The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-12-19

self. Didn't l telled you I'd keep
awake and see him my own self"
"And did you?"
eyes; and he told me to tell you
that Billy-your own Billy-was CON-
ing back next Christmas"
"What are you talking about child?"
she asked, with startled eyes.
"He did tell me So"
"Who?"
"Santa Clus."
"How did he look ?"
"He didn't look at all, grandma,
COS he couldn't. His face was all
blace with something over it; but he
was real good, and 1 kissed him.
"You kissed Santa Claus, and he
said Billy was coming back !"
Eyes"
"Child, you must have dreamed
it,"
"Then where did my knife come
from.
"Sure enough, where did the knife
come from? No one in the house
knew aught about it, and when Per-
ley and grandma went to breakfast,
finding the presents spread on the
table, each by the side of the owners
plate, not even Jane, with her mittens
on her hand, could explain the mys-
terry of the jack-knife.
But many time, in the days, weeks
and months that followed, did Perly
and grandma talk it over, until at last
the latter came to share the child's
simple faith that Billy, her sweet Will
liam would come back to her at Christ
mas time.
Misfortunes followed fast upon each
others heels that year. Bad crops,
low prices, high labor and poor health
ran their weary course; and before
Thanksgiving John died and Mary,
his wife, followed him to the land of
shadows, leaving Perley and bis grand
ma with the baby girl to wrestle alone
with destiny-a destiny which must
recognize poverty as Its hand-mai
den.
There was nothing left for the three
but the poorhonse when the debts were
paid, and as there were no relatives to
take the grudging care of them, Per-
ley and his grandma and baby sister
were presently set down in the kitchen
of the country farm, there to churn,
pick over beans, wash dishes, or do
any chores that the overseer's wife
thought best. The little girl, always
sickly, did not long survive the change
and they laid her away by her mothers
side, and grandma could feel nothing
more than that death had, in that in
stance, dealt gently with them.
But the little round-laced, cherubic-
looking boy, with his flaxen hair and
wide, blue eyes, became a favorite,
and the old lady also. They were
both cheerful, for neither mourned as
without hope. The vision of Billy,
with pair Of pancing black horses
pulling up so suddenly at the door
as to throw them back on their haun-
ches, had come to be so real to the
little boy that he had succeed in i'm
buing the old mother with a similar
fancy, and many were the nights that
they talked it over befor going to
sleep.
IL think, but 1 amt" he said, eau
tiously. "that the horses will have two
white feet, but mebbe not. What do
you think grandma ?"
II don't know, child. l don't care
about the horses, if my sweet William
only comes back"
"Was he brave soldier, grandma!"
"Yes; very brave"
"Was he strong, with lots of muscle
like me?
Eyes"
did you cry dref'ly when he rum
ned away"
"Yes-oh yes"
"What made him run away from
you?" Did be want to be soldier,
and wouldn't you let him be soldier?'
ayes, he wanted to be a solder"
"You was awful wicked when he
was 80 good and wanted to be brave
soldier to try to keep him from it,
wasn't you grandma?'
eyes; but go to sleep now and let
grandma; it's churning day tomorrow"
Perley shut his eyes obediently and
slid further under the bedclothes; and
when James story of Billy's delinquen-
cies intruded itself, as it often did, he
put it sternly from his mind.
And so the days and nights came
and went, until the frost drove piles of
pumpkins and apples into the kitchen
to be cut up, strung and dried, when