The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-12-12

den rush OF tears, buried her face in
her arms on the table.
YES" she murmured brokenly to
herself, there is one that have for
gotten, and he is the one in all the
world that l have remembered most,
and to whom | would give all if
dared" and then she sat still.
why do you not send him some lit
tie trifie, just token that you have
not forgotten the old days?" suggested
her heart.
Never" said Pride.
Even casual acquaintances may ex-
change gifts at Christmas" urged her
Heart, speciously.
HE would cast my gift back at my
feet" said Pride.
Christmas said her Heart, "is the
time of peace on earth and good will
towards men. It is a time when old
wrongs should be forgotten, when old
wounds should be healed, when broken
ties should be mended, and hearts es-
tranged should be reunited. Why do
you not kiss and make up, as children
do?"
What" cried Pride, "and be fouted
once more?"
"You were very tired of the old,
empty life, with its monotonous rounds
Of insipid gayety," went on her Heart.
You were that loneliest and most for
lorn of human beings, a great heiress
and an orphan. All your life you had
had everything you wanted, except
the thing you wanted most of all--sin-
cere and disinterested love. Your
father and mother had died before you
could remember them, and you had
been left to the care Of cold uncle
and aunt, who thought that they had
done their entire duty towards you by
seeing that you were properly fed,
clothed and educated, and implanting
in you a distrust of every human be-
ing who came about you.
You never knew the Joy that other
girls had of being liked for them
selves. When suitors came you were
told they were fortune hunters. Peo-
pie, in speaking of you, never praised
you for any charm of your own, or any
grace, or accomplishment. They al
ways said that you were rich, and you
wondered sometimes If they knew how
their words hurt, or how it must seem
to a girl to come to believe that there
was nothing about her that could win
love-that she must buy it with the
money she hated.
Finally you began to realize that
your whole nature was being warped
by your environment, that your soul
was being atrophied, and so you ran
away from it all. You persuaded dear
old Mrs. Bullion to take you away as
her hired companion to little quiet
place, where no one would recognize
you. You wore plain little cotton
gowns, and snobs who would have
hunkied before the rich Miss Maitland
snubbed and ignored you, but there
was a man who saw the woman's heart
under the shabby gown, andothe wom-
ans brain under the common hat, and
he loved you, and asked you to be his
wife. I'VE shall be very poor" he
said, "for / have my way yet to make
in the world, but, please God, we shall
fight the battle out shoulder to shoul-
der"
"You remember" went on her Heart,
how, with your head upon his breast,
and his arms around you, you planned
out the future-the little house, with
the rose above the door, the dear little
economies, the struggles, and the final
success, and you drank deep Of the cup
of Joy, for you knew life had made you
rich at last, for you were loved for
yourself alone-loved as woman
would be when strong man trembles
at her touch, and his smile grows soft
and tender only for you. Then, at last,
came the time when you had to tell
him that you were none other than the
rich Miss Maitland"
And he went white as death while
he listened. and said that had he
known it he would never have asked
you to be his wife," interrupted Pride.
But it was then too late" triumph
antly cried her Heart; 'he loved you,
and nothing-not money, nor position,
nor anything, could change that. You
came home," continued her Heart,
"and your worldly wise uncle and aunt
called him a furtune hunter, and said
that he was going to marry you for
your money. You did not believe them,