The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-01-06

what was his interest he cOnsluereu
Ills duty to himself and his family.
Ben. hearing his wife fall, sprang up
and took her limp body in his arms
and laid it on the bed. Just as she
came to herself the children toddled
into the room and Tommy, seeing that
something was the matter, began to
cry. This started his sister. The two
went to the mother, who, seeing her
bow. arose and with a moan took him
In her arms.
ooh. what a Christmas eve!" walled
the father.
There was a rap at the door.
Don't come in heah!" cried the
mother hercely. "Yo' shan't take ma
boy! I'll kill him befo' I'll let him be
taken away from his mother"
Nevertheless, the door was opened.
The face Of a young girl appeared.
"What do you mean, Sue? I haven't
come to take your boy. I've come to
bring you the turkey for Christmas.
Here it is" And she held up a four
pound bird.
ooh, Missy Alice" said the father,
1--WE don't want no turkey. Dey amt
no Christmas TO- is. De Lawd hab
struck us down. Mars done sold
Tommy to a trader, and de trader
gwine take him down souf. Take de
turkey away, Missy Alice. We amt
got no use TO- it,"
The visitor, Alice Wharton, was a
girl of twenty, whose face bespoke the
kindness of her nature. But over
kindness triumphed indignation.
"It is brutal!' she exclaimed.
The mother continued to moa Sew
eral times Alice essayed to speak
words of comfort, but her lips refused
to say what was untrue. There was
no comfort for her to speak. Colonel
Terrence prided himself upon his
strength Of will to do whatever he con:
sidered it to be his duty. He had had
such unpleasant episodes in his life be-
fore and had never shrunk from carry
ing out his plans. Alice took the hand
Of the father in one of hers, the moth
er's hand in the other, pressed them,
uuu WIFI luC WOluS, 0Ou ACAP JOu,
turned and left the cabin.
It was, as Ben had said, a melan-
choly Christmas eve. Little Tommy
was put to bed early, his mother lying
beside him. On the morrow he would
pass out Of their lives.
It was near midnight when there
came a rap at the door. Ben arose and
opened it. A boy stood in the opening,
but lie was as black-as the night and
consequently invisible. Ben heard a
voice say:
Missy Alice tole me to tote yo' de
stockin' fo' to hang up on de chimbly.
She sails she done tole Santa Claus to
bring >somepin nice TO- Tommy"
Ben felt a stocking showed into his
hand, heard the departing footsteps,
closed the door, hung up the stocking
and returned to bed.
When it began to be light Tommy,
who did not know that anything had
occurred to interfere with Christmas.
shouted: e
merry Christmas, pop! Merry
Christmas. nom! Merry Christmas,
Pinkey!"
The only reply he received from his
parents was a sigh. They lay for a
while, dreading to get up. 1t was
Christmas day, but the day as we'll
that their little boy was to be taken
from them. Finally Ben, urged by the
children, arose and uncovered Tom
my's rocking horse and Pinkey's doll.
He glanced at the stocking Miss Whar-
ton had sent, but, seeing that it gave
nc more sign Of contents than when
he had hung it up the night before,
paid no further attention to it. But
Sue, with n woman's inclination for in
vestigation in such matters, took it
down, put her hand into it and pulled
out a bit of paper. This she opened,
and OH it in large printed letters that
she and Ben could read was written:
Merry Christmas! 1 have bought Tom
my. ALICE WHARTON.
The father and mother looked at
each other for Il moment before the
full meaning of the words penetrated
their brains; then, taking the two chill
NIell Ill lneif ifiuS, ill were ulltleu Ill
a single embrace.
III Il twin.lling all was changed. Miss
Wharton o being the owner of
Tommy, his parents knew we'll that he
would never he separated from them.
The girl was beloved by the colored
people, both her fathers slaves and
those OH other plantations, for she de-
voted all her time to ministering to
them. She had a little money Of her
own, and as oon as she knew Of
Tommy's. sale went to the trader, Of
fered him n good profit on his pur-
chase. it was accepted. and the boy
passed into her ownership.
AS soon MS Ben and Sue felt assured
that Miss Wharton had arisen they
started for her home to hear the good
news from her lips and thank her for
having been the means of sparing
them Il suffering worse than their
child's death; She met them with n
smile not less happy than their own.