The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1893-12-21

But she knew as we'll that her labor
was rewarded, fo- she had added an
hour Of enjoyment to scores Of lives.
From that time on she had no mo-
ment to herself. The presents were
distributed, each pupil Of the Sunday
school was we'll remembered, and 81
lent charity did there. as it does in, the
laced and lowered churches of the city,
its silent mission of blessing. Time
and again, as the girl passed here and
there deity directing her clumsy Mer-
curys. who carried common messages,
she saw the black eyes of Eliza Raines;
saw the lifted, proud face, and fancied
she read some lesson of trouble. But
she could not rise to the level OF sympa-
thy. She had lost 80 much to the gau-
DIV woman, suffered So much at the
shrine of the buxom beauty, that she
could not quite hear the echo of that
midnight mandate:
"Pcace on earth"
Fortunately, As she saw. moment after
moment, with q wOman's swift vision,
that rising cloud of disappointment in
her rivals cOuntenance, she thought 1t
was because no present had been be-
slowed. Never thinking that Eliza
might be mourning thrall's enfran-
chiscment, Nora almost came to the
point where she wished some present
might be found on the bending branch
cs of this woman whose Christina, was
surely not IL season of joy. But that
brought with it the fear that such a
present might mean too much. And
every strange parcel handed up to the
Superintendent that he might read
the name of the favored mortal, gave
Nora the harpiest pain. How easy for
Ed to have humbled her and exalted
Eliza by the simple device of sending
to the tree wide silk handkerchief, a
box of candies or a toilet case:
The busy moments were over at last,
and Nora turned again from the Uttered
stage and passed into the DRESSING
room. There seemed no reason for it,
but her heart wa, crowded full OF most
untimely sorrow. She came close to
| the cold window and tried to forget the
tumult out there in the house, tho ex-
hausting heat. and the flavor not quite
of the poorest. But what was this on
the window pane: Her name: She
| had not written her name. She had
written she had written Ed Morrow"
up there in the mellow soil of the
| Christmas frost. And here above it
was her Own-his in the fair, round
lines of Il girls chircgraphy, hers in
| the strong. rugged sweep of a mans
swift hand. She turned with a start
and little scream. and there was Ed
! Morrow with his arms about her and
his lips on her brow--Ed Morrow, who
said nothing. but comforted her with
the slow, quiet p assure of his left hand,
! while he took up the tuning fork from
the widow sill and swung a circle clear
around both names engraved on the
frosty pane.
Nora had flown in an instant from the
last day of the Christian year quite to
It's first. then back again. And on the
way she gathered something of the
spirit which had always armed her.
What made you write my name above
yours. t.d:" she asked, a, She stood
alone before him. because it belongs
there" said the young man quickly.
Let's commence tonight and never
quarrel any more
That was their compact and they
passed together cut through the house,
trading swift compliments with hun
dred friends, till they reached the
door. Then. just as they stepped from
the battered threshold to the creaking
snow. a woman turned upon them
flashing face that was rich in its
beauty but married by its hate. 81
wish you much i"v." she said. with jeal
Gus bitternt s.. 1t was Ella Raines.