New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-12-30
CHAPTER xiv.
Waiting.

CHAPTER XIV.
Waiting. II
ae: ~ 4 = = 81 II
= E wheeled impatiently from
where he stood. He wanted
~ to do something. At the end
of the street he could see them
crossing under the light on their way
to Mary Chavah's. Abel and Simeon
might stop for him, but how could he
go there among the folk whom he had
virtually denied their Christmas?
What would they have to say to him?
Yet what they should say would, after
all, matter nothing to him, and per-
haps he would hear them say some
thing about Bruce and Jenny. Still,
he had nothing to take there, as Abel
had suggested. What had he that q
boy would want to have? Unless
He thought for a moment Then he
crossed the street to what had been
his house. He went in, seeing again
the hallway and stair, red carpeted,
and the door opened into the lamplit
room beyond. He found and lighted
an end of candle that he knew and
made his way up the stair There he
set the candle down and lowered the
ladder that led to the loft.
In the loft gust of wind from the
skylight blew out the flame of his little
wick. In the darkness the broken
panes above his head looked down on
him like face and that face the sky.
thousand eyed. He mounted box,
pushed up the frame and put out his
head. The sky lay near. TIE little
town showed heaped roofs and lifting
smoke and here and there light
Sparkling in their midst was the light
before the town hall, like an eye guard
ing something and answering to the
light before his factory and to the 9TH
er light before the station. where the
world went by.
High over all, climbing the east,
came Capella and seemed to be stand
ing above the village.
AS he looked the need to express
what he felt beset Ebenezer.
"Quite little town." he thought,
quite little town.
He closed the glass and CROPPED in the
darkness to where the roof, sloping
sharply, met the door. There he touch
ed an edge of something that swayed,
and he laid hold Of and drew out that
for which he had come-Malcolm's
hobbyhorse.
Downstairs in the hall he set it on
the floor, examined it, rocked it with
one finger. The horse returned to its.
ancient Office as If it were irrevocably
ordained to service. Ebenezer, his
head on one side, stood for some time.
regarding it. Then he slipped some
thing in its worn saddle pocket Last,
he lifted and settled the thing under
his arm
Il dunno, but might as well walk
around by Mary Chavah's house," he.
thought. Il needn't stay long,
At Mary Chavah's house the two big
parlors. the hall, the stairs, the dining
room, even the tiny bedroom with the
owl wall paper, were filed with folk
come to welcome the little boy. and on
the parlor table, set so that he should
see It when first he entered, blazed
Ellen Bourne's little tree. The coffee
was hot on the stove, good things were
ready on the table, and the air was
electric with expectation, with the ex-
element of being together, with the
Imminent surprise to Mary and with
curiosity about the little stranger from
Idaho.
'What'll we all say when he first
comes tn?'' somebody asked.
Might say Merry Christmas" two
or three suggested.
mercy, no." replied shocked voices:
mot to Mary Chavah especiallyr'
But, however they should say It, the
time was quick with cheer.
At quarter to 8 the gate clicked.
The word passed from one to another.
and by the time step sounded on the
porch the rooms were still save for
the whispers and voice or two that
kept unconsciOusly on in some remote
corner. But instead of the door open-
ing to admit Mary and her little bow
a hesitating knock sounded.
Those nearest to the door questioned,
one another with startled looks. and,
one OF them threw the door open. On
the threshold stood After, the telegraph,
operator, who thrust in very dirty
hand and yellow envelope.
We don't deliver nights he said.
but thought she'd ought to have.
this one. I'm going home to wash up,
and then IN be back. he added and
left them staring at one another arounfh
the little LIGHTED tree. &
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