The Press., 1909-01-13
] A Christmas ] Restoration
Copyright, 1908, by American Press
 Association.
By FRANK H. SWEET.

the brain-so John Loftus told himself
 "a trick of the memory, way it had of dropping into that old rut and go- ing over and over again the same aw full road of misery and desolation.
 What he saw was q rocky hillside pasture, with myriads of Canada this ties and barefooted boy picking his way among them at the heels of a struggling little line of home going cows.
 "O-u-u-oo, but can feel those this ties yet. How like sin they. did punish my bare, brown feet! Mother was not feeling well when I went after the
 cows-my blessed, darling mamma. She had heart trouble, heard one neighbor tell another, and would go suddenly some day when we least ex- pected it. I had hardly let her out of my sight after that, although in the misery. of my poor, bursting heart could never tell her what had heard. How raced down the hill that night! And at the foot of the pasture, just at the end of the village street, 1 stopped to put up the bars.
 ''As I turned there stood that-that- vision. Blessed if l did not think it was a fairy. I had never seen the like before For a moment I forgot even my anxiety about my dearest mamma. Oh, I can see her now-the folds of her filmy white dress, the little blue slippers with the straps over the an- kles, the long golden curls and the pitying violet eyes. And the poor little devil of kid in a faded shirt and blue jeans-how he winced and felt ashamed!
 And then the vision spoke. She came to me shyly and held out rose.
 "T wish you would take this,' she said, holding it out, far out. and l saw then that tears were running down her pink cheeks. I did not take the rose, but the birch switch dropped from my hand, and my heart turned to ice. Poor little kid! Poor kid!
 "'My mamma sent me to meet you,' she said and sobbed. brushing the palm of her hand across the track of her tears. I wish you'd take the rose. I came to stay all day wifi you. May be can stay all day tomorrow. l. I've got white kittie. We brought it from our former charge. Pm the new minister's little girl, you see, and you may have my kittie, and-and I know how to string red berries into booful strings of beads, and-and'-
 mi and then turned away, and I saw her bare white shoulders toss up and down in tumult of sobbing.
 "What awful, horrible hurts there can be in this little life of ours! l knew, knew.
 q threw the rose as far as 1 could dash it and flung myself into the sand by the roadway.
 ''I did not cry out. I beat the earth with my clinched fists and my bare face. The sand filled my mouth and blinded my wet eyes, and the blood oozed out and clotted across my throb- ping temples.
 '"Then people came and wiped away the sand and, the blood, and the shak- ing voice of woman kept saying. Poor boy, poor little boy!
 "A team drove along the road and crept out into the grass in order to pass me. Then heard neighbor say: Let me take the little shaver into the waggin. Poor little feller! It is dret- ful student for i'm, but still Mis- Lof- tus haz he'd the heart disorder fur good spell back
 "Oh, yes, l knew. I knew the awful truth as soon. as I saw the tears in the eyes of the little strange girl. The dreadful blow had fallen.
 "They carried me into the house, full now of sad faced. whispering wo- men. that very room where I had kissed my mother a merry goodby not more than half an hour ago. Away in the darkened bedroom they had laid her and spread a white sheet over her face. Mother!
 But the great wheel of the years kept turning. The old life was a thing of the past, The boy was home less,. friendless. But the years did not stop, and as they. turned grew out of my blue jeans and no longer went barefoot. And now I was in love with the minister's daughter, just the same angel that stood that night at the bars. the beautiful vision with a wOman's tender heart. And then came ambition, that great swelling sea that swallows up all else of life.' <... ~.- ...
 He swept his hands out and in the gesture included all the magnificence that. wealth could give, all that his surroundings implied.
 "'I'lI give you my. white kittie.' Dear little heart, what was she not ready to sacrifice for me always? And I, brute; the beast of self1shness and ambition clothed over with the garments of man. Ives. it was the old story. In my selfish sorrow l threw her rose in the dust At frst l said: There is not enough for two. l can have just what want at the club if 1 am alone.' broke her heart and drifted away from her, waiting till I should have enough for .5Uo to live l1 the style l desired.
 "Oh. never for an instant did in- tend to lose her. only just to make her wait till we could begin lhe in the style that would give us just t'>e social position I desired.
 "I did not think she realized my I did not myself. And then the unexpected happened Her father died and she took a positin.' as companion for a wealthy invalid, and they went to Europe.
 ."She may be married for all Il know and have forgotten me, and r. well, an perfectly happy, I an sure. Hanged if I know what has got into me that can't think of any. thing else tonight. don't want tc think of her-of course don't. I amI perfectly content as I am. Yes, her white kitten was as the apple of her eye. Beryl-a pretty name = Berry Bayswinter. wonder if she did mar ry. - I saw Teddy bears and woonyI dogs and cotton cats in the shop win ios6%