Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-10-24

istars, crying indefatigably: Only ter
pfennigs. They are the last, gracious
LADY,"
The child staggered backward, and
the tears gushed out of his eyes. "Oh
now, now, said a stately man, as he
picked up the boy and set him on
his feet, the little fellow isn't made
| CT wood" But when he saw the girl
ish face with it's dark eyes. pale and
rigid in its angry scorn, he said no
more, and hurrying on. muttered to
himself: BY Jove, she looks desper-
ate, though"
Aunt Polly did not notice, when she
| stopped in front of shop-window
now and then, that the girl stamped
her foot angrily on the pavement; she
did not notice her pallor and the blue.
tightly compressed lips, until they
came out of the fish-shop where she
| had been bargaining for the tiniest
carp that had ever been caught.
Good gracious, what ais youo?"
she asked then.
Inconsistencies. was the court
reply.
Inconsistencies You?" cried Aunt
Polly, increduously; and as Hilda was
silent, she added: Il should sooner
have thought of the skies falling than
of your being homesick."
But Aunt Polly was obliged to be-
lieve in it at last, for her niece was so
pale and still as she sat in the little
sitting-room, she paid so little heed to
the mysterious illusions of Santa
Claus. who had something worth while
this time, that poor Aunt Polly set up
the tiny Christmas tree in the best
room with a sigh and a shake Of the
head, and thought to herself that it
was better to be quite alone on such a
day than to be with some one who
was SO cross and disagreeable as her
niece
A box had arrived from the Zwei-
DORIS in Altwedel. and Aunt Polly set
it on the table under the tree and
had knitted; then she went into the
kitchen and dressed her tiny carp.
When it got dark she would light the
lamps.
Hilda remained motionless in the
sitting-room. She had not spoken
falsely; she was homesick, or at least
she imagined so. She thought how
her mother would be slipping into the
Christmas room now, with her few
poor little presents hidden in her
apron, but with a happy face They
always had presents in her poverty
stricken home, even though they We're
ever SO insignificant; their father
never allowed Christmas to go with
out its little pleasures. He began to
save up again from the New Year for
the next Christmas, and each one
found something at her place. There
is something touching in a love like
that, and it does exist in spite of
poverty. Oh, if she were only at
home now, if only for quarter of an
hour
But, no. she would not go if she
could. All at once she sat up straight
in her old high-backed chair, which
had belonged to the deceased Berger.
What should she do at home? Submit
to questions as to what she had been
doing? What had she gained and at
tanned in that strange world where
she had hoped to make her fortune?
She gave a low, bitter laugh. Moth
ing! she said half-aloud; nothing
nothing!" she repeated again, clench,
ing her little fist
She had gained nothing, she had
only lost-her young heart.
And he to whom she had given it
did not think it was worth the trouble
of STOPPING for, or at least he acted as
if he did not, During all this time he
had looked at her with longing eyes;
her smiles had made him happy, her
frowns had made him detected; she
could have twisted him round her lit
tie finger, as Aunt Polly said, if she
only wanted to; but Hilda was proud
and she carefully preserved the ap-
pearance of caring nothing for this
mans favor. They had made merry
in the pauses of the painting, and they
had had long and earnest converse
tions; she had fastened the flowers
he gave her at her breast, and every
day she had mounted the steps of the
studio with beating heart and with
the sweet secret hope in her heart:
''To-day-to-day he will tell me that
he loves met" Bat he had never
spoken
To be continued