Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1908-12-10

/ NN~AANAA'St
many"
Done, them" exclaimed Kath.
crime. And | see the gold chain
and baroque pearl was to have go .
| ing up in smoke"
And my set of Pater," ruefully
And my amethyst heart"
"A real holocaust said their ia.
/ Their.
Father" said Bob, I've an idea
/ worth two of that You know that
/ piece OF swamp land of yours up
country, on the old PEBBLES farm2
/ There's enough wood in that for so
families-black birch, gray birch,
| yellow birch, brown ASH don't
| know what-and-all-"
But, Bob, that's a splendid
| piece Of forest | should hate to cut
It down.
Even to keep so families, or
maybe 100, from distress? The
girls money will pay for cutting \
and hauling and kilndrying and dis
tributing, and it can all be done
before Christmas-and there you
are!"
Bob" said MIR, Champion, you're
| a genius! There we arel"
There we arel" said the girls in
| one brave breath. 1T viii be a good
| Christmas present for them, won't It,
| PAP"
IT makes me all of a glow now to
/ think OF it," said Rose Il wonder
what Donald will say Fifty or 100
] families made comfortable by going
| without some trinkets-though | did
want that English edition of 'Pater.'
Why, we don't know 100 poor fami-
! lies"
The General Charitable does. When
shall we begin. father? I'll oversee
| 1t for you" said Rob
Tomorrow morning, early" said
his father There won't be an hour
to spare If you want that WOOD de-
| liyered by or before Christmas I'll
have drains put in as we go along
and get good piece of grass land out
Of IL. Well, | shall sleep better to-
| night"
If the people on the knoll had lis
| tened that next day and many day
thereafter they might have heard, or
| thought they heard, a sound of chop
/ ping in the swamp woods, faint. far
/ off, mufIied in the rustling OF falling
leaves and the crashing of branches,
But the painting people We're busy
with Old Purple at the back of the lit
! tie red house, and little mother was
/ getting her minCe meat ready for
/ Christmas, and what with stoning
/ raisins and slicing citron and sitting
| spices and boiling down cider, she was
too much occupied to think OF any.
thing but her work and of Asas and
! Laury's homecoming
1T seems to me the woodpeckers
are dretful busy down in the swamp"
/ she said once
"Prob1y the trees hey borers." said
her husband
why, that's too bad she said with
her quick habit of kindness, and
went on about her work
She had just put her mince meat in
TO It's stone crock 10 mellow when a
sudden access of her rheumatism sent
her TO bed with jugs of hot water at
her feet and opodedoc fannels all
over her, and copious draughts OF com
position powder, her eyes following
her husband through the open door
In fright and dismay at his attempts
to do her work, till the painting lady
as they called her happened up the
hill, and, stranger though she was, her
self took hold and put things into
shape and cooked enough 10 last till
Laury should come having written to
Laury to make haste Il wouldn't
send for her" she said, but we have
to 20 and arrange our exhibition, and
sell our things But ! shant go till
Laury comes. We're coming back 10
have our first Christmas together here
but we must 20 as soon as we can"
You're real good, sighed the little
woman. I'm more obleeged 70 you'n
| can say. hate 10 see him stewing
about like a kitchen-colonel. But, oh,
/ did want to be around when Laury
come be a little better" She took
the painting ladys hand and raised II
TO her lips. "Oh, you mustn't" the
lady cried; and she bent down and
kissed the withered cheek
"The Lord1l reward you for the
good you've done, an the cheer you've
give" said the little mother. "Ef he
, don't in no other way, he's done a
mighty lot for you IN maxim you ies'
you"
And SO II came TO pass that two
or three weeks later the stage set
down the painting people one night
at point on the highway few rods
from the little red house IN PEBBLES
pasture. and they picked their way
along through the dark In some con
Germ over a bright light shining from
the windows Il sensed you'd be com
in about this time said Laury, open
ing the door And | fought 'twould
be kinder loneBomelike for you in the
4.r1r ,vf ooIJ apI 4 caraa domu an