The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-20

this Christmas anthem. But be hurried on
/ till he came to the old house he had often
visited in his boyhood. There was no sign
Of holiday cheer there. The blinds were
down, the doorsteps dusty.
He rang the bell and no one answered it.
He rang again with no better result. Then
he rang aogrtly, furiously, be could not
have told why. And then the door opened
and Mrs: Anderson in her rusty black con-
fronted him.
She fell back at sight Of him aud stern
look came into her face. The colonel went
/ inside, but he could not say word be only
looked at her.
~ presume You are here In reference to
the mortgage she said. my husband has
just stepped out. but | think / eau answer
for him. as he has told me about his meet
ing you yesterday. l am displeased that he
should have said word to you. Il was
entirely foreign to my will. We are pre-
pairing TO go away,-up north somewhere,
and
The front door was still open, the knob
In her hand, the colonel Just across the sill
"Will you invite me il n said the colonel.
I'VE have no right t. keep you out, she
returned This is your house,
And you have 10 inclination to make
me your guests" he said.
She vouchssfed no reply to this.
The colonel looked down. Then for the
first time he saw that he carried in his hand
the sprig OF evergreen his mother had given
TO him.
II did come in regard to the mortgage"
he said. ut will be satisfied tomorrow"
She made an exclamation.
II pray you let me do this" went on the
colonel. 81 must not be denied. 1t is for
sake Of -"
CHARITY" she interrupted harshly, "aud
blame my husband for this. And | de-
cline to permit anything OF the sort.'
Could she not see the burning light in his
eyes-or were his eyes too heavily clouded
by the mist OF time to show the light be-
hind theml He stood in the presence of the
woman be had loved and who had loved
him, both of them with silver 10 their hair,
both of them old
She looked coldly away from him. For
years she had thought him a forsworn man.
Yesterday, on her way to lay memorial
wreath in the plot where lay her children,
she had come across him, the spirit of
Christmas-time in her mind and all her
loneliness without her little ones. He had
looked so lonely, lirnping along, that the
impulse seized her to go over and saga word
to him. How had he met her advancesg
And perhaps he had never been con-
temptible In her eyes before this morning,
when he came to her in her poverty and
offered her charity.
AS he still stood there, and the door was
open and 1t was none too warm in the house.
she said: "If you wish to wait for nv hus-
band, you are at liberty to do SO. But the
mortgage must be foreclosed, not satisfied.
Excuse mem and she left him and went into
a room on the right.
Helooked around him in the old Anderson
hall at the makeshifts for comforts. What
had she not gone through! And she still
thought he had been false to her! Almost
on the run the colonel limped up the
ball and turned the knob of the door behind
which she had disappeared.
She was pacing the room, her hands
clasped in front Of her, frown on her face
She stopped abruptly in her agitated walk
at sight of the colonel.
He went up to her holding out little
yellow paper.
II never read this until this morning. ~ he
said. "My mother put it away when you
took it to her, and she told me of it only
to-day. Before you wrote this had sent
you like letter, which my messenger could
never have delivered to you, and be placed
in her hand the letter she had written to
him SO many year8 before. Her face
blanched, she crumpled the paper against
her palm.
leave mel' she said, hoarsely. ~ must
be aloneW
"And may do as / WILL for the old times
sake, for my poor mothers sake!'' he asked.
Leave me alone" she said "Gow
he had turned away, when she called him
back.
She raised her faded eyes to his, she
placed both hands upon his shoulders and
gave him long, mute look-no hunger of
love Ia it, no wild regret; but only ineffable
satisfaction for the rehabilitation of a be-
lief that had been thrown aside for years as
worthless.
Then her hands slid down, and she placed
the old letter upon the rudy Goals In the
stove beside her.
Then may do as wiNF murmured the
colonel.
she did not answer, and her face was
turned away from him.
II met you yesterday" he went on, ''And
you carried some Christmas green to your
dear dead. Here is piece my mother gave
me this morning. Take it, and l shall know
that my own sorrows grave is thought of
by you, and may do as l will. VIII you
take it, AlioeP
So she reached around, her face still hid,
den, and took the green. And her hand
was trembling.
The colonel went out without looking at
her again, and closed the door behind him.
Did he see Anderson In the hall with a
little basket in which were few Christmas
provisions7 do not know.
But Anderson saw in his thin face q look
of joy that made him think Of their Young
manhood. be went up TO him and they
| took each others hands without a word
at was one of his old jokes" thought An
| derson, that hard manner Of his. He is
going TO give us time, or the like, and he
| comes to tell US this on Christmas Day."
aud he looked after the colonel going out of
the house, the sunshine lighting him up as
he stood on the front steps. the crisp air
waving the thin lock of gray hair at the
side of his forehead. And that was the
| colonel's Chr istmas morning
-