The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-19

abouts, as the paper containing the
rough map had in some way disap-
peared
1t was Christmas eve again when he
fell PROSTATE on the alkaline plain.
The scene suddenly changed to him.
The flowers were the carpet in the
home of his love; and a pillar of salt
in the desert, which had been named
Lots wife" became to his deluded
brain the Christmas tree in the corner
of the luxurious parlor.
The moonlight caught the facets Of
the knobs and pinnacles of this strange
formation. and the happy man-happy
in the illusion which seemed to him
reality-imagined them the twinkling
| incandescent lights artistically hung
among graceful branches. 1t was to
him a grandly beautiful tree in a IA
miliar room, the perfumed atmosphere
of which was soothing to nostrils irri-
tated by desert dust.
There it isl he called, softly; there.
under the star. The letter that means
SO much to me; that holds my very
| life. Give it"
The moon had nearly finished its
course when Winslow had tottered and
fallen.
Awhile before Christmas something
had stirred the heart of Tad Bolton,
one CT the white Arabs" Whether
| it was the memory of his own boy
hood, awakened by the questions of
the oldest of his brood of half-wild chill
| dren, who had pointed with a query
to the picture Of laden Christmas tree
on the front page of a periodical which,
| by some strange chance, had reached
their dwelling on the edge of Death
| Valley, or whether it was simply one
Of the inevitable links in the ever-mov-
ing chain of Fate, I know not, but the
simple query, Say, dad. what is
! Christmas and what is a Christmas
tree fur?" raised in him the thought
that he owed something to his progeny.
| Then and there he resolved to give
them at least glimpse Of the life that
was theirs by birthright. but from
which he had severed himself forever.
Following this resolve he had jour
neyed to Daggett, $50 miles distant,
and purchased such supply of candy
| and toys and books with brilliant pic
lures as had never been seen on the
| desert before.
| During his homeward trip he had
| been somewhat puzzled about a proper
Christmas tree, but had finally settled
the matter to his satisfaction. He
! would fell mesquite tree, strip il of
its thorns, trim its gnarled limbs into
the semblance of shape, and, when tho
! tapers were lit, who would care wheth-
er it was a shrunken, deformed mes
quite or stately, odorous redwood?
He was nearing home, nodding his
! head with satisfaction, as he thought
! of the surprise of his towheaded, club
by-faced brood, when the howl OF
coyote smote his ear.
THAT means business; they're after
my pigs" he said to himself. at won
| der if any of EN- is out?'
! He whipped up the horses and point
/ ed their noses toward the sound; pres
emily a shambling, awkward shape
crept sneakingly away in the darkness,
and in moment more the horses stop
! ped suddenly and snorted.
! Tad climbed carefully down from the
| blackboard and almost stumbled over
! the huddled figure of Wlnslow. In a
| moment his lantern was alight and he
was pouring brandy and water down
the throat of the unconscious man. In
! another moment he had hoisted him
onto the floor of the blackboard and
was driving like mad toward the rude
stone cabin from whose one window q
light f1ickered family.
He's no common stock" said Mrs.
! bOIIOIlt DIS she SSdICISO Ills pOChSIS
clue to his identity. Wonder haow
he came here?"
Between the lining and the cloth,
where they had slipped through a rent
around to the back Of his coat, she
found the map which Dan had made
and letter which was worn as with
frequent handling. 1t was dated
Christmas day of the year before, and
/ contained these words:
1.-THE Christmas gift you ask is
yours. VIVIAN"
1t was addressed simply to Mr.. A. r.
| Winslow.
why exclaimed Tad, letting 60 the
string of the jumping Jack with which
he was astounding the Juvenile Boil (
tons, that's the Teller that Dan Jen-
kins told me to keep my eyes peeled
fur. You bet he'll be mighty glad to
let minin' alone and go back hum
soons he gifts SOS he kin travel"
ss>.,.-.s