Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-12-21

| big wet flakes that cluEg softly to
everything and shrubs and
| buildings, the long festoons Of Christ
mas green's decorating the fronts Of
! the stores, the heads and shoulders
| of the Christmas crowds which went
pushing down Seventh street, swing
| ing gaily through the doorways of
| the biggest stores. Being Christ
| mas crowd it liked the snow; there
| was Scant room for umbrellas, but
| nobody seemed to mind; the car
| riage folk had nearly all gone home
and it was the peoples hour from
| now on until ten, eleven, midnight;
| and the people had heart for Christ
mas, and took it kindly that nature
should play her part SO we'll.
1t was in the front Of the Five and
| Ten cent store, where the crowd was
densest that a round, shabby, bald
| headed little man found himself but
ting into a young fellow in front Of
| him.
Beg PARDON he gaspcd chi -
fully. Nothing personal intende, =
it was surprise to me myself. Seem
cd like the sidewalk heaved up un-
der me. But nobody minds trihes on
| Christmas e"
1t was glimpse Of the mans face
that cut him short. lie stood staring
after the tall figure cutting its way
I'm, ~ b, an
the crowd, good natured, but having
no time to waste in walking around
| obtsructions recalled him to himself.
"All right he returned abscntly
TO pointed remonstrance. TESTS
YOU say" But though he moved on
with the rest it was some moments
before he recovered his gaiety; it
had been no Christmas face that he
had seen.
The man. meanwhile, his hands
thrust in his pockets, his hollow eyes
| glaring iercely from his haggard
| young face, was fast getting free
| from the throngs that clogged the
| square. He pushed his way rclent-
| lcssly, yielding to nothing. More
than once, some one turning with in
| dienant remOnstrance, after a glance
at his face, silently gave way for
him. He was not conscious Of it; he
was conscious Of no detail OF the
maddening horror thai yet over
| whelmed him like some terror Of
| fever dreams. For the five weeks
since he left the hospital, he had been
walking the streets in quest for work
first hopeful, thcr dogged, then des-
perate, but he never had walked into
Christmas Eve before. He had been
so confident when he kissed Annie
goodbye in the morning--or rather
Annie h.d been so confident that she
had convinced him. She felt it COM
| ing, she said. 1t was coming surely.
Their rOad-the long, bittre, heart
breaking road they had travelled since
his fever last July, was going to turn
ON Christmas Eve Day. She never
| was mistaken, she declared, lifting
her thin, tired face with its unfalter-
mistaken when she felt like that.
And now Christmas Eve Day had
come and gone, and he had walked
It's pitilcss streets all day, and he
must so home and tell Annie
A sharp push sent him staggering
for second. He looked around in
bewilderment. A young rowdy with
a girl hanging on his arm was swag-
goring beside him.
"Mebbe you think you're a joke,
walking over honest folks like they
was paving stones,' ho jcered.
"Thats jest to remind you this Is the
land OF the free, and there's more
where that come from if you want it "
The girl laughed shrilly; then her
face changed and, with a jerk she
snatchcd her hand from her compan-
ions arm, and darted after the man
who, with one bewildered glance, had
gone on without a word. 1t was not
easy to overtake him, but she did it
at last. He turned at the touch on
his arm. The eyes in the sharp rug
| gcd face looking up at him from un-
der huge hat loaded with cheap
feathers, read him instantly.
You needn't squirm," the girl
said, 81 amt going to bother you.
jest saw your face and knew you
were up against it-ain't ye?"
In spite of himself the man nod
dcd, staring spellbound. 1t was mon
strous, impossible, and yet look in