The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1926-10-07

comes due in January. BY stand
ing Levine off on the rent, ] car
rake and scrape the interest to
gether. It's hopeless for me even
to consider meeting the note. What
Marshall will do, I don't know. Il
l could ever get on my feet-with
the garden. But on a dollar and
a half a day, I swan"
mo Christmas at allT' quavered
Lydia. Won't we even hang up
our stockings?"
"1f you'll be %cOntented just to put
a little candy in them. Come,
Lydia, you're too big to hang up
your stocking, anyhow"
Lydia left her father and walked
over to the window. She pressed
her face against the pane and
looked back TO the lake. As she
looked, the weight on her chest
lifted. The trembling In her hands
that always came with the mention
of money, lessened. The child
even as early as this, had the
greatest gift that life bestows, the
power of deriving solace from sky
and hill and sweep of water.
Anyhow" she said to her father.
Owe still got something to look
forward to. I've got the doll house
to give baby, and Mr.. Levine al
ways gives me q book for Christ
mas
That's a good girl /" Amos gave
a relieved sigh, then went on with
his brooding over his unlighted
pipe.
And after all, this Christmas
proved to be one of the high spots
of Lydia's life. She had a joyous
oath. All the morning she spent in
the woods on the Norton farm with
her sled, cutting pine boughs. AS
she trudged back through the farm
yard, Billy Norton called to her:
ooh, Lydia!"
Lydia stopped her sled against a
drift and waited for Billy to cross
the farmyard. He was a large.
awkward boy several years older
than Lydia. He seemed a very
homely sort of person to her. yet
she liked his face. He was as fair
as Kent was dark. Kent's features
were regular and clean-cut. Billy's
were rough hewn and irregular,
and his hair and lashes were
straight and blond.
What Lydia could not at this
time appreciate was the fact that
Billy's gray eyes we're remarkable
in the clarity and steadiness of
their gaze, that his square jaw and
mobile mouth were full of fine
promise for his manhood and that
even at sixteen the framework of
his great body was magnificent.
He never had paid any attention
TO Lydia before and she was bash
full toward the older boys.
"Say, Lydia, want a brace of
duck? A lot Of them ses'ed at
Warm Springs last night I'D I've
got more than I can use
He leaned his gun against the
fence and began to separate two
birds from the bunch hanging over
his shoulder.
Lydia began to breathe quickly.
The Dudleys could not afford a spe
cial Christmas dinner.
Il don't know how could pay
YOU, Bill"
"Who wants pay?" asked Bill, in
dignantly.
81 dasn't take anything without
paying for it." returned Lydia, her
eyes still on the ducks. "But I'd
rather have those than a ship"
Billy's clear gaze wandered from
Lydia's thin little face to her
patched mittens and back again.
"Won't your father let your he
asked.
a won't let myself" replied the
title girl.
ooh" said Billy, his gray eyes
deepening. well, let me have the
~evergreens and you go back for
some more. It'll save me getting
ma hers"
With one thrust of her foot Lydia
showed The fragrant pile of boughs
into the snow. She tied the brace
of duck TO the sled and started back
toward the wood, then paused and
looked back at Billy.
"Thank you a hundred times"
she called.
ut was a. business deal. No
thanks needed" he replied.
Lydia nodded and trudsed off
The boy stood for a moment look
ing at the little figure, then he
started after her.
Lydia I'll get that load of pines
for you"
She tossed a vivid smile over her
shoulder. You will not. It's q
business deal"
And Billy turned back reluctant
~ toward the barn.
In an hour Lydia was painting up
the steps into the kitchen. Lizzie's
Joy was even more extreme than
.ydia's. She thawed the ducks out
and dressed them, after dinner,
with the two children standing SO
as at times seriously TO I'M
Dede progress.
I'm lucky" said Lydia. There
ISN'T anybody luckier than am or
has better things happen to 'em.
Won't daddy he glad"
Amos was glad. plodding sadly
home. he was greeted by three
faces il the oDen door as