Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-12-27

elder sister of her old self; but in the
excitement and pleasure of seeing him her
voice and manner were those of the girl
whom he had loved-and lost-four years
before. He smiled at her sadly: s'How
you have grown he said.
She arched her eyebrows at him. "And
your" she laughed. ''Why, you're as
broad and brown as q soldier. l shouldn't
have known you. You have changed"
Have II" He caught at it eagerly.
She saw the trouble in his eyes.
They'll all be delighted to see you look
ing so WELL" she avoided it, so big and
strong"
He saw the picture of himself which
she carried in her memory of him, and it
panied him. He had thought that his
letters would have told her.
She held the wreath up to him. ''I was
pretending to hang it in the window" she
confessed, $50 that | should be the first
to see YOU And l didn't know you when
you passed"
He smiled again, and they sat down to-
gcther. How are they alll"
AS we'll as ever" she said, ana began
to tell him of them; how the children had
been growing: how her mother was
aging. And father" she whispered, is
so deaf. You mustn't let him see you
notice it. 1t was the grippe last winter"
As for herself, her life was the old round
Il keep it full l ride-with groom.
1t isn't as jolly as when we used to ride
together. But yOu-you must be
famous horseman by this timer"
He remembered those rides. What
fool he had been to forfeit all that! She
was kind to him now, but it was kind
ness to a stranger. Why, she was not
even shy, was perfectly self-possessed
with him.
"Yes," he said vaguely. what an age
l have been away!"
and what a lot you have DONE" she
reminded him. 'You don't know how
proud we have been OF you. l used to
read your letters-and Stewart's-out to
father as soon as they came" She had
risen. She went over to the window to
hang the wreath, with her back to him.
HE used to watch for them almost as
eagerly as l did"
yes, you were all very good" he
sighed. 1t was unkind, though. for her
to say such things when she meant moth
ing by them. He stared at the mantel-
piece before him. He did not notice her
silence.
Did you meet any nice girls out
West?' she asked in another voice, fuss.
ing busily with the wreath.
He shook his head Not that / re-
member" She frowned out of the win
dow
How did You spend last Christmas ?"
"In a railroad train. | had to make
a trip to Frisco" lie spoke abstractedly.
Il haven't had a real Christmas since |
went away. l felt like--T don't know
what-when l saw the old hall"
She caught her breath at his tone. ooh!
did your" she said sympathetically.
eve fixed it in the old way just for you
TO make it seem like old times" She
had come back to him, distressed by his
manner. She looked down at him help
lcssly.
THAT was just it, he said. Nothing
has changed"
She guessed what he had left unsaid.
He needed encouragement, consolation,
the assurance that ms life in the West
had cleaned the blot from his 'scutcheon.
She had the impulse to speak, but not
the courage. She cast about her for a
woman's way, a stratagem, and she could
think of nothing but the chance of bring
ing him nearer to her-within speaking
distance perhaps-by getting him to as
sist her in hanging the holly She began
to busy herself about the room, pinning
sprigs of Christmas green on the hang
ings. do you remember how we used
to decorate together" she asked him.
do ~ ne said. Don't you let the
servants do it YETI"
NO." she laughed IT'D spoil the fun
i have to do it alone now
ooh, beg your pardon" he apologized,
coming over to her eagerly. Can l help
you?"