Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1915-12-25 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THREE CHRISTMAS EVES.  Besides, with his large beard he might have passed for ten years over his age. So after he had eaten. we all three sat together over the fire. It was a night like this, windy and bitterly cold. Finally, the time came to retire, so I kissed thy mother good-night and she went to her chamber. " Thy father looked up at me as he sat at my feet, even as you sit now. and said : 'Mother, why are you so sad ? Soon these wars will be over, and then my father will return, and We will all be happy together.' "1 stooped over him and took his face between my hands, and kissed him on the lips. As I did so, there came the twang of a bow-string, your father gave a great gasp, and fell back. clutching at the arrow which had pierced his heart, , and died."' She ',rake down and buried her face in her arms, sobbing passionately. Raoul hastened to comfort her, and so preoccupied were both that they did not perceive the movement in the room beyond, as the door was quickly opened, and as quickly closed again. "And who was the murderer, mother?" "Wait, Raoul. I was so horror-strieken that I could not cry out, and I sat like one in a dream, till a man burst into the room, followed by John-with-the-limp. The tranger seized me roughly by the shoulders and cried: " • Cum you for a faithless harlot.. murdered him who supplanted me. shall spare for misery!' It was my husband, and thy grandfather, Raoul ! He had murdered his own son. Then 1 saw Jack-with-the-limp's face and I understood. I shrieked and tried to cling to my husband, but he pushed me roughly aside as he heard thy mother moving in tly next room. He sprang for the door and was swallowed up into the night. John lingered a m?ment. This is my revenge.' he hissed—spat on the dead body, and was gone. I swooned.There was a slight movement in the darkness behind them, hut Raoul was engrossed in the stAry, and his mother in her sorrow, so it passed unnoticed. "When I recovered I saw Isobel bending over the body of her murdered husband, imploring him to move, to speak. She never noticed when I helped her to lift him to his bed, but murmured : He is not dead ; He is not dead!' over and over again. She never once questioned me as to how he was killed ; the shock had stunned her. She never wept, even when I sent for the earl the next morning, and he came with some men and had him decently buried. To the earl I told the story, and he commanded me to keep it a secret, and forbade anyone to ask questions, but offered a reward for the capture of John-with-the-limp, and so people thought, and still think he was the culprit. Last year, before the earl died, he called me to him and told me never to tell any One. save only you, for it would but cause trouble. •' Thy mother went to bed on the day of the 'funeral and died after giving thee 'birth, * fortnight afterwards with a broken heart; yet never once did she weep. •• And I suppose I should have died also but wanted to bring you up, Raoul, and so I lived. How. I know not." She laid a weary head on her hands and sighed deeply. •' Was anything else heard of thy husband, or of John " asked Raoul. " Nay, nothing; but surely God's hand hath punished them!• she said. cannot blame my grandfather,, mother; Be acted as I thought was right ; but John!' He clenched his fists and snarled out the last words like an angry dog. "Do not look in that manner. That look was on thy father's face when he beat John, and on thy grandfather's when he murdered his son. Leave all to God.•' A figure glided out of the shadows and stood hob ind them in the firelight. They did not notice it. "But surely a man like that deserves the moat horrible death on earth—"—  I have Thee I  I  __.—....,imiJiow  tifitskstit7s', ibis.  Br. isb  rag on )n•  "And God willed it so!" sitid a deep, sad voice behind them vibrating with sorrow. CHRISTMAS AT HOME AND In Russia. Both jumped up with a start and turned a The Russian Christmas comes nearly a fornight round, the lad fiercely, the woman fearful, yet