Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-12-04

yusrys VII ana hailed ;hacrs.ssTKs Sks
aabr00kessOut Ina queer little q ftlhaat
ssxalss@i0dw and tremulo,uus:s Il SssSssssss sSs
sssssI a think you mrr,lst have ass Yodu,II
such good care ofR aHg j ~.
4 shfacreasrolle into thes RdfaraSof
a overhead arc light andshexssawH her
looking at him withEa haifNmystesrrious,
E4haHl divine gratitude. " SSsE a#sF5TES75Si
ss FPllease don't do tia, '' 10 d sgwreared
u hsashed voice. S,omnseldthin,ig inside
S4hi ,l ii pounding furrioy1ilsllys Some
SthingS III his temple and
throb,bed. IA s%s ss8sSs 4Ss Ss
Don't do whatf'' sE Bs
Rssss.I Look like that z, II a u
She notssonly. looked like that, but
more ~. a 81 III S%s: @S s$
u young man, young man,, llhalu,gheddt
she, with mock warninng1, III fear you
arewishfulsof turning ! girls head i,
5..Thea Lord lie good to mile!!'' he broke
ont, his pent-up passion L dreams
rushing to his lips now TINT TIE bar
rfer fell. 81 Don't yousseeslt's because
well. IA hoped to pass the evening
without telling SyousthatsI loved you-
S that y was ,ual 9h1iuur1ryinrug y,ouS home.
i told syou little while ago it was
-Four e. friendship ! wanted. I was
wrong Ssas III IL 5;sss F + Ss $s
She made no answer, but stretched
put her little gloved hand to him,
then drew II back quickly $unnoticed,
4 singular smileSon her lips Z
You've known me for d few hours
only" heeWent onin q steady voice,
1andsI understand what you think OF
me for speaking like this. If I had
known you for FyearsEand had waited
and had the right to speak and keep,
your respect His steadinesss did.
not carry him to the. end Of his sen
tence. Z sS S Al
Then she laughed joyously, deli
ciously. ss5 IL Y @
You are mistaken she said. 81
have known you for years. I used to
chum with your sister Gertrude at
school, andSyOu used to come down
from your university, and we'd take
walks. And We went up to ali the
meets to see You run, and you used to
win. You called her your kid sister
and me the other KID and you kissed
me once. You've forgotten the little
girl who stood silent III corners and
looked at Won with wide eyes. But j
couldn't forget. I used to have Ger
trudlee WrtteSm me all about you till she
married that missionary and went to
Tive In China. And then I had your
photograph-the one In your track suit.
And just to think for q whole
month now you've been living opposite
to me, across the court, and i never
knew u! All, Lanse. I've felt FOL
years you would come to me, and when
I saw You tonightm my first impulse was
to stretch out both hands ana be go
glad, 80 glad, AT once, though, I#saw
you'd forgotten. 80 I determined MOTTO
tell You who was. I wanted you Ia
recall When2I spoke of your having
a sister Just now I tried t make you
recall, but I'm glad You didn't, be.
cause It's me- all me-, as I am, that you
loye.sand It's 9 good4that way,
a little later through the frosty ali
the midnight bells Of Noel rang out
clear Then at. the last, very softly,
from asSsddaalr'kened room across the
court. Lansing Drake heard verse Of
the old Christmas carol he had sung
at his mothers knee: 9s s sSa f fs
The snow lay on the ground;
The stars shone bright saaS@
He bowed his head In hiSl hands fol
the great gift that had come to him
When Christ our Lord was born
EOn&C Christmas night.