The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1917-01-18
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

ABOUT SaltE she inquired quickly.
That is very Indispensable. too.
but
'Of the two which do you always
take care shall not be missing from
your pack whenever you turn into the
woods?"
Il see where you are heading. but
Il do not like dissemblance, Stephen"
she warned. You know without the
salt of love the sugar Of life can grow
sickeningIy cloying."
He did not win his argument, but
defeat gave him far more happiness
than could have come from victory
Leaving her that night. he closed his
hand over her delicate fingers in a
clasp which left her smiling in wonder
after he had gone. She watched horse
and rider disappear into the whiteness
of the new winter till both were lost
TO her sight.
Bless the boy" she murmured then
Bless the boy And to Caleb. her
brother. when he came sta mping In:
Il surely must take a hand with these
children. They have been left to their
oN II utN It's fDuS euOuSu
Caleb had recovered his good natured
view of the whole, affair: he was given
10 grinniEg thtse days at her flutter
ings. On more than one occasion he
cid her none too fatteringly that she
made hIu think of an ofticious hen
with brood which a high rate OF
mortality and proving night raiders
had left bereft of all save two Of her
batch. But this particular witticism
did not bother her in the least, per-
haps because she realized how pat the
comparison was. Instead Of silencing
him she showed him the letter which
she constructed some days later-cOn-
structed most painstakingly the second
week in December. She deigned to
read ii aloud TO him before she dis
PATCHED it Oh its journey.
Barbara. dear child" she wrote.
this is the appeal Of u lonesome spin
ster lady who finds that winter. still
only lusty infant here. Is the season
or younger. warmer pulses. | am very
tired Of Caleb's continued company
that is. with nothing to leaven 1t. The
keenest of epigrammarians. my dear.
becomes very commonplace, you know.
o ears too long tuned to one voice. So
am writing you In dignified despera-
zion to come to me this holiday season
Caleb is not always as epigrammatic
as ] could wish. | am going to he
positive that you will come unless you
have already made other plans. And.
on second thought. If you have al
ready done SO l am going to fall back
upon the privileged tyranny Of one
who once carried you in her arms.
You must come to me this Christmas.
There was another whole paragraph
Of rambling. repeated arguments and
then a full page devoted to the beau
ties of the hills and season.
The days are diamond brilliant
she wrote. land the nights as dryly
cold and crisp as Caleb's few last cher
ished bottles of champagne. We have
foot Of snow. two feet in the ell Of
the house where the mint bed lies. and
that has afforded Caleb much peace of
mind too The roots will live nicely
under their warm blanket. you see
all OF which must read frivolously to
you. coming from staid Miss Sarah. !
can only plead that already must be
less lonely for anticipation OF your ar
rival Are you we'll? You will find
new roses for your cheeks In this eli
mate. And you may telegraph your
acceptance this once if you are too busy
to write. although you know | deplore
the lack of those punctillios which once
made Of all custom and etiquette "A
most charming thing"
1t was signed yours. my dear. Sa
rah Hunter
There was quaint twist to the letter
IS" sharp angles in the chirography
| which a newer decade Of femininity
might have found sadly lacking in q
largeness of loops now indispensable
as indication Of character" And
there was a postscript. of course.
stephen O'Mara has been several
times to dinner since your departure
He is working very hard but most sue
cessfully, am sure. for he appears to
be very happy. He is thinner than be
was, but who could have guessed that
the boy he was would grow to be such
a handsome man! Men with eyes like
his and such voices used to break the
hearts of susceptible maids when ! was
sixteen. Do come! s. H."
She read it aloud from beginning tt
end, nor did she falter much when Ca
leb greeted the postscript with shou,
of joy. Caleb was most high spirited
those days. for the line in regard tt
the progress Of Steves work was IL
truth an understatement If anything
even though the assurance Of bis hap
piness might have been called a mis-
construance of facts.
what do you think of it?' his sistel
asked pleasantly. when she had finish
ed reading. "WilI it-do?"
IF you mean will it fetch her, cal
only say heaven knows! Indeed. h'
was enjoying himself. You feel posi-
live that she cares for him. you say