The Pleasantville press., 1912-12-25

The coachman carried both children
down the icy steps and they bore
themselves with becoming modesty, as
If accustomed to such care, while the
orphans in the front ward watched
enviously, and one of them opened the
window wide enough to call down:
Jaw, Tommy's coming back any
how" as salve to their sighted con-
dition.
When the big house was reached
there was a delightful holiday smell
in the air of evergreens, oranges and
freshly burning driftwood. Lily was
taken upstairs to come down later.
her blonde beauty radiant in the white
lawn and blue ribbons in which Miss
Matte had dressed her. With a
child's adaptability she seemed to fit
in perfectly with her surroundings in
contrast to Thomas in his coarse
blue gingham and heavy shoes. She
would bring the spirit of youth to a
house, long accustomed to the deco
rous ways of sober middle age. A
black and white Japanese spaniel,
with a nose so short that he seemed
always on the point of sneeze,
jumped up beside her and laid his
head affectionately on her arm.
What a picture, sighed Miss Mat
tie
Don't spoil the child,' rejoined her
sister, with a glance at small Thomas,
who seemed rather out of it. Come,
it's time for the tree"
A white-capped maid showed aside
the portieres and revealed tree, gilt
tering with tinsel and heaped around
with various, ribbon-tied packages.
There was satisfying smallness, a
cozy portion for two feeling about
this fat little tree, in contrast to the
usual spindly, sparsely trimmed ever
green at the Asylum, which was 80
/ large that it never seemed to belong
to anyone but the Board of Directors.
After moment of rapturous si-
lence Lily hugged a real dolly, and
Thomas fell upon toy horse. Be
ing OF an investigating turn Of mind,
it was soon minus saddle and bride
and the tail was about to follow when
Miss Pris created a diversion by light
ing the tree so that he might see it
in all its glory before he went back.
The early winter twilight began to
shadow the room as she rang for tea.
Then thoughtfully she hung Toms
coat by the fire to warm in prepara-
ton for his cold ride.
The tea-wagon appeared. In honor
of the day it bore the Martha Wash
ington set of colonial tradition, a
cherished heirloom whose egg-shell
fragility had been guarded from de-
struction through five careful gen
erations. Besides the usual tea serv-
ice, there was pitcher of milk and
thin slices of bread, spread with rasp-
berry jam, and plate heaped with
bananas.
1t was wheeled into place before
Miss Matte, whose transparent hands
had barely tilted the teapot, when with
a whoop of joy the riotous Thomas
made descent Needless Of his sis
ter's warning cry and poor Miss Mat
ties Mortified gasp, he grasped the
handle OF this novel push-cart, shout
ing:
"Bananas! Bananas!"
The peculiar fatality which pursues
small boys in drawing-room swoop-
ed down upon him. There was crash
and tinkle of silver as the wheels
met the edge of a heavy rug, and
Tom, the devastator. sat amid the
ruins.
"Oh, s-Priscilla-red-heade Miss
Mattie-pull-y ll-your-hair-back / didn't
mean to break it; don't send Lily
back to the 'slum cause Use bad, and
be my Muvvers, too," he concluded
breathlessly.
1t was Miss Pris who picked him
out Of the debris, and as his short
arms met around her neck and his
tear-streaked face went down on her
shoulder. she looked across at Miss
Matte and as one who has at length
arrived at happy decision. she an
nounced:
"You take the girl-the boy Is
mine"
Copyright. 1912. BY western Newspaper
union)