and he feared neither
COLLINS, spirits nor spooks. SO when some
a strange feeling impelled him to 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.
i He walked through the several rooms on
the ground floor, then explored the second
story, where ne sat upon some broken tim.
bers and buried his face in his hands. The
loose shingles Tapped as the angry wind
scufled over tho dismantlcd roof and the