Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-12-14

you love me, you will give them to
me-"
| But it was sweet to hear him plead,
and the little maiden was desirous of
prolonging the pleasure.
IF ever | love you again, | will give
| them to YOU" was all she would say.
Just then neighbor's boy had hurried
up breathless with Importance.
| John, John. Your mother has sent
for you to go home right away. She's
| got telegram from your grandfather.
| He's dead"
| 1t was the last time she had ever
seen John Warren. Within an hour
he was speeding on the train to the
! home that death had entered so sud
| denly. Then there had been sickness
and unexpected removal in her own
! family. If John had written to her,
| she had never received the letter Her
! own childish, misdirected epistle to
| him had come back to her months aft
! erward from the dead letter office
! John had passed completely out of her
| life. But put away among her most
| precious treasures were the little red
mittens waiting to be given to him.
| What had an old maid to do with
such mementoes? How Juanita would
laugh if she knew her foolishness
She would get out the mittens this
very Christmas and send them to her
brother Bob's boy-Bob's boy who was
always losing mittens.
1t was a hard day. Juanitas heed
less words seemed to tinge everything
with bitterness They sounded in her
Imagination again as she sat wrapping
up the Christmas presents. A foolish
mist was in her eyes as she did the
stubby mtttens up into a neat parcel.
wrapped them in white tissue paper
and tied them with red ribbon. Just
then she was called away. The pres
ents lay out on her table as carefully
arranged as the specimens in a seien-
tifiC cabinet, hers on one side and
Juanita's on the other. So they would
have remained had careless little
Susette kept out of the room. But
Susette wanted baby ribbon for her
own small concerns, and nobody but
Aunt Annabel kept it on hand. In
helping herself to it, she knocked two
small packages from the table. They
were both about the same size. soft
and tied up with red ribbon. and the
envelopes 10 hold each had laid. al
ready directed. beside. Susette, hastily
picking them up and trying to put
them back, exchanged the packages
The stubby red mittens in their dainty
wrappings laid beside the envelope adj
dressed Mr.. Walter Taylor" to whom
Juanita had meant to send an en-
broidered handkerchief
"Who is Mr.. Walter Taylor?" Aunt
Annabel had asked, and Juanita had
replied, lightly:
"Oh, he's Jacks uncle" Jack was
the boy who carried the skates for
herr He's a lonely old gentleman and
thought II would please him to have
me send him something. He's a wild
over. and he has lots of money, and
Jack is his only nephew" And world
! ly-wise little Juanita smiled meaning
/ ly at the unworldly little aunt who
would never, at her age or at anv age
have thought of future prospects in
| this way
| And 50. by Susette's mistake Mr.
| Walter Taylor received the stubby red
mittens instead of the handkerchief
that was designed for him Ii was a
| lonely man who opened the little red
| ribboued package. though no one but
a girl like Juanita would have Thought
|uf calling him an old gentleman
| When he unwrapped the package ana
read the card that said In the small
dainty. old-fashioned "ladys hand.
with a great deal OF love for Christ.
mas from Annabel Wilder" his face
suddenly changed into the face of a
boy, lie whistled. Then ne Iauehed
Then he scrut.niled the postmarJ,
sualched his hat and was OFF like a
shot 10 fHd a directory But Miss An
nabels name was not In the directory
as she lived with her sister ana sisters
husband u vas Christmas evening
before be- traced her.
n had been a lonely day for Anna
tel Iuanita's words had taken an the
pleasure out of b. Sister AGNES ami
Brother char C aud their children
we're as kind rs could be-, but they be-
I1nsel sl thoroughly 10 each other
and were 80 absorbed Ia each other
that shs could not help a very sore
left Uut feeling She went 10 hef room