The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-25
ACHRISTMAS FEE.
BY STANLEY WATERLOO.
tcopyrisht. 1901. by Daily Story Pub Col

2 % as !; $ $ $ $ E $ < < !, But-mark how plain a tale shall sci forth Johns situation-between Ruth and the aisle sat always adverse Fate, Fate ; in the person of small man, with white i hair and sidewhiskers and pink face. Il was Ruth Gllmore'5 father, known "Op Change" as Tobias K. Gilmore. i This prosperous man of middle age prosaic as he looked. had munitions. Per haps that was why he ut.d prospered on canny outriders of mind. nerves and sense, Tobias K. Gilmore knew, as well as he knew the price of corn, that John Campbell was in love with his daugh ter Ruth. And he did not like it.
 John was all right, so far as being a young man of good family could go. put John was poor. For him a struggle of eight or ten years was inevitable, and end. '"The law said the fine old grain man, lis not what 1t used to be as a money-maker."
 Mir. Gilmore was a man of strong likes, disllkes and opinions and-here comes ir a Directing Circumstance-he had one pet aversion which kept him from be- slowing too much adverse thought upon John Campbell. This dearest foe of the grain man was another grain man, and a brother warden of his church, known on this terrestrial ball as Ezekiai Mid dleshorts.
 The main objection to Mir Middleshorts was that he made money too easily and kept 1t with grip of iron when he had made it. He was vain, however, and oEce in while, he threw his gold about in manner which racked the nerves of his rival, MT. Gilmore.
 For example, this successful man had just caused to be made a set of bells of most appalling value and brazen music and had presented them to the church with much impressive ceremony: The gift had been received most gratefully v al hn let mas day on which this true tale opens, was to be heard, for the firsV time, the pious clamor of the chimes. An earnest old Scotch bell-ringer was to control the pealing, and much was expected by these who had ears to hear.
 John Campbell heard the joyous peal ing and singing of the new bells as he sat, in his overcoat, by his desk at the man opened his window the better to hear, for the church was at some dis tance from the down town district. To him, the bells, oddly enough, seemed to say: Gilmore: Gilmore: Gilmore" as they ran up and down in their checry Christmas changes.
 For two hours he sat by his desk. read Ing a little, or working on an imaginary care, and then came a quick step in his outer hall and his door was opened by an impatient hand.
 Good boyH' said MT. Gilmore. coming in with outstretched hand. At last I've found one lawyer where he ought to be, in his office!"
 Good morning, Mir Gilmore" said the astonished John. T wish you a merry Chrstmas!"
 Merry h-l!" calculated the irate Gill; more ore to tn the surprised young attorney. do to stop this internal racket of Mid dleshorts'? 1 want an injunction-an or order of the court, a mandamus--any- thing to stop the thing It's an outrage! I ieak ha and my whole family is in fits, with the frightful hullabaloo of Middleshorts' $ hells!"
 T went to Gradstone but of course ne Is away omewhere-ca avorting around like fool-and I went to Stevens, my other attorney, and even he-young man though he is-even he must be away on this day of all days: when the whole those beastly bells! And now, sir, I shall engage you as my attorney and do so now, and I want you to lose no tune hing my protest my petition, my everlasting denunciation of this outrage on Christian people!'
 The old gentleman had turned from pink to purple, and now, out of breath he sank down exhausted in one of the very chairs wherein Johns imagination had so often cOnjured up client
 John stared. and then rallied.
 ''I will begin drawing up the papers at once,' he said. taking up Il pen and dipping it in the red ink, but you know It is holiday, and the courts will not
 'oh. of course not" burst from the tortured Gilmore. of course the courts are not open, and I knew We must en- dure that internal row again this even open: and when they do, you he there! Be there with the strong arm of the law to throttle and destroy those chimes of Middleshorts'! And. sec here! There's fifty dollars. nd foo shall be what you say! Lose no time! Bo vigilant, be watchful. spare no pains! We'll havc those yammering brass tor ments silenced in in a jilfy-in jify. or
 Rest assured that We will" said John. without any qualifying ifs" He felt sure of 1t as he spoke. So did MT. Gil- more.
 You're a fine fellow" he said. After you've drawn up yom what-do-you-call- 1t, come over and bring your honored mother. sir Come to tea-and hear those tells! Then you can go home and sleep If you can! My daughter will be proud to meet her deliverer from torment The poor girl has a nervous headache now.'
 Visions of an ecstatiC evening with Ruth at the tea-table dazZled John for a moment. Then he thought of his mother and of their loving little plan of the morning.
 II have an engagement this evening"" "' he said; T thank >ou for your invita- LloN. II come 10 you when I've really done something for you
 Well said, the pleased old gentleman declared. shaking Johns hand heartily. You are your fathers own image. knew him we'll"
 And so they parted for the time.
 John reached his home that evening" rather early-he found the tea-table set in cornSs of the big dining-roSTn. It was close to the grate fire with screens about it and, with its shaded lights and dainty appointments, presented a pretty picture. The young man. when he met his mother. tried to preserve his usual expression of face-but when did a young man ever deceive his mother in that respect?
 "something has happened. John! ] know it!' she declared. "reil me all about 1t. Tell me quickly dear.'
 And then the astonishingly pleasant truth came out.
 One MT. Dickens. of loVeable memory. has described some wonderful Christmas dinners. but he never described one more wonderful than that of mother and son at the little tea-table.
 Of course Christmas story founded cheerfully upon d difference between church members may seem an incongru- ity but the difference was only an amus- ing thing while it's results brought iov of the sort which was of the Christmas