The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-12-21

fire thinking; and his thoughts were OF
her. He had long ago admitted to himself
that he was too hasty when he drove his
only daughter away from his home; but ne
still remained silent. At each family re.
union, always held on Christmas day, he
had missed her. And as the coming one
was to be held at his house, and his broth.
ers and sisters with their families would
be there, he, with some bitterness of feel.
ing, was b~rooding over the fact, that
through no fault of his, he reasoned, the
pleasures of the day would be married
Everybody missed Mary; the children o;
his nephews and nieces would ask for he'
and talk about her, despite the admoni-
tons they had received to the contrary
AS he was busy with his thoughts, gazing
the while moodily into the fire, and now
and then punching up the fore sticks in 9
spiteful sort of way, Grandma Botswortt
suddenly spoke up and said:
"To-morrerll be another white Christ
mas. This makes two IN EN- right hand
runnin'. Three years ago was a mighty
mild winter, and we had a green Christmas
that year."
Here the old lady paused and heaved a
Sigh. No one said anything, and sh con-
tinued: II recolleck now there was more
buryin's that year in the Bald Hill buryin'
groun' han there has been since. oil put
together"
ayes" assented Mrs. Botsworth, re-
fectively, "a green Christmas alters makes
q fat graveyard. they say, an I never
knowed it to fail"
Il reckon it'll be good sleighin' to-mor-
rer," observed Uncle Billy, "an' all tho
what's that?"
The exclamation with which he coz
cluded his remark was caused by the furi-
Gus barking of old MAZE" the Watchdog,
the sound of voices in the front yard, and
what seemed to be the cry of a child in fear.
The two boys started for the front door,
while the remainder of the family sat in
tently listening, and wondering who could
be their visitors. They had not long to
wait; for a minute later the sitting-room
door was flung open and Jacob strobe in,
bearing in his arms a bright and lusty two
year-old boy. Almost snatching the wraps
from about it, and holding the little f low
up he shouted: "Pap, look at your
grandson; Filsey's come, an this is her
bosy;n
springing to his feet, with a face as black
as a thunder cloud. Take him away; I
don't want ter see him."
AVA VA 0AOutCo q SiCdl
strong voice in the doorway. 1t was the
son-in-law who had spoken, and who now
stepped into the room, his figure erect and
his eyes blazing with anger. Hold on a
minute, I say" he continued; Il want a
word. Bill Botsworth, I can buy nm sell
you. l am a rich man, but you don't have
10 own me for a son-in-law on that &C.
count. AS for me, 1 can get along without
you. But Mary here wanted to come back
and See her mother and all of you once
more, and I said she should; and, more
than that, I said you should treat her and
baby right, or I'd make you: and, by thun-
der, I'll do it! Understand me, I ask no
favors for myself, but for this poor girl
here, that you've treated so mean. and who
still loves you, but who wants to come
home, only for a little while, I will
speak for, and fight for, too,
If necessary" Even while he was
talking mother and daughter were
weeping in each others embrace, and
Grandma Botsworth, rising with difficulty
from her seat, laid her hand on her sons
shoulder. William" she said. "now's rs