Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-07-13
| BRING MARY ALONG.


the morning his clerk handed him ca
bIegram from New York.
Now in Svendsen's business cable
grams were few and far between, so he
nervously turned the yellow envelope
several times between his fingers and
read the address twice before he opened
the message. But when he did and saw
the few words it contained. his kind old
face beamed with joy so that the clerk
Immediately felt sure that now was his
chance to ask for a raise, which he
promptly did with gratifying result:
The cablegram read;
"Am coming with Christmas boat,
bringing Mary along! George"
So swiftly had old Svendsen never run
up the stairs to his apartments above
the store and nearly losing his slippers
he rushed through all the rooms, shout
ing, George is coming with the Christ
mas boat
Mrs. Svendsen, who was putting up
the lunch for her 11-year old boy, Peter,
came running in from the kitchen. Pc
ter forgot all about 9 o'clock and school
and stood staring at his father with open
mouth. Peeping through the kitchen door
stood Ane, the girl of all work, whose
10y was almost as great as the members
of the family.
Old Peter Svendsen danced around the
dining ROOM like Sioux Indian on the
warpath, swinging the cablegram above
his head. until he at last, exhausted, fell
I oI,n, IN, mt
when a young girl, bIshing like a rose,
came running and snatcped the message
from his hand.
Her eyes filled with tears of joy, and
her heart beat like trip h1mmcr a. she
too took up the refrain George is com
ing with the Christmas L53y. But sud
denly her expression changed and her
voice almost failed her as she said: HE
| is bringing Mary along"
''Yes he is bringing Mary" Syendsen
repeated. He was still overjoyed.
but who is Mary?" Mrs. Svendsen
asked, looking from her husband to her
niece, the little Miss Alma, who was still
staring at the cablegram.
"Well, | am sure don't know" Svend-
sen said Perhaps his wife, perhaps his
sweetheart, perhaps some negro girl he
has bought in New York One can't tell,
but we shall find out soon enough when
he is here"
Eyes. of course" said Mrs. Svendsen,
"but it seems rather strange; he has
never written of ner before"
"Of course he hasn't" old Svendsen re-
piled, don't you see he wants to sur
prise us"
And during the next twelve days the
whole family thought of nothing but the
surprise.
Every morning and evening they looked
in the papers for news of the boat and in
the morning the day before Christmas it
was reported passing Elsinore.
In the evening as the church bells
chimed and every one in the little town
was hurrying to the cathedral, hymn
book in hand, George Svendsen arrived
| in his native town, which he had not
seen for four years.
Il call that to be on time" cried old
| Sv,ndsen, as he eiasped his big, strong,
handsome boy in ms arms. Il suppose
YOU are a real Yankee nowI but | hope
you have not forgotten how to speak
Danish"
''You bet your life, father, talk Dan
ish as we'll as ever"
And he did talk Danish and had to
talk Danish to every one he met on the
way from the station to his old home.
When he came in and found his own
room Just as he had left 1.-THE old iron
bed, the ship on the wardrobe, and
rrandma's portrait on the wall-he came
near crying with joy, big fellow though
he was.
And then they sat down to the rice
porridge with the hidden almond, the
roast goose stuffed with apples and
prunes, and he must ask them to STOP
asking so many questions that he might
get a little time to enjoy his dinner. but
they did not give him time. Only Alma
sat silent waiting for the word which
was to solve the great riddle which tore
at her very heartstrings.
But the word did not come. Just a.
dinner was over the door bell rang and
old Neils, the only expressman i'll town
began to carry up boxes and trunks, one
after the other
George told where everything was to
90, mixing English words into his Dan
ish every little while. He got hammer
and nail pullers and then the surprises
began to come.
He ran back and forth between his
room and the dining room, where stood
the Christmas tree, and every moment
one heard, oh, thank you. George! Isn't
that lovely! Oh. it's too much! How
could YOU carry all that along? Is there
more ycts'
oh, but that is funny" Peter ex.
claimed. lie had got n man in an auto.
mobile that ran around the floor.
The best OF all comes later. l must
get that from the depot myself"
And before they knew it he was out OF
the door. The members of the family
stared at one another Alma looked sad
and worried.
There he is gene before one has had
chance to talk a word with him." old
Svendsen mumbled; but that is the way