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

| around him like one just waking. It
seemed incredible and yet it had
happened; he shrugged his should
ers as though to free himself of some
| incubus, and pushed on with a diff
ferent step. He was still anxious to
escape the crowd in whose holiday
making he had no place, but he no
longer walked unseeing. He even
| caught and steadied an old woman
who was jostled against him, and the
trivial service did it's part in lifting
his dependency. And then, Just be-
yond the crossing, it happened. a
white CLEAN in the slime of the street
caught his eye and STOPPING down, he
: picked up silver quarter. His first
impulse was to Hing it back for some
child or beggar to find then, hot
red staining his hollow cheeks, he
| slowly put ii into his pocket. He had
no right, he knew, to do otherwise;
| the minute, eart-brealling arithmetic
Of the past months had made him
too expert in values. But-that his
one Christmas gift to Annie should
! be quarter picked up in the street!
1t was the bitterest drop in all his
| cup Of humiliation.
He escaped the bright, crowded
street at last; he had still a mile to
! go before he reached home; he chose
the darker, empticr districts, but not
| No l,1
| CHRISTMAS spirit. Crude paper
wreaths were tied at dingy windows;
red Christmas bells hung in tiny gro
cerics or even before the doors OF
saloons; here and there scarggly
pine-the best the city, far from
Northern spruccs. could Offer was
surrounded by an excited group Of
children. Fruit and nuts and cheap
candies were enticingly displayed,
and the ear-piercing racket OF tin
horns was unccasing. The man hur-
ried through it all with the grim des-
peration OF one beating his way
against physical obstacles. lie felt
! like swimmer who knows his
strength going. He must reach An
ME before--bcfore what he could not
say even to himself, desperately hold
ing his thoughts from the black
abyss that lay beyond
1t was nearly seven when he reach
ed home. The year before home had
meant cheerful little fiat facing a
| triangle OF green, which, tiny as it
was, had yet caught the charm Of the
passing seasons. Upon this Gath Of
December home meant one room in
a dismal house with an Irish family
below and crippled dressmaker
next door, and the Lord knew who on
the floor above; hurrying through
the narrow, desOlate halls he had met
from time to time other hurrying
figures, but he never looked up. He
| did not want to see them. What a
| world TO bring Annie into-the
| thought always brought the grim
NEST look into his eyes. Annie
Annie whom he was going to shield
from every harsh breath----living with
noisy Irish women and crippled dress
makers and doddering old men,
1t was all heavy upon him as he
stopped at his door 1t was opened
before his hand touched the knob and
Annie stood before him. He had a
bewildered feeling that she was very
much dressed up, but it was only a
scrap Of crimson ribbon in her hair
a bit of woman's magic. He dealt
the blow rudely, bluntly, before cour-
age failed him altogether.
Nothing, Annie, tried all day"
He choked over the word and then, at
an end at last, dropped weakly into d
chair, burying his head in his arms.
Annie ran and knelt beside him, her
poor scrap Of red ribbon brushing his
cheek. Her voice was light, almost
gay.
Poor, tired, big boy. Never
mind, It's all over now, and it's
Chr'"tmas Eve and there's hot sup
per. Run and get ready, dear boy,
while put things on the table"
He lifeted his haggard face.
Christmas Eve. Annie, and
haven't thing for you except that
found it in the street. A.
He broke off, staring at the sud
den light in her face.
30, a whole quarter! We can 90
ca stmasing after supper-you and
/. And look herc!"
She drew him across the room and
lifted towel from the top of the