The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1914-12-15

don't you answer back2 What was,
Matt"
Matthew, drying his az blade, looked
at it with one eye closed.
Rabbit" he said.
where Is ity' her father demanded.
1T was a young one, not as big as
your fist" Ellen said. II let it out be-
fore he got there. Where's motherT
"Just because things young 1t amt
holy water" the old man complained.
Last time it was squirrel you let go
because it was young. It's like being
spendthrift with manna," he went on.
Ellen's mother appeared, gave over to
Ellen the supper preparations, content
ed herself with auxiliary Offices Of CHI
ma and butter getting and talked the
while, pleased that she had something
to disclose.
."Ben Holders stopped in," she told.
"He's going to the city tomorrow.
What do you s'pose after? A boy.
He's going to take him to bring up and
work on the farm"
where's he going to get the boyY'
Ellen asked.
Her mother did not know, but Mrs.
Holders was going to have a new d.
agonal, and she wanted the number
of Ellen's pattern. Ben would stop for
it that night.
Evenings their kitchen was a sitting
room, and when the supper had been
cleared away and the red cotton spread
covered the table, Ellen asked her hus-
band to bring in the little tree. She
found a cracker box, handily cut a
hole with a cooking knife and set up
the little tree by the window in the
kitchen.
What under the canopy"-said her
mother, her voice cracking.
"Oh, something to do in the even
ing" Ellen answered. Fathers going
to pop me some corn to trim it with
aren't you, father? Mother, why don't
you get you good big darning needle
and string what he pops?"
It'll make lot Of litter" said her
mother, but she brought the needle for
something to do.
"Hey, king and countryv' said her
father; I'D ought to have somebody
here to shell it for me!'
"Who you trimming up tree forT'
her mother demanded. II thought they
wasn't to be any in town this year."
1T amt Christmas yet" Ellen said
only. II guess it won't do any hurt
two days before"
While the two worked, Ellen went to
the cupboard drawer, and from behind
her pile of kitchen towels she drew
out certain things-walnuts. wrapped
in shining yeast tinsel and dangling
from red yarn; wishbones tied with
strips Of bright cloth; a tiny box, made
like a house, with rudely cut doors
and windows; eggshells penciled as
faces, a handful of peanut owls, a
glass stoppered bottle. long neck.
lace Of buttonhole twist spOOls. A GER
tain blue paper soldier doll that she
had made was upstairs, but the other
things she brought and fastened to the
tree.
Her husband smoked and uneasily
watched her. He saw something with
in her plan, but he was not at home
there. IF the boy had lived and had
been upchamber asleep now" he
thought once, It'd be something like
to 60 trimming up tree. But this
way
"What you leaving the whole front Of
the tree bare fOr?" her mother asked,
"The blue paper soldier goes there.
I want it should see the blue paper
soldier first thing" Ellen said and stop
ped abruptly.
"You talk like yOn was trimming the
tree for somebody" her mother obsers-
ed. aggrieved.
Maybe something might look In the
window-going by" Ellen said.
"Get In there. Get your heads In
there, ye beggarsv' said the old man to
the popcorn. I'D ought to have some