Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-24
Evening Star S
Daily Story
THE LONELY CHRISTMAS
BY oLARIssA MAoKIE.

Copyright, 1914 by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.
When Amy Finch locked the school,
house door after the last whooping
boy had scurried down the slope and
disappeared around Lone Pine Bend
a great depression seized her heart.
Christmas at Lone Pine-among
strangers in the tiny settlement
nestled in a valley among the snowy
cattle ranges of Montana! Christmas
away from her own people for the
tirst time in her life! No wonder the
lump came into her throat and her
pretty gray eyes filled with tears.
Thanksgiving had been bad enough,
although her new friends had tr1ed
TO make her feel like one of them
selves, but Christmas had always
ioeen such a joyous festival back
there in her Illinois home.
Amy clhoked back the tears when
she ernembered that the money she
had sent home had paid for an opera
zion that saved her mothers life.
Was not that Christmas JOY enough
for any girl?
She scolded herself heartily, and,
remembering that 1t was Christmas
eve, she decided that her little
brother Rod must have been to the
postoffice and proudly carried home
the generous box she had packed for
the home circle. True, most of the
things had been made by her own
fingers, but, her father would prize
the tobacco pouch made from rattle
snake skin and Rod would rejoice in
the handsome lsriat which Purdy,
Miss Heppy's hired man, had given
to her.
Thinking about these things, Amy
smiled, and she was smiling through
her tears when Miss Heppy came
tramping around a bend in the trail,
looking like a big brown bear In her
brown garments and brown fur
hood. 80
Thought I'd come and meet you"
said Miss Heppy, turning about to
fall into step. with the girl who was
just half her own age. i've got 70
80 to Lone Pine and finish my Christ
mas shopping, and wanted to tell
YOU that supper was all ready on the
stove. Purdy's going to drive me-
Want to go?"
mo, thank YOU" said Amy. II
am very tired. You know We had
Christmas exercises today"
"Humphi You've worn yourself out
making presents for your folksH' re-
torted Miss Heppy, looking critically
at her boarder. "Well, you go along
home; l guess you'll find big box
there that came by parcel post today.
I reckon it's from your folks. There,
don't hug me to death, child! Well.
here's Purdy waiting for me. Good
by, and be sure you keep the doors
locked. Well be home by dark, sure. :.
Amy waved good-by to them and
when the sleigh. had disappeared oe-
yond the snowy ridge that was red-
Aened by the setting sun, she walked
rapidly toward the little ranch house
which was the abode OF Heppy
Brown, spinster.
Smoke curled from the chimney and
the windows were af1re with sunset.
Amy unlocked the door and hurried
into her own room to crop over the
precious box, directed In her father s
handwriting, and so heartrendingly
reminiscent of home and dear ones.
But she would not open the box
untl Christmas morning. She ate the
supper Miss Heppy had left for her
IN the cozy kitchen and, after wash
ing up the dishes, she took the black
cat vixen for company and went into
the living room to put the finishing
touches to the sweater sne was Aliit-
ting for Miss Heppy and TO sew the
buttons on the shirt she had made
FOR Purdy. the faithful servitor.
Several hours passed; the fire sang
on the wide hearth; Vixen purred
comfortably in sAmy's lap, and from
outside came the eerie hooting OF
snow owl.
at Is going to be a lonely Christ
mas. Vixen whispered Amy to
Vixen. as she made the last stitch
and cast the garments aside. A tear
dropped on Vixen's shining coat and
the cat yawned and stretched herselT
luxuriously.
Suddenly the door opened and the
tall form OF man was framed
against the snowy fields, bathed IN
moonlight. Then the man uttered a
long sigh and fell prone upon the
floor.
Amy screamed and dropped the cat.
When she reached the mans SIDE
she saw that handkerchief was tied
about hrs head and the white linen
was wet with blood from wound
under the thick fair hair.
She turned his face to the door SO
that the fresh, crisp air could revive
him, and with deft fingers that trem-
bled from an unaccustonaed task, she
found the wound and bound 1T as
best she could She loosened the
collar of his shirt and noted with
surprise that while he was dressed
in expensive clothing he was without
hat or overcoat.
He was a stranger in Lone Pine,
too. Amy did not recognize the pale,
rather thin face with its good-hu-
lnored lines about eyes and lips and
its thatch of straight, fair hair.
Presently he opened surprised gray
ewes and smiled at her in friendly
manner. Something happened" he
announced dazedly.
'You have been hurt-you tainted
at the door," explained Amy as she
held a glass to his lips. perhaps
you feel like telling me what hap
pened."
road station--a couple OF drunken
nIInchers held me up for a joke. l
suppose. My horse bolted and threw
rne-and I rather think bumped
my head He touched 1t gingerly.
''You did,"
''Where is Heppy?" he asked:
"Miss Heppy-oh, do you know
her?"
He smiled. "She's my only aunt.
I've Travelled Ave hundred miles to
spend Christmas with her-do 1t very
often"
"Your aunt?p echoed Amy. Why,
then YOU must be Paul Werdon. She
never mentioned that you were COM
ing" she added. little breathlessly,
for Miss Heppy talked lot about
her clever nephew, who was chi
cago broker
II am Paul Werdon," he admitted.
sThen he added in a. few words his
gratitude for her ministrations.
After that a silence fell between
them. Amy felt strangely happy
over the coming of the young man,
Somehow. now, Christmas did not