The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1917-12-21
His Last
Request
By JULIA GRAY

- ing room had put on quite
festive appearance Christmas
morning. 1t was rather cold,
and the furnace was In Its usual state
of coy reserve, but Farley had stuck
holly and evergreen around the oil
paintings of garnished fish and High
land Cattle" and each table had
brave sprig Of mistletoe tied with GRIM
son and green ribbon laid beside each
plate. That was Beth's special offer
ing.
As each member of the household
came in the greetings were hearty and
quite satisfactory, even to Beth. She
had not thought the experiment would
bring out even that much fellowship
and good will from the silent, self-ab-
sorbed crowd at Mrs. Forbes.
She put the prettiest bunch Of all
and a card of Christmas cheer beside
Mr.. Benchley's plate. Poor, grouchy
old Scotchman, nobody ever had
good word for him. In all the months
that she had been an inmate of the
Forbes dOmicile she couldn't remember
that anyone had ever given him even
pleasant greeting. He came down
stairs to breakfast late and always
grumbling, grumbled at his food, which
Carrie, the colored maid, slid across
the table at him, grumbled at the fur
mace and weather and the mailman,
at the boarders and Mrs. Forbes and
life in general.
But Beth liked him best of all. That
morning she had found outside her
door box Of fresh violets and book
she had been wishing for inscribed
from her sincere friend, Alan Farley.
1t was the book more than the inscrip-
ton that showed the thoughts of the
giver, for 1t was named '"The Well Be-
loved" As Beth glanced through 1t
she had smiled, remembering a verse
that Alan liked to repeat from Mrs
Browning:
What shall give to my beloved?
A little faith all undisproved.
That was what he gave to her, only
not in small measure, in full rich meas
ure, all his hearts faith and love, ask
ing her to believe in him and be pa
tient for his success. And she coult
not tell him that she didn't give raI
for his success; that she would rather
hundred times over have been mar
ried to him, even If she had kept OF
with her own work, and they had beer
running mates together. So between
them was the promise of marriage ant
to the boarding house at large he. wa
"there sincere friend"
'The old mans sick In bed" salt
Carrie briskly, as she swept the crumb
from Beth's place. "He amt COMM
down. He's grooming fearful"
ooh, DEAR" Beth pushed back he
chair but Farley was before her. Sh
found him bending over the oil
man. tending him like an experience
nurse.
"It's only an attack of acute indiges
tion," he told her. Hell be all righ
I'm a good doctor" He smiled dow
at her, and Mr.. Benchley groaned an
turned over to see who had come in.
"May wish you Merry Christmas
Mr.. Benchley?" Beth asked. I'm s
| CVlly you uou lCCl "CAs
"Don't feel we'll! Losh, mon, hes
the lass talk. Get more hot waite
Twas on'ie bit Of wee fiddle ha
the NIGHT, but 1t left mo dOwershi
Fruit cake and wine after ten O'clOC
WI bring any mon down on his bacl
Do they miss me down below?"
He was grave Of face, but there We
twinkle in his eye. Alan raised hi
up and placed couple Of pillows b.
hind him for support.
! snow, you're gay enough, sir" I
said.
l Benchley looked from one face
the other, one on each side of his be
and his eyes glowed from under the
thatch Of heavy gray brows.
1 you'll be married the day." he a
swered slowly. II once loved la!
to my sorrow, Alan. She was to wa
for me. and puir fool, worked my Ii
out for her, and she married lol
legged loon In the next town. I'm te