Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-12-19

' is',h' dio StIlQng into the living i room, he flung himself into large leather armchair and tried to read the evening paper But &he news failed Go interest him somehow tUuinht and : as twilight came on and the room aaiAcned, he found himself staring into the grate fire.
 How many things one can imagine i'll the fame of Q grate fire, And, as the man sat there all huddled in the pig armchair, all the dear days of the dead past came trooping out of the coals. An office room he saw first, with himself sitting at desk and & ialr-halred girl at typewriter in the cofnet- The girl was poorly dressed but the sweetness Of her smile capti. Tated the man at the desk. And in 1 the next picture ho heard the man asking the girl to become his wife. A hillside flooded With moonlight he be. held Dext-the picture Of an evening rom out their honeymoon, with them sitting on that hillside in the | shadow of the tall, dark, sweet-smell. ing pines that loomed up as back. ! ground. Here there were no more , visions for time, while the man sat staring dry-eyed into the fire The scene Of the next picture was laid i'll the sitting room. She was in l low rocker by the window, sewing on something soft and white Every once n a while she looked out of the window. Through the window he saw aI auto stop in front of the house, and the man whc got out and entered the house was himself. She heard his step and sat with her hands loosely crossed on the sewing as he entered the room and stepping behind the rocker, put his two hands over ile1 eyes. Then she drew down his face to hers and kissed hiln on both cheeks and then on the forehead and eyes and mouth. At this, Harlan buried his head on his arn while dry sot shook his throat.
 "Oh, Nadine, Nadine, why did you leave mel" he sobbed. He turned from the flaming coals and his eye fel upon a Christmas tree all decked with shining ornaments. It was real tree He knew it was there for the child; and was annoyed at the thought ot the cause of Ter death. He lit his pipe and leaned back for smoke. But through the blue smoke haze the tree became an airy phantom dream-tree A ladder leaned up against it and al the top of the ladder, high up, and half hidden by the pungent green boughs, stood 8 golden-haired woman And he was standing beneath the tree steadying the ladder with both hands She was putting the last touches to the tree.
 She held shining bright rinsel ir her hand and God, what was this she was saying!
 Look, sweetheart, how bright the star is. An, dear, next Christmas the baby will be six months old, just old enough to notice things; and I'm sure he will notice this star; now wont he? Don't you think so, dear?'
 Come down, Nadine, come down; I am afraid you will fall he heard himself cry, and then as she laughing ly descended the ladder, ne clasped her in his arms before she reached the bottom and kissed her again ana again.
 "You big story teller" slie laughing Iy reproyed him, you weren't bit afraid I'd fall; you just wanted to hug me!''
 "What if did? Now what are yor going to do about lt?' he was demand ing-when the gir! faded, and that dream picture of himself in other days vanished and nothing was left but the Christmas tree.
 Harlan pulled his chair away from the fire and over to the window, and sinking back into it's depths, ne watched the glinmer of the windows in the houses across the street ana their soft shine on the pavement.
 He must have dozed long time, for when he awoke the arc lights in the street were lit and bright shaft o1 light fell across the room, and pres entity into this shaft of light came stumbling a little white-robed figure It was little boy in his nightgown He walked over to the Christmas tree and toyed playfully with the orna' ments dangling from the lower branches.
 Pretty, pretty things" he kept say i1,, over and over in a soft little voice.
 Awakened from dreamless slum' Der, the first thing Jack Earlan's mind reverted to was the dream picture oi his wife in the Christmas tree. And this was the child his child and hers. He heard her voice again.
 "Noxt Christmas he will be SIX months old, just old enough to notice things, and ho will notice the star; it is so bright.
 Had he noticed it that first lone Christmas whom everything was So desolatc in that household? An, there had been no tree! And the next Christmas, when the baby was year and six months old, the nurse hac