St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-28

Say Sno was mere TWO years ago, Wnen
Mrs. Gray's youngest son died. asked
Lisbeth about it, but she only looked
/ cross. Maybe Mrs. Gray would tell you
If you asked her." suggested Annie.
She had often looked at the picture and
wondered who the original might be.
She. shivered as she drew the curtain
again, perhaps she felt for the moment
q warning of the influence that life was
TO have upon her own.
You don't know where she came
from"' asked Herbert.
"Ihey say she came from place way
on. | dom remember the name. But
it's the same place Mrs. Gray's people
came FROM" said Annie.
| WAS it Boston?"
Eyes, that's the place. Did you come
from there, too?'
"Yes, was born there. and my par
ents are there W." answered Herbert
absently. He was trying to remember
where he had seen that face and why il
seemed so familiar.
Annie did not stop to ask why the
morning passed so quickly; why the
sun shOne more brightly than ever be-
fore; why itseemed such merry Christ
mas that she wished il would last for
ever.
AT dinner Herbert took the opportun-
.
She recognized the family as one of the
oldest and most wealthy one of her own
kinsman. Then he ventured to ask the
history of the portrait up stairs. Mrs.
Gray heSitated a moment and then said +:
''That's young lady my youngest son
met while he was at college near BOs-
ton. They were engaged to be married.
George fell i'll while home here on his
vacation. When he found there was no
hope for his recovery he insisted ON
sending for Lucia. She came and they
were married the day before he died. 1
don't think she loved my boy as he did
her; but she's a very sweet girl. think
| of her as my own daughter. She has a
cOpal church choir of Boston. She sent
me the portrait this summer and prom
| ises to spend next Christmas with us !;
| though Pm afraid she'll forget" Mrs.
| Gray sighed as she thought OF her
| youngest SOD who was to have been the
| comfort of her old age.
| Herbert remembered now. He had
| seen that face at school and had haunt
ed the church to hear that birdlike voice.
| He began to wonder dreamily if he
might spend next Christmas here.
He stald several days, waiting for in
structions from the land company who
employed him. Time passed pleasantly.
Anhie's beauty and quaint ways amused
him. When he left Annie held in her
hand little golden heart with the
words Merry Christmas engraved on it.
Herbert had taken some pains to pro-
| cure this remembrance for the girl who
seemed so lonely.
Annie had not the worldly training
nor experience that made her question
| If the little gift meant the same to Her
bert as to her. 1t seemed to her a token
| of the love that had transformed her
| whole life. Before there had been only
| old Lisbeth and the birds to love. This
was the happiness of which she had
vaguely dreamed. He was so kind and
good. surely he loved her.
Several times that winter Herbert
came back. That portrait haunted him.
He seemed to see the broad, fair brow
and clear, gray eyes always before him.
Occupied with his own ideal he never
| noticed how Annie's face frightened at
his coming, and how tine Softened lips
Quivered at parting. LiSbeth'S keen
eyes noted the change in her favOrite;
but she hoped Herbert would marry
Annie and take her to some place
where life would be more pleasant.
Lisbeth did not know of the hours Her
bert spent studying Lucia's portrait.
In June Herbert wrote Mrs. Gray that
he had returned to Boston to visit his
parents. That was partly tone, but he
was also determined to find Lucia. He
knew her by no other name. Mrs. Gray
said she had not adopted her sons name
but gave no clue to Lucia'S maiden
name.
Next December. week before Christ
mas, the two old women and Annie
were sitting in the front room watch
ing the snow coming down in great
heavy fakes. 1t had been showing all
day.
There's the carrier, and he's got
letter for you, Mrs. Gray" said Annie,
running out to the gate to meet the
farmer, who brought the mail. A let
ter was an unusual event. LiSbeth and
Annie watched Mrs. Gray as she read
and reread the lines.
"What be the matter, Missis?" ven
tured Lisbeth, at last.
''Lucia'S coming" she said. in chok-
ing voice, and her faded blue eyes filled
with tears. "She says she's going to
marry Herbert Clifford, and they'd like
to be married here. Of course love
Lucia jest as If she was my own daugh-
ter" she said, after pause. "She's
young. Pd rather she'd marry Herbert
than anyone else, if it's got to be. l
don't see, though, how she could forget
my boy so SOON. [ wish he wouldn't
come here to be married. but s'pose
young folks will have their way"
Lisbeth was watching Mrs. Gray, and
neither of them noticed how Annie fell
into the nearest chair and sat there as
rigid as if turned to stone. The three
women sat there long time in the
deepening twilight, each busy with her
own thoughts and unmindful of the
other. A huge log broke into q blaze.
and the cracking distur bed the 81
lence.
when does she come2'' asked Lis
beth, sullenly.
.'The 18th. Why, as live. that's to-
day!" said Mrs. Gray, starting up.
"Annie, will you hitch up the horse and
drive over to the station to meet her?"
Lisbeth tried to whisper some words
prsed at the girls apparent calmness.
Armies little world had fallen about
her in ruins, and the shock SO stunned
her that she could only repeat to her.
self that she was going to meet the
woman who held the love she had imag-
ined hers.
She stopped, and Annie dimly saw
Lucia locking for some one to meet her.
The figure in the sleigh never stirred
until clear. SllVery voice said:
'Are you from Mrs. Gray's?'
"Yes'm," answered Annie, mechan-
ically.
They drove in silence awhile. The
storm had ceased, and in the starlight
Lucia could family see the outlines of
| the face beside her. During her former
visit Annie had been away on one of
| the woodland expeditions, and they had
not met. Annie glanced at her Occa-
| sionally from beneath bent brows and
| saw that Lucia was even more beautiful