Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-12-22

Iittle girl with the bTde eyes ana che goIu
curls.
The cousins, too, were of the best. Old
Mr.. Hartley looked as if he ought to have
been an archbishop. Mr.. Hartley, Junior,
was species of perambulating smile He
loved everybody and everything, and his
lines always fell in easy places. His wife
was one of those pudgy little women who
are always in fuss until some emergency
turns up and then become as cool as clans.
Her two children favored the father" and
were always grinning under their merry
lttle turned up noses.
In fH"t they were Hll dear. good peOulo
and ny fond CT each other as fond could be.
"And why didn't your friend, the major,
come along?" asked pudgy little Mrs.
Hartley as the dinner got under way.
"Yes, my boy, you should have insisted
upon his coming" added Grandpapa Hart
ley from the head of the table. We're all
so matter of fact, you know. A little of
his nonsense would have been novelty"
Then as the questions came thick and
fast Cyril told the story of Christmas eve
with unadorned simplicity. He told about
everything down to the leaky boots.
And when he had finished his story the
little girl at his side leaned over.
"Sid," said she, couldn't we do any
thing for him? Couldn't we all go and
call on him after dinner and make him
come down and spend the rest of the
Christmas hereS" .
"That's just what was going to sug-
gest myself, Louise" interjected Mrs.
Hartley. "We'll all start right down i'm
mediately after dinner. My husband will
take me, and you, Helen" and she pointed
to Mrs. Wingfeld, "can pilot Mr.. Thomp-
son. Sid, you will lead the way with
Louise"
In that manner the entire matter was
settled satisfactorily, and, as Mrs. Hartley
explained with great fussiness as they
started, it was their bounden duty to go
and see the old gentleman who seemed to
have no friends save CyriPs to think Of
him on Christmas day.
II don't know that it was right of us to
bring Helen," suggested Mrs. Hartley to
her smiling husband as they drove through
the snow. "You know it was on Christ
mas day that Charles proposed to her, and
it was the next Christmas day that they
were married, and"-
eyes, and it was on Christmas day that
the blackguard levanted" said Mr.. Hart
ley emphatically.
II believe so," sighed his wife. "Charles
was weak, very weak; he could never face
misfortune. But Helen must have gotten
over it ages ago. Ten years is u long time,
my dear-a very long time indeed"
The party drew up at 263. Never be-
fore had the maid of all work seen two
real private carriages stopping at the lodg-
ing house door, and as she peeked through
the window whereat she was washing the
dishes she guessed that there must be a
mistake.
But when she opened the door and saw
Cyril she knew for whom the visitors had
called.
'The major, sir, Lor', sir, the majors
nearly dyin. He's in bed, sir. I think
they'll be takin him to hospital. He was
lyin all of heap on the floor this morning,
an Mrs. Gales-that's the landlady, sir
says as how he hadn't nothin to eat in a
week or more"
"You had better let me go up alone, ,
said Cyril, but Louise ran up after him
and Mrs Hartley puffed and painted still
farther in the rear.
When Cyril entered the room the major
was lying pale and faint looking in his
bed. His gray face looked awfully haggard
on the white pillow; his eyes were sunken
in his head
YOU'RE brick, Sid, my boy; but what
are you here forf" he gasped. "Who's that
with your The little one, eh? God bless
herl Stand back and let me look at her
boyl
"Ah, my God-God bless you, Sidl God
bless you'll"
He sank back exhausted with his hand
in that of his friend. AT the same moment
pair of soft arms clasped Cyril's neck.
Don't let mamma come up, Sidl It's
him, it's him! Don't let mamma come upl''
The girl knelt down by the major and
kissed him.
"Father!" she called to him, "don't you
know your baby Lou?"
Well, it was bit late to stop the two
older ladies. Even as Cyril stopped down
over his kneeling sweetheart Mrs. Hartley
puffed in through the door, and Helen
Wingfleld was with her.
Later that evening the major sat propped
up in a pillowed chair in the Hartleys'
drawing room and pale faced woman
stood over him.
Somehow nobody spoke, and there was
something glistening in the wrinkled cor
ners of the sick mans eyes.
Nervously pretending to forget the lost
past he glanced at his battered shoes.
'They leaked, Sid, my boy; they leaked
You know they didl"
The pale faced woman bent nearer him
"That's all over now, dear, she whispered
Forget; forget"
Silently the others stole away from the
room.
Listen to the chimes, Lou," said Cyril
rs they stood in the gloom of the outer
lobby. The vesper bells of Christmas wert
ringing through the town, but Louise
Wingfield never heard them. With hel
arms around his neck she was sobbing like
achild on his bosom. Whether it was from
love or gladness one really cannot tell; but
the Christmas chimes were ringing out
side, and the two were standing there to
gether. Chicago Evening Post.