Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-12-18

the kind old man guarding the tunnel.
whats your name, little girl?' In
quired the man. who's your Nam
MAJ"
I'm Eunice, and my Mammals a
fairy g%odmother."
Miss Fay's child" said the man.
"She told you to come for her, eh?'
Eunice did not know what she an
swered, for she was running down the
tunnel along a we'll remembered pas
sage toward a star Of light that shone
in the distance. And then there
burst upon her eyes the dazzling spec
tacle of the Christmas play.
She did not understand that those
rows of ghost-like faces stretching
away into the distance were the au-
dience, and to her the setting Of the
stage was reality. Her eyes were
fixed upon the beautiful woman who
stood and bowed and smiled, a won
derful being illumined by a great
shaft of light from overhead, which
followed her every movement. The
fairy children had gone. and Hilda
Groves bowed finally and withdrew
toward the palace threshold.
She had needed all her concentra-
ton to play successfully that night,
and in spite of that more than one
of the newspapers commented dis
paragingly the next day upon her per-
Torrance. 1t was unreal, they said.
and lifeless. Gould they only have
seen her after the curtain fell!) To
Hilda it was agony. The mothers
heart was aching. but she did not
know the cause. or that her child
could cure her malady; she thought
of Eunice only as a hateful and repug.
nant duty to which she must return
after her evening task. She turned
and entered through the palace por'
tails. which gave upon the wings.
Now she was only a tired woman
again, anxious to divest herself OF
her tinselled trappings. But to the
little figure that stood before her she
was an Olympian. Eunice stood lost
in amazed admiration at this wonder.
full being who was her mother.
Mamma! Mammal" The arms
were outstretched.
"Eunice!'
The harsh tones broke the spell.
The child remembered her last visit
and the establishment that followed
it. She clutched at her mothers
gown.
"Who brought you here? how
dared you come? You should have
been asleep hours ago."
The little arms were clutching at
the fairy gown frantically and the up.
turned face was Of piteous en-.
treaty.
Don't scold me, Mamma. I want
ed Thanta Ciauth. He gives most
anything to good boys and girls"
The tragedy in the child's face ar
rested Hilda. The cold crust OF self
ishness was breaking.
Il wanted him to make you love
me like the fairy children, Mamma
Love conquered. If only the critics
could have seen Hilda now! Sudden
ly she understood the infinite sorrow
of the child's mind, the tragedy Of
the little life which she had created
the loneliness, the craving for &
mothers pity and love. Tears gushed
from her own ayes and mingled with
the child's as she drew her to hel
breast.
The doorkeeper came hurrying up
Miss Fay" he cried excitedly, you've
got your little girl then? ! though
she was waiting beside mel jus
missed her. There's a gentleman
He gave way to John Groves. Mrs
Holmes had discovered the empty BET
five minutes before, and, frantic will
alarm, had rushed up to the lonely III
tie room on the third story. JohI
Groves had shrewdly guessed hi
daughters objective.
You've got her, Hilda. Thanh
: Godi" he began, and then stopped
astonished at the look Of Happiness
on his wife's face.
. "She came to find Santa Claus,
said Hilda. "She wanted somethin
. of him, and I guess he's heard he
9 prayer. But / think 1t must be SAINT
q sent her to me. John, I've foun
2 something tonight that ! never knee
! I'd lost. and I'm going to keep IT.
Eunice-home with me-us-always,
q fconyrisht By W. a chapman.l