The Prescott daily news., 1907-12-07

howled with the fury of legion of demons. In some drift out there in the whiteness John Carver might be sinking to death now.
 The baby cried and tfie sick woman moaned There was no lack of occu. patton for the young helper. Hattie's strong arms held the child till it was quieted and at the same time heated hannels. brought water, smoothed pill. lows, and did everything that could be done for the anxious young mother.
 | Hattie. you haven't anything to worry you" cried the sick woman, en. viously.
 Not a thing except what worries other people, answered Hattie. But she knew that all the time she car. ried beneath her songs and cheery words heartache that was as hard to bear as the young wife's own.
 It was Mark for whom her heart ached year ago she had thought that by this time she and Mark would be settled in a pioneer cabin of their own. Her quilts were all quilted. her store of household goods was ready. But coldness had come between them, and Mark had gone away back east where girls were plenty Since then she had been learning to live without him and 1t was bitter lesson. True she did not speak of 1t, not even to her best friends. but the ache was always there
 Her work was done at last She had time to look at little Lillie slum. bering in her low trundle-bed with her stocking spread out trustingly on the pillow beside her. Now was the time for Santa Claus to come. But the sick mother was too i'll and broken with anxiety to be bothered There was nobody to fill that stocking but Hattie. and nothing to fill 1t with ex, cept what her girls wit might de. wise.
 She was very tired All day she had been battling against storm and sickness, doing a woman's work and mans too. Now she must do Santa Claus work Was ever Santa Claus so sleepy? Oh. what would she not give to throw herself on the bed. dressed as she was. and sleep? But there was no time for that Santa Claus must come to the waiting child She knew that in little while the sick woman would rouse again and need her. Softly and wearily she lift. ed the one little drop-leaf table over to the window farthest from the sick mother and placed the lamp upon 1t. Then she got out her precious, dimin- be brought to her from 6 miles away. like the rest of the supplies. and the clumsy shears, and began to make paper dolls.
 Clip. clip. went the big shears. That and the rustic of the paper were the realized that the bowling of the wind had ceased and the blizzard had gone down
 Lilies words kept repeating them. selves sleepily in her tired brain. "A, light load" Surely this Christmas gift would be light enough for Santa Claus to take anywhere. Clip. clip. went the shears, and wonderful crea- tions fell from Hattie's hands. There was father with miniature news paper spread out before him. There was a mother with baby in her arms in a In Ia at her feet. There were brothers and sisters
 Snip-snip-He hands went slower and slower until the last of the paper family trailed on into aimless cut ting. Then Hattie's weary head sank down on the table and Hattie was asleep Asleep and dreaming os Mark.
 In the daytime she could keep the thought of him away from her with fierce determination. In the night 1t would come. She was dreaming and she knew 1t. She had dreamed of him too often not to know. And in her dream the door burst open and Mark stood before her. Of course 1t could not be real. Or, rather, it was dream of Marks ghost all deathly white. But even Marks ghost was welcome. There could not be any harm in embracing ghost in a dream She threw her arms around his neck
 But this was no dream. It was too yt real man who stood before her, be, numbed with cold. and covered with snow from head to foot.
 In flash she came out of her dream Ii was we'll for Mark that