Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-12-18

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she tucked herself down snugly among
the warm bedclothing. For a time she
lay and watched the freight from the
white china stove as IL fiickered In
fantastic figures upon the ceiling and
the wall. Surely" she thought, Han
nah must have been up early indeed
TO have lighted the fire already. What
capable, polite servants they have here
in this country" she unused. Il wonder
why we, in America, canno have just
as good servants"
After some moments, she half rose
up in bed n pulled aside the shade
TO see what sort of weather. 1t was
outside; but she found the window
penes covered with glittering frost
stars, and, with a shudder, she again
tucked herself down under the cover.
What a terribly cold country!" she
muttered, half in disgust; but as she
heard a knock pon the door, her fair,
sleepy face lighted with a smile, for
the maid who entered with coffee and
cookies was a welcome visitor. AN
other delightful CUSTOM" Louise
thought as she sat up in bed and
watched the maid pour out the fra
grant drink.
How many different cookies have
you brought M today, Hannah" she
asked in her broken Swedish.
There are ten sorts this morning
ii is Christmas morning, you know"
was the smiling answer.
Yes, you make much of Christmas
here In Sweden. How beautiful the
two trees were last night, and how
many handsome gifts we all had. In my
country we light our trees on Christ
mas morning, but not SO early as this.
Oh, Hannah, / am so sleepy! Ii was
past midnight when / came to bed,
and now-it cannot be more than 5
o'clock"
Yes, the hall clock just struck 5.
The young baron begged me To tell you
TO be ready in half an hour, Miss, as
1t Is almost impossible to keep the
horses waiting on such a cold morn
ing
To hide the telltale color that she
felt flushing her face, Louise buried her
head in the great feathery pillows and
said, with a yawn:
Il 10 not think, Hannah, that | will
go-it is so cold -
What, miss! not go?" Hannah al
most dropped the shoes she had picked
up to take out and polish. But, miss,
1t is the most beautiful sight you ever
saw"
Are you and the other maids going? ?"
Louise asked curiously.
"Of course" Hannah answered
promptly; "all in the house are going
except the baroness and old Martha.
They stay at home TO watch all the
lamps and candles"
What lamps and candles?"
Every window In the house, from the
cellar to the attic will be lighted, miss.
The Baroness stays at home. for she is
afraid of a fire. Oh, miss, you must go!
They will all soon be waiting for you
in the hall. And the young baron's
horse is so wild nat he will not stand a
moment"
Very well, Hannah, tell them / will
be down."
Half an hour later, when Louise de-
scended the broad staircase, she found
Baron Knagenhjelm's entire family,
with their many guests already to
start. Many of them were so mutiied In
fur coats and shawls hat IL was diff
cult to tell who was who. With much
laughter and joking, six large ~sleighs,
each with prancing horses, Changing
bells and cleaning torches, were
loaded and glided away The young
baron. in a small sleigh, was endeavor-
ing TO hold in the blooded black horse
which chewed and stamped fretfully
against his masters restraining hand.
With a kiss TO the stately baroness,
who wished her 'godspeed," Louise
hurried out. Soon she was seated be-
side the young man, well wrapped in
IuT TODeS, ana OH tney new.
This otherwise independent girl, who
had spent two years alone and in
safety in Paris, and now a half year
in Sweden where she was visiting
her friend, Elm, the youngest daughter
of the Baroness K~nagenhjelm. felt on
this bitter cold Christmas morning that
ali her American self-assGrance had
left her. She glanced shyly at the
young man at her side. He was GER
III. .-AtI .rrA-NA "a AZ
clever, open face, twinkling blue Eyes
and sunny smile; while intelligence and
the highest breeding were stamped
upon every feature Of his counte-
nance.
At first he seemed to have his hands
full managing the horse, but as the
restless creature gradually Gained
down he turned TO the girl and, with a
smile, said:
l want you to turn. and then you will
see what a Swedish Christmas morn
ing is really like"
Reaching the top OF the Hill, he stopped
the horse. and both he and Louise turned
and looked back over the valley below.
Louise sat as IL spellbound while she
gazed. 1t was like some fairy tale. The
morning was still dark, and the stars
twinkled in the lofty sky. and the white
SHOW II as n " Il IONtl ONtI ne "lOlc
landscape. All was perfectly still, not a
breath of wind stirred the cold, fresh air;
from every house and cottage, as far as
the eye could reach, shone lights which
fell out over the frosty, glittering ground.
Fagervik, the stately HON of the baron,
seemed to be one mass of light. The two
immense Christmas trees had been placed
In the largest window, and cleaned bril-
liantly, with tt many small candles all
alight. From all the roads came sle,ghs,
each bearing lighted torches that, In the
glared and smoked as the sleighs passed
quickly over the moot roads, and the
happy Christmas greetings that were ex-
changed by the people as they passed each
other were waited upward on the cold air.
1t was all a wonderful sight, entirely un-
like anything Louise had ever before seen.
Lost Ia admiration, the two young people
might rave fingered longer, had not Fritz
jof shaken HIS head and trotted on.
How merrily his bells rang in the still
morning air, and how his sharp shod hoofs
threw up the snow which fell back under
the white net spread between the horse
and the sleigh!
What rich comforts these peosle have"
Louise thought, as she ~snuggled closer un-
der the warm fur robes: "and 1t is GER
.tainly a very beautiful country"
She tried TO talk lightly Of ordinary
Shings; but a strange solemnity had fallen
upon her, and the question which the
baron had asked her the previous evening
kapt cnpafa pfIy counfpp hack m her he