The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1891-12-25

couldn't tell any one that hadn't been
mother" =
"l'akc tho black ribbons off your shut
ters." said the preacher; keep Christmas
as Christian this gear, Sister Wayne" -
"My Christmas b fasting and tears"
said the widow. "Can you remember the
day you stood here last aud expect me to
rejoice when Christmas time comes foundi
Seems to me you ought to respect my feel
ings MORE" =. ;.
The minister went to the window and
raised it, and united the black ribbons from
the shutters and flung tho latter open. I.
"lct the light shine out upon the road
this Chistmas eve, he said. "Iet It cheer
the helatod traveller on his way-=soms ons
that might he going home to his mother.
pcrhaps-home to spend Christmas with
his mother"
"Iet her light her lamp then" said Mrs.
Wayne. "Why should II My son will
como to ME no moreh The minister turned
about and faced her.
"Ifi It was the Lords will that he should
return to you he would come, Sister
Wayne," he said.
"The Lord himself can't undo dsxth,"
she answered.
IA young man called upon me tdnights
who thought his mother dead, J" said tho
minister: "When told him that she lived
and mourned for him. you should havo
seen his happy face. He had seen her
house closed; with black ribbons ON the
shutters, and in the graveyard, sias 81
eide, tktte stohes--his iather,s, his Iistsrii
aud his mothers, he supposed. It WIS too
dark to read the nanics He believed that
in his absence his mother had departed
this life; and he came to me to ask partio.
ulars. What I said to him was: .Yonnr
man, I preached yout funeral sermon nve
years ,,xo, These cases of mistaken iden.
tity so,hetimes occur. rho stone Won ~
Is over your own remains.
The widow uttered a dry and olasnad hes
hands, ..rhera. / cni1not keen Him one
any LONGER. do not l,alieve that Tow avss
kills. said Domihie Thowier. he stenns3 ,
away from the French window aeSIn (
which ts had ret his back. ma = ~ dN
80 Hcrfofxl Wayne rushed into the 49,.
sank nt his mothers fsct and kreit tSeeS
with his arms sbous ksr waist, 81 I'd
head upon her bosom, subblht like dhild.
The old preather slibDei nwav. A iittis
deute stood trembling outside tha doo,.
A miracle had happened. Herford livsd.
was here before her eyes uRain. But. alaai
he did not think OF her. His mother ~
all to him.
II never knew Of tho destruction al kha
factory.'' he was saving. II had i,een oS.
fered u chniicy To make my fortune. ana
had to he OH board a seaeoing vessel thaA
evening to ioin Robins. if / took Il. fal1
that women needed to he rich. that for :
poor man there could be neither love not
respect nor happiness. I felt lika an.
mothet. / wrote to you. I wrote to Mat.
jorie; and bave the tetters 10 old Nika
Flanagan to deliver. Youts hsver reache6
you Of course: But thought you were too
angry to answer. AS for Marjorie, she has
found her millionaire. as happen 70 Z
know. And, at all events, since I have
come home no richer than l went, / should
not aspire to her hand, know her views
too we'll:
No richer than he went. The words fsii
upon Majorie's ear like the sound Of ioy
bells. II Herford had made his fortunss
he must lave wooed Marjorie long and
ardently before she would have smiled
upon him. But since he was still toor.
only the knowledge that he had seen her
in the church when Stanisland was making
his offer Of marriage, and that he muse
have fancied them lovers, restrained het
now from obeying the dictates Of her hearA
"Marjorie!n cried tho mother. "Why.
Marjorie is here How could 1 forget herS
Marjorie! Aluriorie!"
She moved forward. Ilo turned and saw
her, rn:l she uttered his t.a,nd and held ONT
her ari,,s to him, and no words were need:
ell to tell him that II ali MEN she loved
him, and him only, and that, thinking him
dead, she had still been true to him. AN
that she told him afterward did not con-
vince him more completely than that one
look.
They sat thera hand In hand. sav,no "a
much to each other. until snddeniJ thS
deep sound of the church beli feil nnon
their ears. Twelve strokes-it WAS M
longer Christmas eve. II was Christmes
day. Christrnas day. and grief had fiown
away through those unbound shutters. IA
Joy and love had entered in.
AS Herford had walked hort1s with Mar.
joric the souttl of the organ and Of Christ.
mas m,tsic cu,ue to them from the rhtit.ch
upon the Heights. Still other voices rane
out where thcy kept watch night in the
old town. It seemed to these two lovers q
NO black ribbons noated from AnnAh