The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-12-19

MU1JOT'1e came 10 meet nam 1CLth o. L01lQR
of triumph.
ginning to fold in the merry Christmas
world. He hurried up the steps. Roxy
let him in.
"Where is Mar-where Is Mrs. Gra-
ham?" he asked anxiously.
The GRIT pleasant, buxom face quiv-
cred suddenly. She pointed toward the
parlor door.
"In there" she said huskily. Then
she sank down on the stairs and broke
into hushed sobbing, swaying back and
forth and rocking her arms.
"She's fixing the-the-it," she sobbed
under her breath.
The little man braced himself as for
blow and went into the parlor. Mar
jorie came to meet him with laugh
of triumph.
"See, dear boyw she cried. isn't it
lovely? It's all ready but lighting the
candles. I couldn't wait till Christmas
to fix it. You see, can keep the par
lor door locked-the children won't
know-and can keep coming in to ad-
mire it. No; come over this side.
There, that's the best view of it. Now,
you dear boy, say it's the loveliest tree
you ever saw. Say it! Begin, It's the
loveliest' -
She was darting in and out among
the laden branches readjusting and re-
looping. Her eager eyes shone like
candles to him.
"Say it. dear boy! Why don't you
begin?" she cried gayly. And the lit
tie man drew a long, sobbing breath
and said it as well as he could. 1t sat
isfed her. She was too preoccupied to
think his voice was stilted and strain
ed.
"Those little Cooper children helped
quite lot. 1 called them in. You
can't think what funny little things
they We're! There, it's quite, quite
done. Tie my hands so won't touch
another thing! And over here, see, on
this sofa, are the stocking things-four
piles. This little soft ones Peck O
MischiefsP'
The tears were running helplessly
down the little mans face, but she did
not see them. He kept his head turned
away. Four piles of toys were ranged
in prim row, and four little black
stockings lay beside them, their limp
lengths dangling over the sofas edge.
Outside in the hall Roxy rocked her
arms and cried tears Of honest love.
That evening Marshall Graham called
on DR.. Sperry again. He told the whole
sad little story, and the kind hearted
doctor hemmed and coughed and pol
ished and repolshed his spectacles.
"My dear sir" he began, then coughed
and tried again. "My dear sir, you
must wait. Wait, and the Lord help
you! l tell you there's nothing else to
do. She must waken of herself. Shock!
Man alive, could she waken without a
shock? But it will be mercifully cas-
ier If it comes as naturally as possible.
l tell you it will be the difference be-
tween life and death to her. You say
she talks of not remembering? Just so.
l believe she is going to remember by
and by. And it will come upon her
| gently. believe it. You must wait"
"But Christmas, doctor~
81 know-I know. 1t will have to
come. But wait, wait. The waking up
may come too. If not in time, you
must explain, prevaricate anything
to satisfy her."
And so, with his heavy heart, the lit
tie man went home.
In the middle Of the night he woke
up in unexplainable terror to see Mar
jorie coming in at the door with a
lighted lamp in her hand. She had on
pale blue wrap, and in the dim light
she looked too pale and frail to be en-
bodied. He sat up in bed and held out
his hands.
MARIO! Marjow he called. And
then, as she came nearer. he saw her
face plainly.
"Oh, Marjow
For he saw that she had remem-
bered. He read it instantly in her face,
in her sad, quiet eyes. There was no
restlessness in them at all. She came
up quite close before she spoke. The
| hand that held the lamp did not trem-