Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1914-12-19

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51&lFe morning Everything was
[ISR9 t&I most agreeable at the
G-A4I1-D hotel. AS he had distrib'
uted his customary gold
pieces to the bells" the telephone
girls, the check-room boys, his waiter
and the head waiter, and the cham
bermaid on his floor; he felt oddly
disturbed.
Garter my boy he told the tall,
gray-halred image in the mirror,
You're getting sentimental. You're
thoroughly disappointed because there
isn't a soul in the world who can
call out a Merry Christmas to yoE,
and mean it from the bottom of his
heart. You're like a boy with nothing
in his stocking Pm ashamed of you,
sir; ! am indeed"
Yet that didn't help matters He
wandered Ground the deserted hotel
corridors in the morning feeling ut
terly lost Nearly every one seemed
to be going out to dinner to some
place where he was urgently desired.
Four times he strolled over to the
desk and looked casually up at his
box, but there we're no mail and no
presents for Maj Robert Lee Carter.
The last time he had really de-
cided to give up and ring up some
business associate to take dinner with
him at the hotel. But he saw let
ter in his box, and the clerk handed
him curiously shaped parcel, rather
bulky and oval He took it up to his
own rooms, and opened it with a
funny little thrill of anticipation.
By George, he was wrong. There
was somebody, he didn't know who
it was, but there was somebody who
had remembered him. The last wrap
per fell off, and he stood staring down
at little homemade willow basket,
filed with mistletoe. A card on top
read, Love and Merry Christmas
from Pam"
Pam? He remembered no Pam.
He opened the letter for enlighten-
ment, and as he read, his heavy gray
eyebrows drew closer together, and
every now and then he calculated,
God bless my heart and soul"
you won't remember me at all, but
I'm Pamela Grayson, and my mother
was your sisters daughter, so I'm
your grandniece, see? Mother died
about a year ago, just after we came
north, and l have been here alone
ever since / didn't even know you
were alive until cousin Florrie, Of
Carter's Landing, down home, wrote
and told me to share this mistletoe
with you, for she had gathered it in
the old oak grove where you used to
60 when you were a little boy. Here's
you merry, merry Christ
mas, and l wish l knew you, because
it does certainly get fearfully lone
some here in New York holiday time
when you haven't any one of your
very own"
AO tClCpIOllS bClb rang DudI ply
just as the major was about to say
God bless my heart and soul' once
again. But he lifted the receiver, and
smiled at the voice that answered his
lail
Delighted, Ralph, delighted, my
BOY, but you see, am going to have
4 young lady guest here to dinner
With me, my grandni9ce, sir, from
Virginia. Now, instead of my joining
you in your bachelor apartments, sup
posing you join us, and try and COM
1ensate to her for having a surely old
chap for a dinner partner. Names
Miss Pamela Grayson. Come right |
town."
Then he smiled, and kept on smil-
ng in the oldest, happiest way. And |
le leaned back in his deep leather
hair, and lit cigar and watched the
moke rings form overhead, and |
miled up at them. He had four Sis
ers. PANS grandmother had been
he youngest And now somehow,
hey were all gone, as he thought,
the way of the roses and he was
lone. He had rather lost track Of
IL the nieces and nephews and grand
ieces and grandnephews. Sentiment
Ioes not thrive in the New York at.
yet as he looked at the
etter, he felt an odd glow of pride,
nd he held the little basket of mis-
letoe out at arms length. smiling
etrospectively Many a time he had
.one up to the old oak grove to gather
[ for his mother to decorate the great
all at Christmas And now this lit
lie Pam
The major rose suddenly with quick
Intention. Five minutes later he was
n his way up to the address in the
etter Upstairs two flights he climbed,