The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1903-12-24

=
q
4 }3tSy Ernest Herbert Imnseal
~ 49,
II was the morning Of Christmas =
afs ground rang hard under foot and
SIne neWly risen sun, shining red and
Nlh1ry through the black. bare trees,
ssnaae the frost Whitened lawns and
nsusss sparkle as though they were
with Jewels.
Str1ding across the grass went Frank
Sinclair, t~wenty-ene, manly and hand
some &c walked quickly, for his way
ieu 70 the orchard, where he was ia
meet MS sweetheart; yet his face bore
= sac neutrality-suspicious.. After today
ne would mot see her for a long Inc
perhaps MOTOR four years. He was to
spend Christmas day in London. and
shen he was off to theAeast coast Of
AiIlca, there to help the construction
81 some railways. OF the future he had
no doubt. He would soon achieve q
good position and return to marry
Blanche Harrap; but 1T was hard to
her, his little Blanche, so soon
after they had plighted their trotll.
Fast as he walked Blanche had
reached the trysting place before him.
as ne entered the orchard he saw her
beneath an DID apple tree
whose bare branches bore here and
there boughs of dark green mistletoe.
His ~eyesssaone with delight as he gazed
on the pretty picture she made. Her
shapely head was crowned with a large
black hat, on the under side Of which
was a bunch Of yiolets nestled against
her beautiful brown hair. A close-it-
ting jacket of warm brown fur covered
her body, and her right hand hid itself
deep out Of sight in a5large xnuff, of the
same rich skini to which she had pinned
another bunch Of violets. Her left hand
ing skirt Of dark grey cloth.
Why, Blanche he cried, as he
kissed her, how long have you been
waiting, lassie?'
MOT many minutes, Frank" she an
sWered, gazing wistfully up al him. II
came in plenty Of time, for / could not
bear TO lose q single minute Of our last
hour together"
For answer he kissed her again pas
sionately.
tn not be away from you long,
Blanche" he said. VERY soon I'll come
back again. After that we will never
part any more
You won't forget me? Promise,
frankie" she entreated.
Forget YOU! OF course / won't for
get you, little Blanche"
And you'll write to me often-very
often?"
Yes, If you don't get my letters you
will know that l have been sent where
there is no pest, Or The gray eyes
gazing into his We're rapidly filling with
ears, SO kissing them, Frank, who was
himself very near tears. sought to in
terest her in other subjects.
Come, ~lassie," he said, there are
very many places 1 want you to take
me TO. l must say goodby to all our
favorite walks and views; but first
Of all I am going to climb into this dear
Old tree and bring you down a great
punch Of mistletoe. Then we will go to
Davis n ask him to save a piece from
this very tree for us every year. Until
1 come back he must send it to you.
When you get my Christmas letters will
you open them under the mistletoe?"
Frank quickly and lightly swung
himself up amongst the branches and
was soon down beside Blanche again,
bearing in his hands the largest bough
that had grown On the tree. He held it
over her head. His other arm eI.circled
her waist n drew her to him. Their
lips met.
Blanche, little Blanche" he cried,
never mistrust me I will always, al
ways love YOU
Mamie Russell dashed into her aunt's
boudoir.
"Auntie Blanche, Auntie Blanche!'
she cried, ex%citediy. Harry has come
home. He will be here today. See, here
is a letter from Southampton and a tel
egram from London. He mas discovered
a gold mine-he inc three others, and
ne has come home to me again. Just
fancy, he will be here for tomorrow
christmas day-and I did not expect to
see him again for another two Christ
masses. oh, Auntie, dear, isn't 1t Just
splendid q"
Putting her arm around her aunt's
neck, she gave her a great kiss and
then an to the door.
U tell them to get his room
ready, and the 1 will take the trap and
orlVe down to the station to meet him.
me train will be here In half an hour"
opened the door, and then turned
back, holding a letter in her hand. ooh.
Auntfe, ] am sorry" she said; here is a
setter for you. I should have given it to
you at first
For a long time after her niece had
left' Harrap sat gazing out CT
window over the frost-coyered
hedgeroWs and meadows. There was a
great longing in her beautiful gray
eyes. Fifteen years ago that day she
had said "goodby'' to her sweetheart.
and she still waited his return. For the
first two years he had written to her
regularly. Then came a letter which
said he expected to be home in a few
months, for the work was almost done.
After that there came no more. She
wrote three letters to his last address,;
but they We're returned marked gone
away" A letter to the man he had
worked under ELECTED the information
that young Sinclair had set out on a
hunting expedition into the interior and
had not been seen since. After that she
sent no more; but waited for him to
come. remembering the words he had
said to her when he kissed her beneath
the mistletoe on that last day so long
|
There still came to her every Christi
mas bunch Of mistletoe from that
me- tree. She would AVE
stopped Its annual appearance, blu
that, deep in her heart, there was a
feeling that as long as the token hung
overhead at Christmas time there was
q chance that a letter from Frank, or
perhaps Frank himself, might come to
greet her with wishes for a happy and
Joyous year.
With a sigh she opened the letter in
her hand. As she read it she gave a
little cry of distress n tears came into