The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-12-19

waited such long time for you, Maria,
and I'm almost frozen, / guess, and so
dreadfully tired.
wall, and Miss Maria Louise looked at
her pityingly, and put her arm around
her waist to help and steady her. I'm
glad you've come, Jess was all she said.
q y
A few minutes later Jessie Alderman
sat in an armchair near the fire, and
Maria Louise knelt on the floor, chatting
the woman's half-froZen feet. Jessie
watched her YEARLY.
I'm dreadful coward" she said, mus
ingly. Il left here two years ago, sure
that could get along. alone, and now
I've tried it and found how hard it was,
l crawl back tired, sick and broken, and
ask the people I've wronged to help me-"
Miss Maria looked up quickly. 'You
did right, Jess. You came back because
you knew how much we'd missed you.
an how Val an Curly wanted you, an
because you was lonesome for us all
Don't make yourself out worse'n you are.
dearie''
Then, in her quiet. kindly way, Miss
Maria Louise told her of little Curly: Of
how strong and straight he had grown;
sweet sayings, and Jessie listened, cry
ing softly the while. "An' Val wants
you, too, JESS" she said, in conclusion.
He spoke of you tonight, an tomorrow.
when he sees you, he'll tell you himself
how much he's missed you these two
years, an how glad he is that you've
come back. [ know he's forgiven ALL
The old clock in the kitchen had just
struck 3. Miss Maria Louise lay awake,
but very quiet, and at her side lay Val
Alderman s wife. sleeping as peacefully
as her little son in his nome across the
fields. She appeared strangely childish
and helpless in her sleep. She was very
like Curly, with her curling hair and long
lashes sweeping her cheek.
1t was a sad story Jessie had told of
the last two years. She had left the
house in a petty, childish rage. She was
tired of being a farmers wife. She had
been town-bred, and the inconvenience
noyed and wearied her, and Val could not
understand and was impatient with her
at her lack of sense as he called it, and
so on Christmas eve she had gone away
with the little money she possessed to
her old life in the city, leaving the baby
behind. She had suffered much, but her
pride forbade her to come back, and she
feared NaFs wrath. She had done all
sorts of things to keep body and soul to-
gether- had sewed and worked in shops,
and at last had become a chorus girl,
and kept to that until her ankle had been
injured from a fall and her voice had
become cracked and harsh from lack of
care. And then, with the knowledge that
she had not long to live, came longing
to see the child and husband she had left,
and she had come back this Christmas
eve to ask forgiveness of the man she
had WrOnged.
Poor Jess, murmured Miss Maria
Louise. She thought of the time when
Val had brought Jessie home to the farm.
and of how she tried to be kind and help
full to the woman Val had chosen. She
had loved Val, tOO-Detter than Jessie
ever had-but Val was younger than she,
and loved brightness and youth and pref
tiness, and she had none of these things
to commend her. She was a grave, quiet
woman. and hard work and much trouble
had made her older than her years She
thought of Curly. Poor little fellow
Would he forget her in the love he would
learn to feel for his mother? But she
crushed the thought as being unworthy.
and then she remembered that, in the
surprise and varying emotions caused by
Jessie's return, she had forgotten Curly's
CHRISTMAS tree. so very softly she arose
and worked until the dawn, so that Curly
would be pleased with it when he came.
e
1t was Christmas morning, and little
Curly, with one crimson mittened hand
In his fathers, and the other tightly
grasplng his gingerbread man, stood at
MISS Maria Loulse's door, calling .'Mer-
ry Alsmas, Aunty,' in his happy little
voice. and stamping the snow from his
new boots.
Miss Maria Louise, pale but smiling,
opened the door, and the boy flew into
her arms, thrusting the gingerbread man
ana the trumpet almost into her face in
bis excitement. She smiled at his delight
when ne saw the tree. and then turned
n 70 tA oil ocs1n II
gravely.. "Curley's mother has come
home, tired, sick and broken Take
Curly in ter see her an welcome her.
Shes in the spare ROOM"
Without word he walked from the
room to where his wife lay, listening
eagerly TO her chlld's voice, and Curly
followed him with puzzled face.
Miss Maria Louise, left alone. walked
to the tall dresser and leaned her head
against it. She felt lonely and down
hearted. I'm a miserable crea ture.'
she told herself, ''feelin' this way when
L ought ter be SO happy to think my
pet has got what he was askin' for only
last night, when he sat in my lap, but
it's hard to forget completely
But she was not forgotten, as she knew
few minutes later, when she felt Cur
ly's hand tugging at her apron strings
while he told her of the ''Muvver'' Santa
Claus had brought him. but that he
dldn Inlnk she was any nicer than his
Aunty Maria Louise, and when she saw
the look of rest and happiness on poor
Jessies wan face, as she leaned her head
on her husbands shoulder, and heard
VaPs tremulOuS voice as he told of all
Maria Louise had done for him and the
boy, while Curly sat cuddled up in her
lap as he had from babyhood, she felt
that it was a very happy Christmas in
deed, and that Maria Louise was very
fortunate woman to have three people
to love and look after.-F. G.. Reilly in
New York Mail and Express.