Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-12-06

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potgrant
Amer suppef Rove an Define.
iigAtsd their pipes an ~ down "a
rad ths week ID newspnpess thev
had brought over iron IL Falls. II
there was hint Of appcAching Christ.
mas Ia the air if might have emsnafea
Iron the holly printed calendar Eben
had hung On the barr walls o. II might
hase beep waited IN from the kitchen.
where wah Lee vas c16pping mince-
mesnt compounded from the united rem.
nisceuces 81 hls employer There was
plenty q meat n II. and juicy apples
and prunes. because there were no raj
sins in the house. I whole orange ana
spoonful Of ev9y sors Of spice 10 the
pantry.
A wind sprang up and cent the pur
PIE sunset clouds to mask the starry
Ky. snowdakes nutfeFed slowly down
IN the outes worsd. felI faster. thicker.
need before the wind and pattered
dirty against The WiSdows.
-Play cxfb1' asked lyben Rowe after
awhila
Dellmore nodded and produced the
csfbhage board and pack Of cards
from Z drawer.
All was silence again except for the
chop. chop. chop Of wah Lee In The
Kitchen and dry patter Of snow against
the pane and the muttercd counting OF
the two men ~ they played
Fifteen two-four- aix-and~- Dell
more was counting when suddenly
there came . muflied thud against the
outer door. followed BY q gathering
! crash on the veFanda and shrill child.
| ish cries.
without word the two gaen spranz
| to the door and tore II Wide open. The
scene that met their astouished gaze
| was strange one indeed
Half sprawied on the low verarda
| was a small horse. Crowded behind
him. the front wheels fitting on the
| steps. was long top wagon. From
| the gloom Of the wagons interior glow.
| ed small lantern hung high against
| the inside. and from the wagon there
came the childish cries.
-Jerry drunk sSaInF. muftered Dell.
more with disgust AZ be yanked out
| the form OF 4 sleeping man from the
| wagon seat. Jerry Mink dropped heav-
| lily on the snow Of the veranda and
slept again. quite undissurbed.
| Ehen went around to the back OF the
wagon. made inquiries and removed
from under the canvas Dap a small
| slender woman mufyied and yelled and
shiverinx with cold and fright. ard two
| little boys. The two children he car.
| rief inside and ret down before the
stove. and with bvief direction 10 the
woman to draw nsar and warm herself
Eben returned to the veranda and help
| I'd Deilmore to throw 4 blanket under
the prostrafe horse and presently TO
| get the animal upon his feet and of on
to the ground One wheel Of the wag-
on was broken beyond repair
While Eben led horse and vehicle
out to the barn and put them up for
the night Deiimore thumped the drunk
en- stage driver into pcevtsh conscious
ness and drove him into the lear-to.
where there was an extra bed near
Wah Lees Immaculate couch
The partners having discharged these
duties reached the kitchen door tegeth-
| er and entered the house wah Lee.
unbidden. was making a pot Of tea
and warming milk on the stove. Dell
more nodded approval and STROBE 10
the door Of the next room He stood
there n though paralysed and Eben
came and stood beside him
The woman had removed her wraps
and mumine black veil and disclosed
. small dark eyed pale face. above
which rippied soft black hair She
vas warming IL chubby anxers Of
III three-yenr-old tvinA She seemed
vefy much at home thers IN this room.
and = was al The more strange be-
cause shs had been lying IN the hearts
Of the owners for many years. II was
LDcy FAFr-Lucy Graham now.
She looked up ana recognised them
With nttis ery Of delight lhe sprsns
up and heid out bef banda
Ton two-ny old frSends- She
beamed upon them
silently. smiling sunny tn each
others presence. the two men WHO
toved lucy Graham came forward and
shook hands with hes. II was simple
story shs told but very wonderful TO
have happened b an of them that
Christmas eve
She had married Graham and gone
to Ohio He had died . year ago. and
she had failed In her efforts to sup
PORT her twe children A distant
bachelor cousin had offered them q
home % n vanch next to the one
owned b. Deilmcrs Z Rowe. and she
I'D heen % Der way there when
Jerry Mink had hlindly driven bis
herne alDost info she doee Of the Dell
wOse ranch
IFS twenty mikes farther along.
Too can't ct there until ouGna tme
/ t<XnsH