New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1905-12-27


| door, while Mrs Spud retreated into
| the kitchen. There she remained only
| until the sounds Indicated that the doc
! tor had reached the front hall. Then
! she followed him and put him into his
| greatcoat, tucking him in and patting
| the corners as she used to do when he
/ faced the storms of a winter night.
| With his tall hat in his hand, DR..
Spud stopped suddenly and kissed his
wife's forehead. Although affection
for her showed in every word and ac-
| ton, such demonstrations on his part
were rare, and that kiss seemed to
deepen the sore spot in Mrs. Spud's
! heart
| She returned to the living room with
| quivering lips and sat down III her
chair. Then she noticed that the study
door was open and the lamp placed on
, the writing desk was Haring in the
draft For a long time she sat and
watched that lamp. 1t was her duty
to remove it, yet her feet almost re-
fused to carry her into that room.
| Finally she forced herself to the
door. There she stopped. A chill air
struck her The fire had died down.
i Jack ought not to work here in the
cold,'' she said softly, looking about
her
Her eyes Travelled slowly around the
room, coming to a surprised halt at
the safe. 1t was open. Evidently
| DR.. Spud had been interrupted in the
midst of some unusual task. In the
! safe and heaped before it on the floor
lay a pile of clean white envelopes.
From where she stood Mrs Spud saw
they were sealed. She did not go near
er because her sense of honor forbade.
She did not retreat because surprise
weighted her feet. The faring lamp
and the chill air were forgotten.
She was finally aroused by her hus-
bands voice. He stood beside her
my dear, you have discovered a little
secret Of mine.''
His wife started guiltily and looked
up into the strong old face which shone
| down on her tenderly She could not
speak.
| DR.. Spud raised her plump left hand
and held it in his. Il had not intended
| you should know untir'-
| He paused abruptly and led her to
the safe An envelope lay face up on
the pile. In a large, irregular, scarcely
familiar hand was written, "For my
Wife," and following was the date of
the previous New Years day.
"Jackn' said Mrs. Spud TREMENDOUSLY
Her husband patted her hand loving
ly, the hand that had worn the old
! fashioned wedding ring so long.
'"This may have been foolish idea,
my dear 1t came to me last New
Years day after you had gone to your
niece's. You had gone on such a littla
journey, such a short time yet I was
lonely"
He paused moment. His wife gave
half sob, "Jack!'' and the name came
straight from heart which was whole
| and sweet again.
THAT day l was so strongly impress
ed that it will doubtless be nv turn
first to take the long journey'-he rails
ed his seventy year-young face rever-
ently-"and that it will be your turn
to be left alone"
His voice broke, and there was a
brief silence. Mrs. Spud slipped her
other. hand between her husbands,
The tears were slowly dropping on her
| cheeks, but they were not tears of
pain.
"And so, my DEAR" the doctor con-
tinued, II did this" He looked down
! at their feet. There will be little
message for you each day in the year
when the journeying time comes to
me-. l had intended to keep it all from
you-as a surprise then-but this is as
well that you should know that they
are here for you
DR.. Spud did not go on. He stood
with moist eyes smiling down at his
wife, and she smiled back with the
tears raining over her cheeks
sack" she began. She had so much
to tell him about that year, yet the
i words seemed to bank up against her
| lips, and all that reached DR.. Spud's
ears was that old incongruous, affec-
danate names "JackI Oh, Iackr