Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1901-12-24


Dehina Tie curtaln.A what signS me.
heir easel A Christmas tree ii was. TO
| be sure rhere were no evers sens nearer
! than the m0untains ard to make up for
| The deficiency the plainsmen had secured
dry cottonwood and wound it's struggling
branches with green paper. The appear.
Ance would have been ludiotous had it not
been 4 little pathetic.
nut mich like the pines OF the beach
| where we nAed to rest last summer" wits
,ered Frank to his coVpapon.
You and the other presume you
mean, was the whitening response
Nice Miss ieiseu. what do you
meari-- bul the gnut captain interrupted,
you young lady, I'D like you To be The
fairy Our Ieadin' lady is sick, an you
look like her
Entering into the spirit OF the occasion,
Miss i,eisen a cepled The task
You'll nave to wear some wings. and
there viii be a little scene. but nothln Ter
you to do but look pretty--you don't need
no coachin'," he added CALAMITY.
Great admiref OF yours" suggested
Frank, az the funetionaIy moved away
Alice did not reply.
The wings were brought. and they
Ieels.d almost large enough for the wearer
o staf with. She put GA the costume and
danced two-step across the rude stage
''Yeh mustn't do that, lady; this is Ter
th benefit Of tn churches. an III folks
wouldn't like it, said the manager, vita
a grin.
Theu came up one Of the women Of the
$500 ~ho sreusd to have a part of the
management she gave some instructions
as to what wsuld, bappen, and Miss Reiser
nsteued iHtently Another listened, but
rhe did not know IT.
The programme OF the evening opened
with a number OF songs and recitations. 10
which the passengers from the train gave
the most earnest attention and hearty sp
plause Marvin seemed wonderfully at
home, Miss Reisen thought. and WAS call
ing men by theii first names ~ if he knew
them He was behind the scenes a good
deal. too much. she thought, also. and il
worried her, for he was the only one in alt
the house that she counted on as a friend =
no, was he friend: She wished she knew
If the story her chum told her were false
or true
Then came the time for the Christmas
tree "doin's,' as the manager called The
exercises. The big curtain was dropped.
aud the children of the prairie farms and
ranches gave an audible "Oh!' as the beau
tfuI green-paper- wrapped cottonwood.
lighted with candles and glistening with
tnsel. ,all brought from the city 400 miles
away. burst 90 heir eyes. Many of them
had never seen an evergreen. and this was
a fulRllment of AL their antoipatons
Before the tree stood the fairy, her wings
and robe making her almost ethereal in the
sight OF the little ones Behind was he
open mouth Of chimney. and far of rang
the horn Of Saint Nicholas as he approached
over the houselops on his sleigh. It was
cold enough outs side for bis biggest furs
and when he came laboriously down the
chimney and stood amid the group on the
stage he was the very picture Of the Santa
Clans Of their dreams.
Swiftly he made the rounds of the tree
and in cultural tones told the little folks
10 help themselves. Then be did what was
cot on The hiil,-he approached the fairy,
and in the same rough voice exclaimed:
" You are 10 gowtb me on my travels to-
night. Come
For moment she stood irresOute, not
knowing if this wele part Of the programme.
Then. thinking it must be- she took the
neavilyg loved hand aud, with bow to the
audience stepped back aud hack, until both
were swallowed up in the vast depth OF the
chimney.
But they did not go upward Santa Claus
opened a door in the rear. and they were
outside the noisy hall and in the dressing
room.
Suddenly Santa Claus stripped of the
heavy wings and crown from the fairy. and
handed her her lurs Come with me. he
said, masterfully.
what do you mean she replied
This, dnd he threw down the mask and
wig, the hir coat and heavy gloves before