The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-12-17

realization like a black wave, and some
how it seemed worse than yesterday,
Her mother was asleep when Sarah
crept through her room and down to
the library again-everyone in the
house was asleep. All the world was
cold and gray and eerie.
1t did not surprise her to find her
letter still on the hearth rug. She had
expected to find It there, but it de-
stroyed the little hope that had sprung
I'm her heart last night-the tiny hope
that Emerson had been mistaken.
The day that followed was a terrible
thing to Sarah. Everywhere was an
atmosphere of excitement, OF hilarity.
| Apparently the theater had not been
darkened the night before.
In the dining room she heard her
mother singing as h hung holly
wreaths in the window. In the kitchen
amid a fine odor Of baking things.
Hannah was chatting the butcher boy;
their talk was all OF sweethearts and
Christmas gifts. Before her father
went to the Office he had held
Sarah on his knee and graphically de-
scribed the packing Of Santa Claus
pack. When h a d her face
on his shoulder n trembled he trans
lated the grip of her little fingers as
signifying ecstatic JOY. Oh, 1t was ter
nble-terrible, that in all the house,
In all the world, apparently only she
and Emerson knew the truth. Conflict
was raging in her heart. She yearned
for sympathy, for consolation, for
warmth and %cuddling, but she shrank
from inficting the thrust that would
give her all. A very sickness OF soul
fell upon her when she thought Of
speech. .
She brought out her paper dolls and
sat staring at them listlessly. Pres
emily her mother came In and she be-
gan to play with them almost fur
iously.
That's right. Chickabiddy, her
mother said. II shouldn't wonder If
Santa Claus knew what a good little
girl my daughter is and Intends to
bring her doll a pink bonnet and a
blue bonnet, too"
Sarah laid her hand on her mothers
dress. Would you care, very much, IL
he didn't"-she faltered-"if he didn't
Gomez"
IRA cry my eyes out" said her
mother. "
"Oh!" gasped Sarah, "oh!"
Her mother laughed tenderly.. Don't
worry, honey" h said, and dropped
a quick kiss on Sarah,s blond curis as
she went on her busy way.
She was very busy indeed, that day.
Early in the afternoon she explained
to Sarah very gravely that she had
letters to write and that Sarah must
~ AO S~SNA NASIAA z u Ndb
also intimated that Hannah would
eagerly accept Sarah's help at seeding
raisins. Sarah seeded raisins obedient-
ly for an hour or more, but the Joy
OF this, which at any other time would
have thrilled her, failed to stir her
today.
While Sarah's mother was ioyfully
making a small pink bonnet to match
a blue one and packing them delicately
in a miniature trunk that contained
the wardrobe OF the new doll, Sarah
herself was sitting, a little nervous
heap, on the hearth rug beside the
library fire. Her thoughts had gone to
tomorrow morning. How terrible it
would be! In this very room that every
other Christmas morning contained the
very JOY OF joys, the tree itself, the
burden OF wide eyed doll babies and
new delightfully."- smelling books. would
be nothing. nothing but the old COM
monplace chairs Ind tables and an
empty white stocking gaping horribly
from. the m~antlepiece. Sarah's heart
broke as h pictured 1t. The amaze"
ment, the CONSERVATION. the question
ing, and, finally, the acceptance OF this
hideous thing Beyond that tomorrow
all seemed chaos. Her tender soul
ached with an almost physical pain
when she thought Of all the children
in all the world tomorrow morning. And
today-how happy she herself would
have been today IL she hadn't known.
She fell asleep presently before the
fire n when she awoke 1t was to find
herself in the midst of laughing grown
ups-her father and mother and the
two very old aunts who came to spend
every Christmas with Sarah. And evil
IDENTIFY the news of the disaster had
not reached the faraway town whence
they came any more than it had pene-
trated the place known regularly as
"the ONCE" where father spent his
days. .
The talk was all OF tomorrow's Joy.
Sarah was handed from one lap to another
while the conversation went merrily on,
a conversation made obviously for Sarah's
benefit, and with awful knowledge biting
at her heart she smiled politely, as was
expected of her. Presently, however. her
lack to take fire, as 1t were, from the sur
rounding enthusiasm aroused comment
anxious and affectionate.
why. dearie, aren't you glad that
Christmas Is almost here? Just think OF
that stocking tomorrow, SARAH" a
when tomorrow comesI"
when you wake up in the morning"
oh, that morning-that terrible tomor-
lrow!
Just then Sarah was having her little
dinner. and her spoon dropped softly into
her plate. She did not howl as another