The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

warm with her subject. "An' he say, How Miss Anna Mayr-and say, She weIl.' Yas'm did,"
 70 Polly. you are positively diaboli- cal" groaned Anna May.
 "Yas'm. An he say, Dey home.i Pollyr An I say No. sir'-no, say. 'Yas. sir" Polly was getting mixed. s
 That will do." said Anna May. You go right around to the back yard now, and stay there, and if I hear of your telling another story today you will mayed, Polly trotted off.
 The day passed with every manifes- tation of joy. Callers came and went, mysterious packages were opened mid exclamations of delight. and Anna Mays cousins stayed for tho big din- ner. As she lodged sthe mfstletoe which was hung all over the house. and romped with the children, no one knew that her poor heart was breaking and that the day was a long agony to be lived through as best she could.
 As she was passing through the kitchen just before dinner she was from behind the stove. T say. Christi mas gif.' Mistah B'owne.' and he say, 'Meh'y Christmas, Polly.'" s---.~-- :
 Ann May jumped. For pity's sake Dniah, can't you shut up that child. |. she exclaimed. irritably. She gets worse and worse" eg 'e
 Good Lawd, Miss Anna May! You know nobody can't do nothing with her"--but as she spoke Dfnah gave her a sounding box on the ear, There was. subdued whimper, then Polly lifted up. her voice at Anna Mays vanishing back. MT. B'owne he give me q nickle. he did," she screamed.
 All day long whenever the bell would ring hope would spring high. only to be followed by disappoint- ment. No word nor sign came from Roger, nor did she see him passing in and out of his home across the
 way. as was the case sometimes. She had not dreamed that Chrismtas could
 be so dreary a day. In the afternoon
 she went for long drive through
 the pine-scented woods with her cous-
 in Ralph. 1t was more endurable than
 staying at home. When they re-
 turned. Polly was swinging on the
 gate.
 '"Mistah B'owne he bring e big box. ?
 she called out at once, her big eyes
 rolling wisely. An he ring de bell
 an dey wasn't nobody home but me
 an say Christmas gif.' Mistah What in the world is she talking l about7" laughed Ralph.
 ',Ehe is a perfectly dreadful child. | said Ann May. her cheeks aflame, She is incorrigible. I don't believe
 anything could induce her to tell the truth. I told you to go around to the back. Polly. and stay there." The child obeyed, but as she went
 she sang in a high monotone. "Mistah B'owne brought a box, Mistah B'owne
 brought a box"
 The longest day in the world will | at last drag to weary end, so final | ly the cousins went home and the fam | lily went to bed, and at eleven o'clock
 Ann May. pleading that she wished to finish book. was sitting in the H. brary with only her thoughts for com
 pany. and very poor company they | were. If Roger could let Christmas go by without ever a word of greet | ing-even of friendly greetfns--ii
 must be that he no longer loved her Before her she saw stretched q long life of maidenhood, devoted doubtless to good deeds and care ] for others. Through it all she would at least have to sustain her the thought of a brief period of joy
 when she had been beloved and, oh
 so happy! How good Roger had been to her! How different he was from all other men! She had never fully real | ized before his immeasurable superior 1 ity. But how could so sharp-tongued | a girl as she hope to retain the love | of such a man! She knew no one in | the world was so unhappy and or | Christmas night, too! Great tears ot I elf-pity rolled down her cheeks. Just | then the front door slammed and her brother, Phil. came in.
 Why. hello, Sis" he exclaimed
 everybody gone to bed?"
 "Yes." she answered. as cheerfully
 as she could. Have you had a pleas ant day?"
 'Tip-top." He flung himself into 6
 chair. Say. sis." he went on. q certainly am glad you and Roger have
 made 1t up. You don't find 'em like Roger every day, can tell you. I'd hang on to him if I were you" Anna Mays heart stood still and then went to beating at frIRhtfuI
 rate. But Phil had always said that she was a deep one and she demon
 strated that fact now.
 What made you think we had made
 up?" she asked, warily. Glancing al her borther. she was surprised to set his face the picture of dismay. By George" he exclaimed. T for. got all about that box"
 "What box?' she demanded. Why it was like this. I was out in the buggy this morning and hap pened to be driving past the house | when Roger came out of the gate. Ht | stopped me and said that he had beer ringing the bell but you were all mak. ing such a racket that he could not
 make any one hear. He had a box fol you and Polly was in the yard, but oI course he would not trust 1t to her. He
 handed it to me and I put 1t under the seat and said I would be back in Q | minute and would give it to you, but ] | met Bettie Carter down the street and she was going out to her grandmoth-