The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1907-12-12

Not a thing except what worries
other people, answered Hattie. But
she knew that all the time she car
ried beneath her songs and CHEEKY
words \ heartache that was as hard
to bear As the young wife's own.
1t was Mark for whom her heart
ached. A year ago she had thought
that by this time she and Mark would
be settled IN \ pioneer cabin Of their
own. Her quilts were all quilted. her
store Of household goods was ready.
But q coldness had come between
them. and Mark had gone away
back east where girls were plenty"
Since then she had been learning to
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 Lille 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 Ill and broken
with anxiety to be bothered. There
was nobody to Ill that stocking but
Hattie. and nothing to NIL 1t with ex-
cent what her girls wit might de-
wise.
She was very, tired. All day she
had been battling against storm and
sickness. doing = woman's work and
q 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 YEARLY 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-
lshing store of letter paper that had to
be brought to her from 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
only sounds to be heard. Gradually she
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 a father with = miniature news
paper spread out before him. There
was q mother with baby In her arms
and another In = tiny paper cradle at
her feet. There were brothers and
sisters.
| Snip-snip-Her hands went slower
and slower until the last Of the paper
family trailed on into aimless cut
ting. Then Hsttie's weary head sank
down on the table and Hattie was
asleep Asleep and dreaming of
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
cohld not be real. Or, rather, 1t was
a dream of Marks ghost all deathly
white. But even Marks ghost was
welcome. There could not be any
hnr IN In,
dream. She threw her arms around his
neck
But this was no dream. 1t was too
solid and 1t was too cold. It was a
real man who stood before her, be-
numbed with cold, and covered with
snow from head to foot.
In a fash she came out of her
dream 1t was we'll for Mark that
she was Just what she was, and that
she knew what to do. She brought
the great tub of melting snow.water,
cut OF the frozen footwear and nit
teps and plunged his feet and hands
In It. She rubbed his face with snow.
She made hot coffee-blessing the
forethought that had kept the kettle
filled with boiling water for the sick
woman's use-and forced him to drink
It,, Little by little life and strength
came back to him and incoherent
words.
.Startsd-with Craver. He wanted
Ito see-his wife. wanted-to see
you. Blizzard came up. Lost our
way Dug hole In the snow and
stayed two night. Went long while
and came to Smiths farm. Craver-
too badly frozen-to go on. Will be
all right after awhile, but couldn't go
on then. Wanted to like fury. Smith
had to hold him back. Good thing.
He couldn't have come on his frozen
HnAH l.-OaY1n On-alnno OF ix,..4