Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1905-12-15

you love me, you will give them tc
me-"
But it was sweet to hear him plead,
and the little maiden was DESTROYS OF
prolonging the pleasure.
If ever love you again, will give
them to you," was all she would say
Just then neighbours 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. Juanita's 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 mittens 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 scien-
tit1c 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 to 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 ad-
dressed "Mr. Walter Taylor" to whom
Juanita had meant to send an en-
broidered handkerchief.
"Who is Mr. Walter Taylor?" Amt
Annabe1 had asked, and Juanita had
replied, lightly:
"Oh, he's Jacks uncle" Jack was
the boy who carried the skates for
herr "He's lonely old gentleman and
l thought it 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 Judnita smiled meaning
ly at the unworldly little aunt who
would never, at her age or at any age.
have thought of future prospects in
this way.
And so, by Susette's mistake, Mr..
Walter Taylor received the stubby red
mittens instead of the handkerchief
that was designed for him. 1t was a
lonely man who opened the little red
r1bboned package, though no one but
q girl like Juanita would have thought
Of calling him an old gentleman.
When he unwrapped the package and
read the card that said in the small.
dainty, old-fashioned "lady's hand":
with great deal of love for Christ
mas from Annabel Wilder" his face
suddenly changed into the face Of a
boy. He whistled. Then he laughed.
Then he scrutinized the postmark,
! snatched his hat and was off like a
shot to find directory. But Miss An
nabel's name was not in the directory.
as she lived with her sister and sisters
husband. 1t was Christmas evening
before he traced her.
It had been lonely day for Anna
bel. Juanita's words had taken all the
pleasure out of it. Sister Agnes and
Brother Charles and their children
were as kind as could be, but they be-
longed so thoroughly to each other
and were so absorbed in each other
that she could not help a very sors
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