The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-12-28
THE RETURN.
A CHRISTMAS STORY BY C. T. FEE,RIS.
ICopyrirht, 1897, by the Author.1

CHEEKY old face as Mrs. Martin read the
letter from her son Paul. He had been a
wandcrcr for eight years and now wrote
from South Africa. The same feeling
haunted Kate Lockwood's fine eyes, though
she bit her Lip at the conscious revelation.
But Mrs. Martin did not sec. Her eyes
were blurred, And murmuring, "What
could have happened to change his mind?'
as if it were the prrsayc of some greater
blow, sho went on with the reading:
"Id give u few 'sparklcrs' to be with
you on Christmas, as l had planned But
% fellow can't always fulfil his own wish.
es. It's better to have everything wound
up before leaving. South Africa has treat
cd mo pretty we'll up hero in it's diamond
fields, so l shouldn't kick if it keeps me in
its clutch n little longer. / shan't be So.
ry to leave this furnace behind. When my
letter reaches, Jack Frost will be abroad
with you in Vermont, clad in leo and
snow. but here II man will DO baking at
06 in the had Pm burned as black as
any Kafir in tho mines, so thai you and
Kate would scarcely know my swarthy
phiZ by the way, you may tell that young
woman from me that l don half like her
goings on with tho Swinton man. Didn't
She promise to wait for mcP | shall have
q word to say to her about her faithlcSS
ness And so Paul's letter ramblcd on
In n s~cmichafing tone. Katc's face had
darkcncd to angry scarlet when Mrs Mar.
tin looked up and said: "Why, my dear
you mustn't Il k Paul's jokes SO hard
You know what n tease he was from a
boy
That was precisely tho troublc Paul
had always been joking, Kate feared. \
distant cousin and reared in the family
ever since she had emerged into woman
hood n moro tumultuOuS sweetness had
mingled with the calm affection she had
once felt for Paul even as she had for his
elder brother Will, When hc had gone
away, she was only II, and kccnly she had
quivcrcd with the pang of parting Year
after year had slid by, and tho rolling
stono found no rest and tho girls sore
heart had certainly found no balm in the
absent Paul'S jOcOSc phrases. Yet she had
sometimes fnncicd u thrill of sentiment
and tenderness quickcning his sportivc al
lusions. At all events Suitors had lacked
fuel for their fire, and her friends rallied
the young schooltcachcr that tho only men
folk sho liked wcro tho lads, with whom
she could bo''jolly good fellow" in a most
fascinating way Her latest admircr, tho
head of % prosperous factory and much
liked by the Martins, had no better luck
than predecessors.
There was u time" the old lady con.
inucd in reminiscent mood rs she laid
down the letter, "whcn | hoped you and
Paul would come together some day; but,
lackaday, that's all done with. can't
understand tho girls nowadays. ] s'poso
you amt afcarcd of bcin left an old maid,
fer, you know, you're good loOkin"-and
Mrs. Martin pccrcd quizzically ut Kato
over her glasscs-'but still YOU might
nnNpr huyn Snrh "a rood nfT,r no NJ, C,,;,,
ton-plcnty Of money, not too old, and rs
good rs gold. AS for Paul's stayin away
another year.
whats that about Paul's not comm
homer" Mr.. Martins jolly rcd face, now
beginning to quicker with years and care,
was filled with dismay MS he suddenly en-.
tered the room. THAT scapcgracc of ourn
oughtcr be thrashcd cf he's n-goin to dis.
appoint us ag'in." So Mrs. Martin again
read the letter aloud, while Kate, mid tho
varied comment of the old couple, ESCAPED
Tor n hearty cry.
Farmer Martins gloom had n deeper
root than ordinary miscarriage Of hope
ia ruthcr looked to Paul's help Of tho
wuSt comes said he to his wife, "fcr
Wills got all he can shoulder. Tho mort
gage on tho place has never been easy to
mcct-what with poor crops and low
prices. | met Squire Barber jcs' now, and
l told him we expected Paul. Fer sure,
said he, n laughed with his lilo, hol
like some DANCED olo hycny, and then he
said he hoped there wouldn't be any delay
this year bout tho mortgage money or
somcthin might turn up, and then he outs
with another smoker. Confound his hide,
It's as hcartlcss as his shccpskin books, fer
l had allus rcckoncd him Il friend aforc.
Though Christmas did not promise any
appctizing sauce for its turkey and minct