Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-12-20

from Seaforth's 70 hang ON the tree,
and haven't got them all. either. The
teams coming from Brown & Taylor's
to bring the rest"
Why said Della. "why-I thought
he was poor! He said: "A few little
things to please the children Where
shall we put them alb? | know, here
in the parlor, and oh. Robert, bring
the tree in there, and we'll hang up
evergreens, and nobody'll mind il
there isn't any furniture; they'll be
looking at the tree"
At seven o'clock that Christmas
evening the parlor door was opened and
the Auberts, with mingled feelings of
self-denfal and expectancy, were mar
sha.ed in.
There are presents!" they gasped
Where were Roberts angel and the egg
shells? There are candles! And can
dy! And stars! And shining balls!"
And from 'awe-struck surprise they
mounted by rapid strides into ecstasy,
and from gasping took to shouting
There were dolls and dishes and a
rocking horse. There was paste
board village and Noah's ark and a
box of blocks. In bewildered surprise
Robert saw a paint-box and parcel 1t
drawing paper labe.ed Robert" Delft.
fairly turned pale at finding that d
small package for her contained a lit,
tie silver watch and chatelaine. Henri
was speeches. over an order for bi.
cycle.
What does this mean?" demanded
Jean Aubert. sternly
ut means" said Pierre Demarest.
standing before him, that l not .
poor man. My brothers make one big
mistake. They think me come to live
on them-I buy them out if like! They
turn o.d, poor man-brother-man
years gone-out into the street. Tley
not get any of my money! But frien'
oil frien's boys-ol' frieu' Aubert's
boys, who know me not, they think of
their father, pity poor old mankind
to me. take me in, make me at home. l
pay them back! An you. that was
frien' Aubert's little boy, you glad to
see me, too. | come to try you! You
many chilren-good chil'ren, little
house, work hard to pay for it. You
give me what you got, you make me
feel at home. / hear the little chil'ren
whisper bout their Christmas. They
not look cross at me and wish me go
away. | see what Robert draw-ol'
Santa Claus that look like me an
what he bring him. hear the chilren
say this house their Christmas pres
ent. | give it TO them. You say the
mortgage thousand dollars. / give
you $1,000. / give YOU brothers same.
Because you kind to me. | stranger
and you took me I'M" and into Jeans
astonished hand Pierre thrust a
check for that amazing sum.
"And now | go away" said the old
fellow; tonight. right now. l stay
two weeks. l fin my frien's. They
know me when | come again-remem-
Der OF Perre You pay your mort
gage. Be happy"
And in spite of their remonstrances,
as if he would not burden them with
having to express their gratitude or
did not care to see them try, he then
and there, before that wonderful
evening was half over, girded on the
old coat, seized his faded bag and
trudged off manfully in the moon
light, vanishing as suddenly as he
came.
| shall not try to describe the emo.
tions that possessed the Aubert fam.
lily on that never-to-be-forgotten
Christmas night and during the sue
ceeding week. The older ones walked
in a dream, doubling whether that
precious piece of paper which was to
set them securely on the plane of in
dependence might not be worthless.
until word came from New York that
it was genuine and Jean might get
$4,000 for it any day. Which he did
2,OCO one-dollar bills, and sat up all
night with his wife counting it over
and trying to realize the magnitude
of his good fortune.
THE fact is, sir" he said next day
when he went to discharge the mort
gage, my wife and | never saw so
much money before in all our lives
We wanted to sort of take it in. So
we kept it all by us over night. Put
the rest of it in the bank? Well, no
sir. You see we feel richer to have
the real money right by us. And
maybe we shall use some of it to fix
up the house. My girl, she set on
having some parlor furniture, and my
wife, she want piazza on the front"
Kate NJ. Cone, in Springfield (Mass.)
Republican.