Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1902-12-12

Wetherell was witty and cheerful
throughout the meal. He carved the
turkey to admiration and was appar-
emily alert to every ones needs. But
in reality he felt like a man in a dream.
His surroundings were strange enough,
surely, but the wonder that perplexed
him was in himself. Why was he not
bored? How could he laugh at chill
dren's nonsense and set value upon
tribes?
Its her tact" he said to himself at
last, looking across at Amy. "She is
carrying this whole situation on her
shoulders and has carried it from the
start. If she were any other girl, r.
would go out and , hide in a snow
BANK
After the dinner came the tree, but
that should be seen by child's vision.
Wetherell tried to see it that way as he
watched the two little girls come into
the room. They halted as soon as they
had crossed the threshold and stood
stock still, incapable of speech or mo-
tion-just two pairs of wide, wonder
ing eyes. Doubtless they still saw the
glittering marvel hours later when
their eyes were closed in sleep.
At 9 o'clock Mrs. Williams dragged
them away, protesting, though their
little heads were rocking on their
shoulders Mr. Bunker went out to
smoke pipe in the kitchen. Wetherell
and Amy drew chairs before the fire
and sat with no other light except that
from the waning tapers.
Il have been singularly happy to-
day." said the man Of the world.
"You have been singularly helpful"
said she. 1T is the same thing
II cannot quite believe it, he re-
piled. "Gf course it was to a certain
| extent pleasure to do what I could
for my companions in misfortune, but
I'm too selfish to be much moved by
! it,
IF you are selfish" said she, you
have remarkable way Of showing it,
Il really am," he said. Il feel q
selfish happiness at this moment. Shall
I tell you why? Because have found
my way. This day has been a sort of
allegory. Miss Hunt, have for long
time been lost in a colder and more
hopeless desolation than any we en-
countered today. I have sought one
road and another and have always
gone astray. What should have done?
Do you remember what 1 told you in
the grove this afternoon?'
you said the road would do US no
good; that what we needed was shell.
/ ter
! ''precisely. And it has been the same
with me. The lean steeds of selfshness
! and petty personal ambition-mostly
for money--have carried me as far as
they can go, and on the wrong road.
The path that have found, today leads
out OF the highway to shelter, roof
over my head, home.
isn't it singular how fate has CO.
creed me?' he continued. "This morn
ing I was the loneliest, most grabbed
and spoiled old rascal that ever took
4 pleasure In being miserable. I could
hardly bring myself to visit my dear
old aunts. who have loved me ever
since I was born. l was afraid of
them, afraid Of their house, afraid of
the children whom they shelter in sheer
goodness of heart.
"And fate looked down on me and
laughed. 1t put me into place where
l had to go back to the natural man.
to fight the cold and the storm. That
was to crack the crust of artifciality
Then it loaded me with responsibilities
such as l have studiously avoided. II
sent you to me- and those two children
whom began by hating.''
"And myself also, I fancied," said
Amy:
II was not drawn toward you, that's
a fact" he ,rejoined. Il was afraid tt
accept even the responsibility of enter
tanning you with my cheerful CONVEX
sation for couple of hours. And wha
resulted? Why, to be brief about it.
have been led step by step to establish
something very like a home here in thu
house of strangers and to celebrate thu
best festival Of the year as one nigh
do beneath his own roof. And like it
In the way of humble confession, le
me say that have never been so hap
py' before"
Il am very glad.' said Amy, rising
, "Shall we put out the candles on tn
, tree?''
They began at opposite sides and ex
tinguished the tapers until but one re
manned on low branch. Amy wa
about to put it out when Wetherell re
, strained her.
'"There is a superstition,'' said he
''about the last candle on the Christ
, mas tree. If two unmarried peopl
blow at it, the one who puts it out will
| be married first
: Amy turned quickly and blew at tn
=, candle Wetherell did the same thin
, at the very same instant, and the fam
g vanished.
q when they blow it out together,
said he, lit is sign that they will b
. married in the same church on tn
. same day and hour by the same minis
y ter"
II do not believe in .omens," she sale
"but one can never tell. Sometime
= | fhov como truo SOO11 ni0ht