Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-22
A Christmas Story 4
IL IL d Il Il * !
By OLIVE HARPER
cOayrlkht. iea7 BY ollvo Harper.

~ w
came for the dog. found the big box
with the paddock oil. snapped that shut
MS they saw what In the semidnrkncss
they thought wis the dog ana loaded
IL In the wngon. The weight and sub
uued snoring made them feel sure the
big animal was asleep inside.
Mary and her household were all
astlr. MS this was Christmas morning.
anu there was much 10 do. Through
the dim light OF tile enrly dawn they
saw Two men tugglng an immense box
TO lift 1t carefully out.
Mary sent two othor men TO help.
and the strange looking box was
brought TO the verandn. She wondered
what 1t could ba
The espressm,n took hls receipt book
to Mary. who mechanically signed 1t
while she looked at the awkward box
nsknnce.
II reckon It's dawg." snld one of
the men. The other then pried OF thu
tncks TINT held the letter aud handed
ID to Mary, saying:
IF you'll take out that there key
we'll take him out"
Tie men both had faint fear TINT
the dog wax dead as lie had made no
sound. though coming over the rough
road they had travelled and with their
cnrs bundled us they were they could
not hive heard It had he bnrl,ed.
Mary gave them the key and read the
letter. 1t was:
Denr Miss Mary-l beg you to acocp,
I'M In ,It, ls..r
Christmas gift. He will love and protect
you and bd devoted to you nione as long
as he lives. nskir3 hut n little of your
priceless love In return. WiDhinE YOU n
merry Christmas. BERT ALLEN.
Somehow her heart grew lighter, her
cheeks grew rcd and her eyes sparkled.
So lie had not forgotten her.
I'VE Will take him out for YOU" said
one OF the men ngnin.
Go and got big piece of meat and
basin of water. Billy. and then we
will open the box. Iio will be strange
at first" said Mary. while her aunt
looked afraid.
"Oh. l know the dnwg. He's n lue
ANIMAL said the first cxpressman.
Hes as gentle rs n kitten, and he's
young, but ms big as man."
BY this time the winter and meat had
come, and the expressmen opened the
box. but to their surprise they found
man In 1t. He made no reply to
their questions. They finally got him
out, and then he proved to be Bert
Allen. limp, pale and scarcely able to
stand.
He tried to collect his senses and I'M
derstaud how he came to be here on
Mary's veranda at last be, saw and
recognized the letter IN Iarys hand
and stammered:
Miss Mary. ! don't know how 1t has
happened that | nm here In the place
OF Prince Roland. but If you read the
letter over and tnke me instead of him
for your Christmas gift
ut is too cold out here. Mary, bring
him into the sitting room by the Gre.
and I'll tell Dinah to hurry the break.
fast. And you, men. come out and
have some hot coffee" This from the
aunt. who was quick enough to see
that the best thing to do was to give
the young people chance to talk II
over
The upshot OF II NIL was that Bert
stayed and helped with the tree and
also that there was wedding In May,
when Mary deliberately abandoned her
career and settled down for life MS a
happy wife and mother Bert Inherit
ed n comfortable fortune from Mr..
Burnside. and so with neither power
ty nor great riches" they We're very
happy. Mary keeps in the garnet the big
box where once the boxer was boxed.