Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-12-16

! wearer 10 soar with. She put on the
| costume and danced a two-step across
the rude stage.
"Yeh mustn't do that, lady; this is
fer IN, benefit of tn churches. an tn
folks wouldn't ike II" said the man
! ager, with a grin.
Then came, UP one OF the women Of
| the town, who seemed TO have q part
~ the management. She gave some
instructions as TO what would happen,
and Miss Reisen listened intentiy. An
| other listened. but she did not know il.
The program of the evening opened
with q number of songs n recitations,
to which the passengers from the train
gave the most earnest attention n
hearty applause. Marvin seemed Won
derfully at home, Miss Reisen thought,
and was calling men by their first
names as ii he knew them. he was
behind the scenes a good deal: too
much, she thought, also, n it worried
her. for he was the only one in all the
house that she counted on as a friend
no, was he q friend? She wished she
knew if the story her chum told her
were false or true
Then canie the time for the Christ
mas tree "doin's," as the manager.
called the exercises. The big curtain
was dropped, and the children of the
prairie farms and ranches gave an
0QQlDlG VII. 90 NAN
wrapped cottonwood, lighted
with candles and glistening with tinsel.
all brought from the city 400 miles
away, burst on their eyes. Many or
them had never seen an evergreen. ana
this was a fulfilment of all their antici-
p~ations.
Before the tree stood the fairy. her
wings and robe making her almost
ethereal in the sight of the little ones.
| pabin1 NRroc the nnan nnnI1fh Of a OHM
ney, and far off rang the horn of Saint
Nicholas as he approached over the
housetops on his Seligh. 1t was cold
enough outside for his biggest furs, and
when he came laboriously down the
chimney and stood amid the group on
the stage he was the very picture or
the Santa Claus of their dreams.
Swiftly he made the rounds of the
tree and in cultural told the little
folks to help themselves. Then he did
what was not on the bilis-he APP
preached the fairy, and in the same
| rough voice exclaimed:
You are to go with me on my trav-
els tonight. Come
For a ONE she stood irresolute,
not knowing il this were part of the
program. Then, thinking it must be,
she took the heavily-gloved hand. and,
with a bow to the audience, stepped
back and back, until both were swal-
lowed up in the vast depth OF the chin
ney.
But they did not go upward Santa
Claus opened a door in the rear. and
they were outside the noisy hall and in
the dressing ROOM
Suddenly Santa Claus stripped off the
heavy wings and crow from the fairy.
and handed her her furs. Come with
me- he said masterfully.
What do you mean?" she replied.
This" and he threw down the mask
and wig, the fur coat and heavy gloves
before her stood Frank Marvin. II
asked you to come with me on my trav-
els, and you consented, as you did once
before-but this time it is for life"
Alice Reisen laughed a little hyster-
ically. But you know what happened
before, Frank" The last word was a
caresS, so tenderly was IL spoken.
Yes, / know from what you said a
little while ago-you thought my sister
was another girl in whom 1 was inter-
ested. There was and can be no other
girl but you And hen they talked
it all over, for good.
The candy and toys were distributed
from the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES tree
when they returned to the hall. They
did not remain long. but went out un-
der the stars and TO the little parson-
age across the way. Frank had sent a
friend for a license, and in a trice they
We're married. 1,
A team and carriage were at the \
door, and away they We're whirled
through the beautiful but crisp prairie
night.
ITO the ranch ordered Frank, and
then added: 1T was a miracle that the
train stopped right here in my own
town. The big ranch house is ablaze
With light out there, and ali is ready
for you"
So the train went on toward the
mountains without two of its passen-
gers.
do you know" whispered Frank. as
the team drew up to the ranch house,
almost a mansion out there on the
plains, that / received the best Christ
mas present of all tonight?"
But you had to be your own Santa
Claus to get 1t" laughed Alice.