The daily Alaskan., 1915-01-04
A CHRISTMAS
 DESK It Contained q Secret.
By ESTHER VANDEYEER.

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 When Mabel Drew was sixteen she was too old to receive at Christmas such gifts as toys, dolls and other in- expensive Enickknacks. The question came up between SHr father and moth or that year what more substantial ar- ticle should he provided for her. It was finally decided that an escritoire, which iS the French name. 1 take it. for one of those curved legged. claw footed desks with fancy finish on which Indies write their notes and keep their arcounts-that iS, when they keep would be lhc thing.
 Mabel was my cousin and had dur ing my ch"d.uud havu my playmate. When We We're passing into youth, after being away from her for q season and returning. ! fouud that another bad stepr,d into my nIace, He w&s rwcuty-iwo yvlrs of usr. willie was but eighteen lis entrance into the field suGG,alg made iHc aware of the fact that .a. n,otIrr.Y- nriy cOudi- tiou which haG yNi,.gl. or had sup posed rNiS'eE i@tvcun uE w;s sim ply mas, for i.r diGvrr&t condi, tiou on my lmrt M@ocj's msw friend being rJar or ..v, years older than l, patruuizul s:p. a. i. #S Ior Mabel, it seemed to .c t.:t she regarded ne, as before. in d si~ga.y "dy.
 When ,!,at Christmas came of which have been speaking my parents were abruad ard ! sp,nt the holidays at my aumts We made merry Christ mas of it. aud have since remember cd it as thr llv&Sanrcst of my life. It was certainly ihr most important. IS will appear from my story.
 NaICls arsG NaS delivered at the back duov after dark aul was carried to my owu b.druom took of the crate and it stood forth as pretty a piece If turnttGrr as | ever saw. l admirpd it immensely and was delight cd at ,hr pleasure il would give Ma bel when -hr ,aw it. and for that mat fer probably Gug u.auy years after l puUcI ult every .udIlwOOl drawer woYGrir. what secrets they would contain. Unr uf these drawers was fit rrL with a lp.k and a tiny brass key. Trc drawers were inside the desk and ur'v r.r,nsol wien the front was let drwu. There was a To k for this also.
 After all except myself were in bed my uncle and | carried the desk down stairs and deposited it with the other rirfs .q D., Ti.r~ir~..s1 'n r',n morning It w-S %. ...'' tHa9 c1-1 have c%r- rfrd it aIcr.,, n"t So lrail that | dare not attempt tu Go so. fcJriug l might strike it aeainS, something ~ad break it. My uurl1 wrote ou card, For Mabol FrnrY Hu"H and Mamma" and laid i. on ,Hn desk where Il could be plainly scyn. &ut l picked it up, put if in the drawer with the jock, turned the kcy. r"; up tan front part of the desk and lD-.ed .: tao
 Ig the n.rr ing when we were as scurbicd for tine distribution of gifts Ma1cl caumLt sight Of thn desk at once, and her eyes danced with excitement. "Is 1t minr?' she uskcl
 Open it and see" said her father
 She opened it, looked in every pigeon hole. pulled out every drawer till she came to the one that was locked and, turning the key. found the card l had nl9red there She immediately flung her arms around her fathers neck, then her motber's. and l wished she would do the Salue with mc. Had she been few years younger she would have done so. Eut that tima hah passed
 The next dly the desk was carried to Mabers room. and | did not see 1t again for long while,
 One night lot of us young folk were dancing. Mabel wore dress cut low about the throat. aud her contiu- ncd bobbiu@ threw ID aHd down some thiug she w1.r ou a chain suspended around hrr .".l,. The article was so small thai 1 could not sec what it was at Grsi luu on drawing nearer recog- niz.I inc lutIr key to the drawer with in her desk
 ~Why do you wear thu, key on your neck% l asked.
 'Oh. it's the icy to a drawer in my desk where keep my secrets" she re- piled. with a hlusE
 Secrets. What business has a girl to have secrets tnHt must not only be locked. hnt the key to which she must keep on her own pcrsun:'
 "Everyholy has secrets. Haven't you any of year own|
 None that are so important that l must keep them locked What is your Secrrt:'
 Well. ike that What right have you to my sc'rtiS"
 t seemed to m2 that | had right to her secrets. lul | dijn't care to as sert it.
 oh. never mind" replied. "l'll find it out in time
 "Oh. you will? How are you going tu to that:'
 "Pn steal that key and unlock the drawer that contains the secret
 she invo!uutarily put her hand on t1, I--, 4., r.r.tt.It