New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-11-25

DOE 1nD year. s 81 3. ,t5s 81 Il
''You mean your and Bruce,s drst
Christmas" said Mary, mark my
words. he'll be glad to be rid Of the
fuss. Men always are. Come on out
the front door II you're going" said
Mary. ..You might as well use it when
it's open"
Az Jenny. passed the open parlor
door she looked in again at the bare
room
Don't you like picturesy' she asked
abruptly.
Il like EN- when like EN-" Mary
answered. Il didn't like em ! had
up here had u shot stag and fruit
piece and an. eagle with child in Its
claws I've. 'ioatbrd EN- for years. bn,
| am'l ever had the heart to throw
EN- out till now: They're over behind
the coal hin, & Il
Jenny Thought '..'rhey's picture
over to mothers. she said. that she
amt put M because she amt had the
money tdifrnme it. | guess I'll bring
it over after supper and see If you
don't want it up here. frame or no
frame She looked 1T Mary and
laughed "lf.l bring 1t to you tonight
she said lit amt a Christmas present
legal But II / want to call it
Christmas present inside OF me the
town cant help that"
What's the. pictnrey' Mary asked
{ Il &ldon't know who it represents
said Jenny '.but its nice
H. When Jenny had gone Mary Chavah
stood IN the snow shaking the rug she
had left outside and: looking at the
clean White town: s:s
1t looks like{>it was waiting for
sonnet thing" she thought.
!. "A. door opened and shirt. \ child
shouted. In the northeast Il shining
body had come sparkling above the
trees-Capeila. of the brightness of a
hundred of our suns. heing horn into
the twilight like a little star.
Mary closed the parlOr windows and
stood. for q moment Immersed r. the
quiet and emptiness Of the. s4ean
rooms.
1u'S ""NS inc H. NdS "ditiHk IOT
something. too" she thought But it
ought to know it won't get it, she
added whimsically.
Then she went back to the warm
room and saw the letter on the shelf
She meant to go in moment to the
stable to make. it safe there for the
night: SO. with the gray shawl still
binding her: head and falling to her
feet. she sat BY the stove and read the
letter:
because she wasn't sick but two days
and we never; thought Of her dying till
she was dead. Otherwise we'd have
telegraphed. She was buried yesterday
right here. and well get some kind OF
stone. You say how you think it'd ought
to be- marked. That's about all there is
to tell. except about Yes. He's six years
old now and. Aunt Mary, this am, t. place.
for him. He's nice little fellow AND
i hate for him to get rough and he VEL,
II he stays here. I'll do the best | eau
and earn money to help keep him but
want he should come and live with you
- won't. have l,im!'' said Mary
Chavah. aloud.
!. The could come alone with tag all
right and T. could send his things by
freight. He amt got much. You couldn'.
help but like him and hate for him to
get rough. Please answer and oblige your
loving nephew, - -: JOHN BLOOD
Mary kept. reading the letter and
staring out into the snow. Her: sister
Lily's boy-they wanted to send him to
her: Lily's boy. and Adam BIood's-
the man whose son She. had thought
would be her son. It was twenty years
ago that be had been coming to the
house-this same house-and she had
thought that he was coming to see
her. had never thought of Lily at all
till Lily. had told her OF her own be-
trothaJ to him 1t hurt yet 1t hac
hurt freshly when be had. died, five
years ago Now Lily was dead. and
Adams eldest son. John. wanted to
send this little brother to her. to have.
II won't take him." she said great
many times. and kept reading the let
ter and staring out into the snow
For Lily she had no tears-she sell
dom had tears ut all. But after little
while she was conscious of weight
through her and in her. aching In her
throat. her breast. her body She rose
and went near to the warmth Of the
fire. then to the freedom Of the window
against which the snow lay piled. then
she sat down in the place where she
worked beside her patterns. The gray
shawl still bound her head, and It was
still in her mind that she must 60 to
the barn and lock it. But she did not
go-she sat in the darkening room with
all her past crowding it.
That first day with Adam at the
BloOd's picnic. given at his homecom-.
ing. They had met with all that peril
Ous ready made intimacy which
school friendship of years before had
allowed. As she had walked beside
him she had known well what he was
going to mean to her. She remembered
the moment when he had contrived to
ask her to wait until the others went
so that he might walk home with her