The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-12-27


bare and cramped the life would ap-
peac to him-a life wherein the circus
made tho event Of the year aud going
to church Of Sundays was as much d.
version rs, q duty
Something OF all this floated nebu-
lously through Leona's mind as she
watched Norrie at his joyous obedi-
enCe. .' - .'
Tho best branches are over on that
far SIDE" he said, fl!nging off his coat
and scufiiing out Of his shoes. "We'u
take just tieif q dozen. The tree won't
miss 'em. I'd hate to leave 1t ragged.
Somehow this clump seems to belong
to me. found 1t first when was lit.
tie more than boy"
| Almost before she knew 1t lie stood
among the branches, breaking and cut
ting slender stems. -<Leona ran to pick
them up as they fell. "Stand backw
he called to her, ut the same time
reaching for On especially tempting
GouEti. Tie WOOD or 1t was tough.
1t bent where he thought to break It,
and. instead OF swapping, 1t crushed in
to stringy fibers. Norrie had the i'm
pulse OF mastery oven over inanimate
things. Forgetful that he was twenty
five feet II. air, he gave the bough q
jerk so energetic 1t mnde him lose his
balance anu come crashing carthwartl.
But there were boughs lower down,
md somehow he clutched one with his
right arm, swung himself UP to it and
| clambered back to the trunk. Coming
down this, ,Leona saw him hitch him.
| self along in way wholly unlike his
ascent. She did not know the reason
until he stood by the wagonette, saying
almost npologetically: II reckon you'd
| better drive On the way home. My
left arm hit that big limb when fell
and put itself ont OF business"
9 q 49, .
Longly farm ut ChristmastIde made
the neighbor5 stare. Amy hud insisted
upon pnrty. It would never, never do
towaste ali Leonn had brought to pass
simply upon the family. Greens were
! everywhere doors und windows.
In hooks and corners aud up and down
the broad stairway. The tree, too" was
| vision with tapers glenming through
Its coral wealth and nll manner of tin
sci ornaments sparkling amid It's green
| leafage. The tinsel had come from the
city. So had the other fellow. -, =,
Leona Ind been panic stricken Mt
the, outset. Now q sunny peace pos
sessed her spirit. Since she had seen
Norrie. toppling against the evening
falling. 1t might be. to his death
Tor his lady's whim--+she had begun to
| question her own heart more closely
than ever before. What answer had re-
warded the questionings she did not
tell. But Ennis T.orlng had found her
! more: softly, more subtly fascinating
than ever and was ready for her sake
| to keep terms, with ail the rural world.
1t amused him, OF course, that the tree
bore such wondrOus fruitage. Trees
were. ). HUt Christmas cetnmonplaces
roundabout Longly, 50 NIL the people
thereabout had sent thar gifts 10 be
piled fat the trees foot, md thence dis
,trtbuted. After they were. distributed
there would be ;supner. 1llen t,,a dance.
Norrie would huye to be a locker on.
His broken arm was not yetout OF the
sling. 8: -. ~
Amos ought to have been Santa
Claus, but Ind fatiy refnsed. So: Leo.
M :.atseiE; made up into d startling
Christmas TnIry, ..!.tE IL !! &. Black. hRif
mask and d paEf OF realistic wings, an.
pordoned properly tho Christmas trees
fruit, saying things TINT, fitted most
cases beautifully and so doubled the
value or the presents. !: Nobody had
been forgotten. Ennis Lorlng stood
huggtng q huge !, tin horn. Norrie's
sound arm; 4 wap fairly heaped with
bu'ging parcels, topped with d toy au-
tomobile. Then, the fairy lifted from
the litter OF moss and greenery at the
trees foot ah huge pair xof spectacles
and clapped them upon her own eyes.
e am looking !for-the person ] belong
to-" she said clearly. Every body held
breath 1as abe walked mp to- her two
lovers. ass'tizia by aIins chance stood side
Sby side. For U DrenIn sne nIndied their
faces :intentiy. n beautiful at.ss. lie
i ing ing below her naiI mask; then, with a
little laughing cry she lafd her hand
upon Norrie's, saying very low, t.This
10 what you get for finding ME these
Christmas green's ~ s ::;f{ IS ! E; {,
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