The Virginia enterprise., 1901-08-30

waited such a long time for you, Maria.
ana In i.,13,.a almost frozen, l guess. and SO
#s The last words sounded almost like q
wall, and Miss Maria Louise looked NJ
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.
9 = 80 r
+ A few minutes later Jessie Ackerman
Maria Louise knelt on the floor, schafng
the. !woman's. haIf-frozen feet. Jessie
watched her wearily.
+: I'm a dreadful coward" she said, mus
ingly.- II left here two years ago, sure
that l could get along alone, and now
I've. tried it and found how hard it was,
crawl back tired, sick and broken, and
ask i,!a1 the sI; people I've wronged to help me-"
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.
dearie.''
Then in her quiet. kindly way, Miss
Maria Louise told her of little Curly; OF
how strong and straight he had grown: !:
Of his pretty little ways, and quaint,
sweet sayings, and Jessie listened, cry
ing softly the while. "An' Val wants
yfn t0oe too 'efs ef she tenak Takd in
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
Ackerman: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 sad story Jessie had told of
the last two years: She had LETT the
house in a petty, childish rage. She was
tired Of being a farmers wife. She had
been t0wn-bred, and the inconyeniences
and the: quiet Of country life had an
noyed and wearied her, and Val could not
understand and was impatient with her
at her lack of sense, as he called it, and
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 Vais 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 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 q 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
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 q grave. ouiet
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 nv
Jessie's return, she had forgotten Curly's
christmas tree, so very softly she arose
and worked until the dawn. so that Curly
would De pleased with it when he came
~ was christmas morning, ands little
Gur,yy ~: fstha, %ith one crimson-mittened hand
grasping his gingerbread man, stood at
Miss Maria Louise's door, calling "Ner-
ry Kismas, Aunty,' in his happy little
voice, and stamping the snow from his
new boots.
Miss Maria Louise, pale but t: smiling,
her arms, thrusting the gingerbread man
and the trumpet almost into her face in
his excitement. She smiled at his delight
when he saw the tree, and then turned
and spoke to Val aside. "Val," she said
gravely,. "Curley's mother has come
home, tired, sick and broken. Take
Curly Spy IN Il. ter see her an welcome her.
Shes IN the spare rOOm."
Without word he walked from the
eagerly to her child's voice, and Curly
followed HIM with puzzled face.
Miss Maria Louise, left alone, walked
to the tall dresser and leaned her head
again against it. She felt lonely and down.
She told herself. ::feelin' this way ya:~ie; When
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
a few minutes later, when she felt Cur
~ nanQ tugglng at ner apron strings
while he told her of the ''Muvver'' Santa
Claus had brought him. but that he
didn't think she was any nicer than his
Aunty Maria Louise, and when she saw
the look of rest and happiness on poor
Jessie's wan face, as she leaned her head
on her husbands shoulder, and heard
Vars 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 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.
INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP.
lM0a in.