The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-05-23
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 MS PRUE
BY M. L. AVARY
ioOi, by 1T. D. Avary

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 The expressman lugged In a great bundle of burlap. The girls cut it open, and out tumbled boughs of noun tain laurel, plumes of pine and hem lock and gay punches of bittersweet berries.
 "Ah, how it smells of the woods at homeF cried Anne. her face bright with smiles and tears.
 The little brothers and sisters In the New England village where she lived before she came to make her living as a stenographer In New York had gath cred lt.
 "Ole virglnny nebber tlrew shouted Margaret as the expressman numbered ln again, bearing a big box.
 It was crammed with holly, running cedar - greenwood lace" Margaret called it-and mlstletoe.
 ooh, love to touch ltl Mamma's dear hands put it in." And Margaret sang:
 ''The mis,ietoo hung In tho castle hall,
 The holly branch shone on Che old oak wall,
 And the baron's retainer were blithe and gay,
 Keeping their Chriatmas holiday.
 Oh, Che mlstlctoe boughl Oh, the mistletoe
 bought"
 The girls had lots of fun decorating the house from top to bottom.
 They made their den a bower Of green and scarlet. Then they festooned the doors of every boarder in the house. Nobody was too old or new or glum or ugly to be thus prettily reminded that the merry girls up stairs, whose antics kept them awake O nights and made them swear under and above their breath. were full of the spirit of good win to men. The landlady's apart ment was Invaded while she was in the kitchen seeing to lt that meals went Into the dining room properly. When she came up stairs tired and cross, lo! the smell Of the forest and the glint of rcd berries greeted and soothed her.
 The little sewing girl who had recent ly taken the room next to the den came tlmldly to the door to voice her thanks
 Tt makes me think of Santa Claus times" she said. with eyes suspicious ly bright. Tt was ever SO nice for you to do 1t for perfect stranger"
 "Oh. but you aren't strangerg said folly Margaret. "You arc our nearest nelghbor. you know. Come right In and hove n cuD of ten. We're just brewing"
 So Prue sat down among them and listened while they talked away about the folks at home. She watched them doing up small packages in white tis- sue paper with rcd and green ribbons
 These are belated offerings" they snld. "We were up tn Inst night tying up things. Hope we didn't dis turb you. We do j0bber SO. It's such fun to make up the presents lots Of crlnkly paper and gay ribbons, you see, and not much else We can't give anything that costs over 10 or l5 cents, 80 we have to make the magnlncence Of the parcel counterbalance the hu- mlllty of the gift It looks like Q sin to send such trash. but it reminds kinfolk and friends that we think lovingly of them Besides, if folks didn't buy trash, what would become of the stores and the salesladles and cashboys they employY Where W ull their Christmas be 1T all of ms were too wise to buy foolishlyT"
 The litt.c ceedlcwoman turned to and helped with the parcels and waxed al- most merry. When an the auny affairs were incascd in coats of brown paper she helped Margaret carry them to the corner drugstore to mall.
 Good night" said Margaret at Prue's door But wait a minute. I'm going to stick a bundle Of mlstletoe over your door Just for luck, you know And-who Enows7- Lord Lovcl may walk beneath lt and find y5I here|
 She took a spray out of the bowl of leftovers and, climbing on her steplad- der chair, fastened It Into the running cedar
 eve have some over our door," she sald, laughing.
 ''Your prince win be sure to come" said Prue.
 Margarets engagement to a bank clerk and Anne's to a budding railroad magnate were matters of common talk In the house.
 Prue's room was in reality a slice cut on the den by a thin partition. against which Margarets and Anne's folding bed stood on one side and Prue's cot on the other. In the night Anne shook Margaret. "ListenW she whispered.
 Through the wall came the sound of weeping.
 For Q time the girls lay quite still' but presently Margaret whispered:
 'T can't stand it any longer. It sounds as if her heart were breaking, Let's go to her"
 In a few minutes they were In the tiny room kneellng by the narrow bed.
 "Oh," sobbed Prue, "l haven't any body to send anything to-if had any thing to sendl And there's nobody to send anything to me"
 "You poor little thlng| said they, There, there; you can have us. We'll take you right h."