The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-12-18

Sc i ,sTQ!.R
Under the Mistletoe
8nY. EREpERlck ftART.

sai66E spread to cover earth's
dlfies and while holly and mis-
ti6toS fIcurfBhes in houses, j. is
that the mapping, cracknns
fife 81 called into being, unless
weather is absolutely unsea-
dialIle.
BIZ let It not be thought that
tne spirit OF the season Is absent
eSuSe Of the lack OF the conyen-
f6nhI Wintry setting. Santa Claus
WIG there-presumnbly by ar
piRn6-as thoroughly as he does IN
That section where his. sleigh and
reindeer have traction; and as lot
the miStletoe cTemony-
Pretty Hdna, Carr was unhappy.
one would think that on Christmas
eve, IN q, beautiful house, with all
this ACCESSORIES that 80 to make up
happy season Of Noel, even to
! the differing tree and the row OF
stockings hung by the hreplace-
though there was no fire there-a
firl Of nineteen would have heart
light as thistIedown. But Edna
( felt miserable.
She had arrived In the hosp!tahle
soufhern city only q month, before
when her fathers failing health
had made a change Of climate I'M,
phFStive. The Carr family had
wealth and position. apd they III
ready knew many people in their
adopted home, 80 that they mad
: not lacked for company. Young
men and girls had conc to see
Edna, and once ssslng her had tax
Z an her --fAguratlvaly, OF COURSE to
their bosoms, for she was as low
able as she was pretty,
SO had sped the weeks before
! ghristmas, and now, on Christmas
eye. With her desk Uttered with IN
ftatlons to parties, her room filled
syffth nretty clothes, and her stock
sfng. for a moral certainty, to be
found bullying with gifts on the NOR
row, there seemed no reason why
saha should not be radiant with
pleasure and anticipation. But
something dlmmed her sky; as she
stood alone in the great hall
tear zigsagged down her cheek
u was twilIght-the early twi-
{ Hight Of winter. In the dusk out
Z side tba air was ClamoTous with
MOTOR horns and shouted greetings
the young people streamed
Rameward to array themselves for
Y HE great dance that was to be that
.aYaning. Edna listened and smiled
zen through her tears, for there
gas something lrresistibly happy
ssabout these new friends of hers.
THEN she took last look around
khe hall dnd started to go to her
room, for 1t was time to change
her clothes before dinner.
ON her way out she paused. n
I, tide arch led from the hall to the
staircase, and plumb in the center
55f It hung a sprig OF mistletoe.
Sdan paused under the mystic
piaIit
Her mind sprGng back to this
time a year ago, when she had
stood under the nlistletoe in her
sIiome In the faraway north anu
some one had-how indignant she
had been! And yet-she half
smiled 10 herself us she remem-
abeFedt his apologies. And then the
winter and the golden summer. and
sfIe5 Ind gone-she didn't know
fphere. She had not heard from
siitin for "a month. And now It was
Christmas again.
Standing under the mistletoe
she reconstructed the scene. She
} had stood thus, unaware of the sill
n cry berries that hung so tempt
ingly above her. She had been
alone as she thought-the last OF
her guests had slipped away with
tiIair cries of ''Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas"
And she had gone back to the
lonely hall to live the evening
sain In her memory, when he had
stolen upon her from behind and
.exacted his tribute according to
tho ancient and honorable tradi-
tons OF the season.
She had been angry, she remem-
Y beFad -hut 1t was not real anger,
( only the simulated wrath OF one
di0 has been caught and hates to
admit It, Something OF this he
U TinSt have sensed, for she recalled
iiis contrition-it did not seem sin.
esre, now that she looked back
on It'll
She wondered where he was.
what he was doinB-and the sense
* loss that had been hanging over
her all the afternoon deepened as
she remembered the silence of the
Sast month-not such long time
ETit when one is accustomed 20 get
Ding d letter every week.! The
tears came again to her eyes.
Her father passed through tho
NALL and sew her standing there,
but did not notice that she was
crying. "Run along upstairs daugh
,ster and get into your things" he
;scalIed as he passed. tits getting
Jflate, and we, havo some people
coming to dinner
& tsYes, father she replied.
But as her father went out to-
wards the front door she made no
move TO go. She stIll stayed under
arch under the mistletoe, rapt
HI q sracollection that was sweet
ana bitter at the same time.
is She heard voices in the outer
room. The guests had come. Her
fash0r's voice was raised in hearty
ifdSting and there replied a mix
iIfo oe masculine and feminine
1oie. She shrank back into a
5nIcle by the stairs and watched
me new arrivals being whisked
Z. Shhf ~ S,4.aVIag 1T16Vna hHy Tlr{ FrrrSs 4hn