The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1907-12-23

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IEH#2T the next e W
~Slh caused her to
0NI &N turn her head
ever so slightly and peep through her
chubby fingers. There it stood on
the velvet cushion beside Sallie, trim,
warm and lined with pearly gray
satin exactly like Mrs. Carter's own
beautiful big one, but smaller by half.
A great longing began to grow in
Vida's heart.
But from that day on till the 18th
OF December Vida thought of nothing
but a gray muff-how she would look
carrying it, how 1t would feel and
how every Sunday afternoon she
would let poor Dorothy Haines carry
it for a whole block.
The 25th fell on Sunday that year,
and Saturday morning dawned bright
and clear. Vida and her mother
were standing together at the nur-
sery window, as with a jingle Of
merry bells the Carriers sleigh drove
by. Vida sighed c~ontentedly.
Tomorrow" she said. Il shall be
carrying a gray astrakhan muff."
Her mother laughed merrily. why
Vida, DEAR" she said. "You asked
Santa Claus for seven other things
you said so only this morning. You
couldn't expect him to remember
them all, and he's as likely to forget
the muff as the French doll, or the
tea set. It's foolish to count on any
one thing when you made so long a
list. I told you to be moderate"
Ard her busy mother hurried off in
answer to a call from Aunt Jane.
Not count on it! Why, she had
done nothing but count on it ever
since Santa Claus had found her note,
says st. Nicholas. Not count on 1t,
Why, Christmas would be nothing
without it!
At last twilight came, and the dark.
ness fell. And in the corner of the
great hall sofa, facing the clock on
the stairs, Vida. a, ~disconsolate little
body, tell asleep.
Her mother wakened her when II
was time TO hang up her stocking, and
then, In spite of her warning, and in
spite of her long hours of worry, hope
was born again, and when Vida kissed
her mother good night visions OF
gray astrakhan NUTS danced in her
head.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christ
mas"
1t seemed to Vida she had but
closed her eyes, and there stood moth
er and Aunt Jane beside her bed, one
With her worsted shoes and the other
with her red eiderdown wrapper to
hurry her over to the nursery, where
her father stood awaiting at the
door.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christ.
mas Oh, papa, I said 1t first" she
cried, laughingiy. as her father caught
her in his arms.
Vida drew a quiet breath, and gave
a little happy exclamation. Then she
few straight to the firsplaee.-the
muff should be there.
OF the seven presents six were not
forgotten, and there were others she
had not asked for.
But Vida's lips were quivering, and
a great lump swelled in her throat.
The muff-the beautiful gray astra-
khan mum was not there. Santa
Claus had forgotten 1t.
But Vida was brave. And she
would not let those who loved her see
her cry, or suspect her d~isappoint-
ment. She turned away from them
and went to the north window, fight
ing with her tears.
"Oh, papa, papa" she cried ex.
| citedly. "Come here, come here right
away. See. there is something out on
the roofi"
Her father opened the window
quickly, and climbed out. vida's
heart beat so wildly she could scarce
~ speak. Her father was picking up
a box-it was about the size of Aunt
James cooky jar, and 1t was round.
"Well?' her father said, as he
climbed back into the nursery. Here
Is something old st. Nick dropped,
and from its size / guess It's meant
for YOU"
vida's hands trembled so she could
scarcely tug of the round top OF the
box. Just as 1t was about to yield, a
sudden fear fell upon her heart.
Papa. perhaps-perhaps he didn't
mean 1t for me. Perhaps he dropped
1t, and 1t belongs to some other little
girl"
Her fathers; eyes twinkled.
Look at the bottom of the box. lit
tie one," he7said.A
Vida turned the box upside down.
There was her name-Vida Sumner
Lane, as plain as plain could be, and
while she was staring at 1t open
mouthed. out dropped-not a little
gray astrakhan muf, but a beautiful
soft chinchilla one and a little collar
to match! And Sallie Carter peeped
through her fingers that Christmas
unrutuO NJ the manifest uttlo GIRL In