The Ordway new era., 1907-12-20


ried ueneath her songs and CHEEKY
words heartachc that was as hard
to bear as the young wifes own.
1t was Mark for whom her heart
ached 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 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 II was bitter
lesson. True she did not speak Of
II. 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 trundlc bed with
her stocking spread out trustingly on
the pillow beside her. Now was tn"
time for Santa Claus to come But
the sick mother WAS too ill and broken
with anxiety To be bothered There
was nobody to MI that stocking but
Hattie. and nothing to I'll II 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 woman's work and
n mans too. Now she mus, 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 a little Will" tn"
sick woman would rouse again and
need her. Softly and wcarily she lit,
ed the one little drop-lcnf table over
to the window farthcst from the sick
mother and placed the lamp upon II
Then she got out her precious, dimin
ishing 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 werc 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 slecpily 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 IIattie's hands. There
was father with a miniature news
paper spread out before him There
was mother with baby In her arms
and another in \ tiny paper cradle at
her feet. There were brothers anc
sisters.
Snip-snIp-IIer hands went slower
and slower until the last of the paper
family trailcd Off into aimlcss cut
ting. Then IIattie's weary head sank
down Oh the table and Hattie was
asleep. Asleep and dreaming Oh
Mark.
in the daytime she could keep the
thought OF him away from her with
| fierce determination. In the night II
would come. She was dreaming and
she knew It. She had dreamed OF
him too often not to know. And In
her dream the door burst open and
Mark stood before her. or course 1t
could not be real Or. rather. II was
n dream Of Marks ghost all deathi!
white. But even Marks ghost was
welcome. There could not be any
harm in embracing ghost IN
dream. She threw her arms around MS
neck
| But this was no dream. 1t was too
solid and II was too cold 1t was
real man who stood before her. pe
numbed with cold. and covered WIFI
snow from head to foot
in a flash she came out OF ner
drcam. II was well for Mark that
she was Just what she was. ana 'ha'
she knew what to do. She pro"s"'
tho great tub OF melting snow-water'
cut off the frozen footwear and mt
tens and plunged his feet and hahds
in IL. She rubbed his face with snow
Sbo made hot coffee-blessing 'ne
foretbought that had kept the Ke,''e
filed with boiling water ior the s.'n
woman's rsc-and forced him 10 or'nA
II Little by little life and strens'h
came back to him and incohereh'
words.
"s,arted-with Craver. He. wanted
tn see-his wife. wanted-to see
-vou Blizzard came up. LOST o"!
way. Dug hole in the snow anu anu
STAYED two night Went long "h''e
and came to Smiths farm. Craver-
,oo badly frozen--to go on. WI. oe
all right after awhile. but conldn 30
| on then. Wanted to like fury: sn,lt" %
Ind to hold him back. GOOD th'ns.
huu =" ,,uo on his frozen