HcrChrislmas
Pudding
l( Opened Ihe Way to an
Unexpected Pleasure
liy CLARISSA MA(KIE
i'o|>»rl*lit t»in lir AU'rlrm IV «
Aspm-tntlofi
Tied aiitigly In a round big, the
Christum* pudding bubbhil merrily In
the big pot on the uh* range Noting
llrs Hell tripped lightly to and fro
•bout the tiny kitchen, her lieurt full
of Vulettile cheer and gentle gracious
ncs' It was her first Christum* a* ll i
h u "»ifc, nnd the llttlp tint wn» spick i
•nil span with clennllwaa
Laura Itell lifted (ho pot lid HIHI
pc> red lit the fragrant pudding
"My, hut that doe* *uiell t'hrlsf
maay!" sighed Laura a* she replaced
'hf lid and proceeded to uasli the
mountainous urrny of dishes In the
sink. "I never lieiieied I could nnt!• 1
pate nn enjoyable Christinas away
from Lakeviilc nnd the home folks, but
I begin lo thing we two are t dlig to
have a lovely Mine, INCH If we lire ali
alone ill this big. strange elt.v."
That night at dinner Timothy Itell
loaned back In ills clialr nnd surveyed
the remains of his iv eilt nt meal v\ Itl
manifest approval.
"So the pudding was a success
dear?" he Inquired.
"Light II s a feather, and so spley r
Said his wife proud!}. "I'd shit t"
you, Tim, only I've tied it up again
and put it out on the fire escape to
keep cold. I shall boil It for an liout
tomorrow, just before dinner, so it wil!
lie piping hot."
"Now tills is Christmas eve. I*o you
want togo out tonight?"
"I'd like togo out and mingle with
the crowds, although my own shop
ping was finished a Week ago. it
seemed strange to prepare my gifts se
early and send them through the mail
instead of running around with them i
the way I've always done iu Lake
vllle. I rather miss the excitement ;
and fun of it all. Now, Timothy, dear, '
don't look so solemn, lteall.v I'd rath- j
er be here lu New York with you to ,
day than away out in Minnesota with
everybody else if you were not there.
"I've a miml to try it on every man, !
woman and child I meet in the corri
"A BLESSED OLD IM.'UDINQ."
dors tomorrow," said Laura daringly '
as she cleared away the meal. "What i
do you suppose they would say?"
"Probably complain to the janitor," |
grinned Timothy, gathering a pile of ,
dishes and whisking them into the |
kitchen. "Hurry up, sweetheart. Let
the dishes wait till we come home.
Oot on your tilings and let's join the
crowd. If we can't have a I.akeviilo
Christmas we'll have the New York
kind, oh?"
"Of course we will." agreed his
wife.
The Belis enjoyed their excursion j
into the shopping districts. The broad
avenues were ablaze with light anil |
color, and the moving multitudes of j
Christmas purchasers formed con- ,
stantly changing pictures thnt delight- I
ed the country bred eyes of Timothy
nnd his wife. More than once Tlmo- |
thy's hand went down into his pocket j
to add a mite to some Salvation Army j
kettle on u corner or to dispense holi- j
•lay comfort to some one whose need !
of food or warmth was apparent to \
tils observing glance. Once he and !
Laura convoyed a party of four rag- I
ged urchins into a little toyshop and
made four children radiantly happy
with simple gifts.
When they reached homo again the
clocks were striking 11 and Laura's
e£os were sparkling wj!h haioiness,
while Timothy felt a quiet satisfaction
in the pleasure the evening had brought
them. As they waited for the elevator
a young man and a cirl entered the
building and stood near them.
Timothy's keen glance noted that the
man was well dressed, but rather thin
ly clad for tlie season. His face was j
thin and pale, as if he had recently j
been 111, while his dark eyes wore a 1
brooding, discouraged expression that
was out of ':eepin<r with the spirit of
the approaching festival. The girl, who
wore n wedding ring on one slender
ungloved hand, watched him with a
pretty air of motherly anxiety. She
was a brown little thing, with hair
and eyes of a warm russet hue and a
charming face that attracted fjiura
Bell's attention.
As they glided up in the elevator
Laura found herself watching the girl
with Interest. There was a snd look
when the young man's glance was
turned away from her uplifted face,
nnd Laura noted Utile tense lines almnt
the mobile lips. The elevator stopped
•t the BeTU* floor, and as they left the
car Mrs. Bell turned with a sudden
Impulse and nodded In the friendliest
manner at the little brown girl.
"Merry Christmas!" she called.
The door slammed us the car mount
ed up, but the brown girl leaned for
ward nnd called bnck inn low, sweet
▼oice, "Merry Christmas to you!"
"I did It, Timothy," sang Ijiura as
they entered their own cozy fmt. "I
knew some of these flat dwellers were
human—even If you doubted It."
"Wrong again and glad of it—this
time," admitted Timothy as he turned
' milt Miff'tff fif
most It# doff intilfW." 4#-
etsred Mr- Mr ft, ft in* it Htw (iff •«
Shout h®r ptcfoli 112 form "Thcfc |
tr» ft thing to <1 n fiifWnffiiW Pi eft to
f' f•' the ffi'elfiMt, I""it ftp I'" (*!• Win*
<1 ml rrtoh «i>ttie VPrl"b!e«."
tmnrn noil to t'»e window that
o|Hti«l on i fife pwafte mid If
Then she Bftefed a fnlnt «hrlol» of
durnifiy mill turned to her hit*h'ifni
"It » gone''* she cried dramatically
I "What the pudding ■" Timothy ap
I prnached the wltnlow nnd made scare,
fill examination of the Impromptu re
frtperstor Nothing lo re; n»t n blsmcd
pudding of nn» kind," he reported
fon didn't bring It Inside nnd
forget about It?"
I.llirn opened the pantry door snd
revested Its eiiplwmrd like Interior.
There Here the plump thicken mid the
dell.-ntely tinted celery mid the > rim
son crnnlierry sauce mid bowl of fruit,
but there was no sign of tlinf snugly
bn'-'tred plmil pudding that was lols» the
i lief d'oeiivre of the l lirHtituis feast.
The hour that followed t*i-« an ot
' Iting one for tlie Metis. They searched
high mid tow, lu the most Impossible
place", for the delectable pudding that
l,aurti had made, but In vain. At last
Timothy « 'tit down to the basement
nnd consulteil the genial Jiitiltor. who
llsteniil with Intel i t io his tnle of
wop. but offered no sol e e.
It w is after 7 o'clock on t'hrlsim.is
morning when l.aiira was awakened
by a ringing of the hall bell. Throw-
Inrr on n warm wrapper anil thrusting
her feel Into fair? slippers, she Im •
'e led Into file |ia"l'o« hall, careful not
to disturb her sleeping hu- bund.
Laura opened the door the merest
crack and peered ltH|tiiMtively throi, a
What she w cuii -eil her to throw the
door open with cordial ho.-pitailtj
">lcrrj Christmas! Come in, do!"
she said to the little brown girl who ;
SIIHHI there, looking rather pa! • nnd
frightened.
•l or iust n monieiit. 'I le r • «m »•
thing I must explain." r ullppcd i:i- i
j side and sank Int < • the chair Unit I. <u- !
ra olTered. I know you will think it j
j strange Hint I have come, a perfect !
stranger, but the janitor said ymi had !
' lost a pudding."
"1 have. Hill voit find it?" cried '
I.nuni eagerly. "It's the greatest mys- '
| tery what has become of it."
j The girl smiled sadly, and a flush !
I reddened her cheek for a brief in- |
| stunt and was gone. "I shall have to !
\ tell you about ourselves." she Mild, ;
( with iligutt.i. "so that you will under- |
stand Why we have eaten half of j
; your pudding. We're nil alone, bo ii |
! of us. and we've lind bad luck ever ■
, since we were married. In September ;
i Paul was taken down with typhoid i
fever and lost his position as book- ;
keeper. He's just aide to get around i
i now and look fir work, and he hasn't
been at all successful. Tilings have
been going from bad to worse, and
we're going to move out the first of
the year. We've been running low for
a long time, nnd the last two days
we haven't had much to eat, so there
just milk or something like that. To
j night before we went out the dumb
waiter whistle sounded, ami when I
j opened the slide there was our bottle
of milk, with a plum pudding in a bag. [
"I thought—honestly 1 did- that sume
! body had sent it up to us. though
i we're not acquainted with a soul here,
: and so I heated it up, and we ate half
of It, It was lovely. A little while
ago the janitor came and inquired if
we'd seen a plum pudding, so I came
right down to tell you, as Paul is
asleep. I don't know what to say to
you."
"Ilon't you dare say another word
about that pudding," commanded Lau
ra. "If you only knew how lonesome
wo are today you and your husband
would come down and spend the day
with us. We were wishing we knew
somebody in the house here to ask.
I'm so thankful about that pudding.
Wlr\ If I hadn't put It in the dumb
waiier Instead of the tire escape (I'm
very absentiuinded when I'm busy)
you would never have received it.and
wo might never have been acquainted.
Isn't it a blessed old pudding?"
These two lonely young women hug
ged each other delightedly, and after
ward Laura went to arouse Timothy
that he might accompany her to the
floor above, where tlie I'.obinsons lived,
and add his persuasions to bear
against the pride of Mr. Paul Robin
son.
"You might find a position for him
in the office, Timothy," suggested his
wife hopefully.
"I think that will tie easy." prom- i
Iscd Mr. Bell.
It was a merry little gather; j that
did justice to I.aUl'iljs Christinas d]n
nor The tragedy that was beneath
the eating of half the pudding was
quite forgotten In the joy of the pres
ent and the hopeful outlook for the
future. When the day was over and
the Robinsons had returned to their
rooms, cheered in mind ami purse by
Timothy's delicately proffered gener
osity, Laura slipped her hand in her
husband's arm and leaned her head
against him, saying:
"It's been different from any Christ
inas I ever spent Timothy, and I've
been wondering what might have hap
pened to them if that blessed pudding
hadn't opened the way."
Chihuahua Dogs.
The true Chihuahua breed i.-> tht
■■mallest race of dogs in the world.
They .ire also tlie most highly strung,
sensitive and valiant of their kind.
Their sense of sound, sight and smell
Is developed to a marvelous degree,
and they have a bark which would r've
supreme übove the noises of a boi.'ot
shop. A strange step sets one of the
little lmlr trigger animals into a frenzy
of ear splitting rage, and yet they ari
so keenly intelligent thill they can dis
tinguish between friend and foe al
most nt first sight, sound or whiff
Long before the duller senses of man
can detect a foreign presence tliesi
little marvels of nerve force will have
"sized up" the intruder, and if not
satisfied that all is well their staccato
warning will wake the echoes.—Los
Not at All Necessary.
"What was the cause of the quarrel
with your husband?"
"I want you to understand, judge,
that when we want to fight we don't
have to have a cause."—New York
I'ress.
A sip Is the most thnt mortals are
permitted from any goblet of delight.—
Aleott
i; LITTLE MERRY ;
j! CHRISTMAS ;!
'l Itnw ii Will'« (.rfrtlni Mvfd V
]| Mlnrk C«r<lnn'4 1.1 ft ( l
Ji h» tiioiror 11mi ihi mi Wai ail
I ftwUM MM I Ii • MfM
I 1 A ' • " ( I
"M»-rry Ctiflaltnas!"
"lltih! What's •#»»»r
The gruff vol c fook *ome of ♦ H«*
enthusiasm "11 112 of • li»« clilldhh trebtp.
and II faltered somewhnt weakly In
repetition
"Merry Chftstma*. sir'"
The big bearded man stared nf the
diminutive speaker and for mi lu
ntntit Ihf linrd drnwti lines mi lh>"
heavy face threatened to reins, Iml a
moment Inter n *|ia*m n* of pain *hot
IcrnM It, mill the voire grumbled
"There l«n*t nnj merry t'hrlstma*
not In thl« worlil! Whoever taught
jr. II mull an Idea? Ilnli! Merry
Chiisttnns! I haten't si • n "iie for
forty j ea r«, ll i'ii"
The little white. drawn fn e lind an
Intense appeal to It, hilt It fell ll|K>n
H hard, KII iiv twtiire The forty years
of liliril life hill! llrli'il ll|i the well
springs of sympathy, and the gruff
miner stumbled nwiiy, h avltig the Imy
Ii tliitte wltlifn* to one of the tftlgcdlcs
of life.
A few minutes later the rhtlil turned
i>ml walk-d In the oppiwite direction.
There were no lenin In the wondering
. int !!■ • i' 'ip'.i e i» .•! '
TKKUR WAH A 1.1 ITLIS CUV OF KX.L'I.IATION.
Ed sorrow of a wounded animal. Twice
the little logs halted as If too weal;
to carry the slight body, and once the
boy dropped on a fallen log and stared
ahead of him.
It was unlike any Christinas the
child had ever before experienced.
Christmas had always been ushered
In by snow, sleet, rain or cold north
winds, but in this strange new land
the flowers were in bloom In the dead
of winter, and northern birds warbled
and cooed from nearly every leafy
bower. It was hard to realize that
In the faraway northern city the land
was wrapped in the icy embrace of
the frost king. A little pang of dis
appointment crept into his heart, and
unconsciously he sighed for the old
familiar scenes.
"Black" Carston stumbled down th"
slope of the hillside after leaving the
boy, a growing anger and rage disturb
ing his mind. lie was in no mood ''.at
morning to have the festive season of
the year recalled to him Only the
night before the sluice which lie had
constructed had been washed away
by a mountain torrent and tilled v. h
loosened stones r. :i(l huge bowlders. Ii
was only one of a long series of accl
dents which had followed his nil
lucky ventures, and at first he had no
copied it philosophically.
Hut the piping voice of the child had
made his ill luck more acute. "Merry
Christinas!" He muttered the words
umler his breath and kicked viciously
at tlie loose stones When he came to
the wrecked sluice lie glared nt It sav
agely and finally sneered:
"Well, what's the odds? There's no
gold here anyway not a cent's worth
—and I've only got the disappoint
ment a littie earlier than I expected.
I'll pull out tonight and make another
try over at Copper creek."
Then, with a grin: "And that young
ster wished me a merry Christmas!
Huh. what a foolish kid he is!"
The man dropped moodily on a rock
and refilled Ills pipe. He sat there a
lonj; time smoking. Somehow his
thoughts drifto l away from the scarred
mountainside, and in- forgot the work
ahead of him. His di-orguiiixed camp
lay around unheeded. If any emotion
stirred within him it was manifested
only by quicker putts from his black
pipe.
It was I'iir ' l.tas <1 i. Chri-tnias in
the great mining region where "Black"
Carston had worked and tolled for
years without appreciable result. The
calendar had ceased to hold any mean
Ing for hin\ and Christmas was an mi
known holiday to him. He didn't
know, and lie didn't care, whether it
was Christ mas or Memorial day. i>nc
«luy was like all others to him.
But the merry greeting of the stray
child from the east had impressed it
upon his mind that others In the
great world of work and trouble still
held to the observances of holidays
He knew little of the boy's history -
Just a few snatches of rumor that had
reached him. A poor little derelict
of a great city, crushed and worn out
prematurely by disease and environ
ments, the child had been rescued by
some charitable society and sent west
to find new health and strength In the
more congenial climate.
Why had the boy selected this morn
lng to greet him with words that
seemed to drive the Iron deeper into
his soul? "Merry Christmas! Hull!
There was no merry Christmas in this
world—not for such outcasts!"
For an hour the man was absorbed
In strangely perplexing thoughts. Then
he rose slowly and picked up his few
belongings. He threw them into a
I'lcl'in! vlHnnOv I'
' |»« 112 mul 112» i t r.rti|Hine||.i»> f „t i t
tfrtfll'V#
t'p III.' Iwml nf Ihe tltllih »hoi
Hie lw«'i»»((iIn I'irrent nf lh»* nltfltt I •
frtfr* h i! 11l »'*l lb' l Ihihlilp > Bli'
Wll-Pfl nttl lll» rultiti be 112 ll ■ft
hi* |M< imi half M*Kml Ni ii iiri* tie
fe«i iff-1 i| from lltf din nnd utntet
•nd i« n fmrtfiiß llnn l nl Ihe rtn •(
fm It* nlil<ii hut d< Hii| I- n be *ttn
the linplMM' lit dei'p Into llwlf »lil«-«
The |>l' It cftt«h«*l Mifmiiih the «Ml < 112
the r™ ke #'» e *ily Hint the man *!
utirl lo»| hl« b'llitie#
I "Merry ChH«' •• i«. eh"' he urnnied
| "Merry rhrteiinn*'"
He wlllnli* w ihe pi# k nnd stnrteil I
walk awtiy * siigtot me/Inn #>f r :
fmm ihe wnf fsu*i-d by his pick at
j tm> ted bis nft«'nl|on fie fttr#*«l nt II j
' «nd then me»-h«nlcnlly slivhh-.) in ex :
smlne ihe gmvel nml splintered r#» I
With n little g««p of surprise he «rith
»r<*l Mbotber hsndfttl sml sprend the
pl#* es mil nn his rough pulm Three
limes he dim lip till lie cmild h"ld In
nne palm and repentisl Ihe opetalloii
Stlddenli n fierce tlirlit shot Into hl«
eyi's. nnd his fsce ii" -timed the et rer.
frosty |o#ik #tf n wild animal on tin 1
seen lof *lllll#* helpless pre\ lie drop i
po«l nn Itnttds nnd knees nnd dug at lit.
•and nnd rock until the blnnl seep#"l ;
from scarred fltnrers nml dyed the 1
rn. ks lie was for all the world a
wlli! lM*;t«l (<• iritej and rending a blimil
less Vielltn t'i death.
Again and again he in ltl the sample
close in his <o i*s and ea# h lime gruiit I ,
with satNfnetlnn lie out •>
1 ihe koto and at' i M ike roH
his heavy miner** pick. The I I >ws
I fell with shaqi, metallic sounds; lint i
, unmindful of the noise, the mi '
| worltod feverl»hl> and stuliliornly at !
the ev ivai l 'ii ft
was m ec| of , n> all ,
The man held within his hand a sin
pie of dull yellowish rock thai si-ni the i
j lilisid coursing rapidly through hi
reins. The freshet of the nlffllt ha I
I uncart he i a vein of gold \\ hieh proitt
I Iscd to bring true till Ids \ Islnns of tlie i
I past.
! D'vper anfl deeper Into the bowels of 1
the earth lie ilnir, following the course
I of the vein and irrittifintr his satisfac
| tlon al each fresh discovery. Had he
j not been carried away by bis greed an I
excitement he would have hesitate I
! and withdrawn from his perilous po--l
j tlon. His expert knowledge of mining
! would have told him that lie was court
| lug a terrible danger.
I Hut the good fortune which had come
j to him afler forty years of disappoint
1 ment made lilin temporarily crazy, and
i he forgot everything <'xcept th<» gold
I which lie was unearthing. Then a stn!
i den blow from his pick loosened a tor
| rent of sand, and the rocks above hi
| head groaned and settled down.
Carston was Instantly alert and real i
| ized In a flash his danger, lie sprang
j back toward the month of the opening.
• leaving his pick and samples of gold
! behind. Mul the avalanche of rocks !
| and dirt was too quick for him. It
j fell around and over him until the light '
I of day was shut from view. A heavy
! bowlder rolled over on ills leg and pin
i loned him to the soft sand,
j Tin- roar of the descending avalanche
j subsided, nnd the miner drew n decp
! er breath when he realized that nil
- Immediate danger was passed An '
i overhanging ledge had partly protect j
| cd him, and lie had a space of a few j
. feet In which to breathe and move.
] The wall of loose stones and rocks ■
j conid not be very thick, for he saw j
| glimmers of light shining through.
But when he attempted to extricate
! himself from the prison lie found that
! n worse fate had befallen him than
1 he Imagined. Ills right leg was crush
! Ed and held In a viselike grip by a
j huge bowlder that had settled down ;
| on him.
In vain he tried to move the rock J
I and pull his leg free. But the bowl- j
j dcr was Immovable, and the cxcruclut
j lng pain made Idm faint, sick. For
hours lie tore at the sand and gravel
at his feet and snapped and snarled
i at the rock which held him a prisoner.
Then, faint and exhausted, he lay
back and rested. The pain grew past
endurance, and unconsciousness merci
fully relieved him. When his senses
returned he renewed the struggle, but
with the same ho|H»less effort His
j prison was located far tip on the niotin
| tain side where no human creature
I would be likely to stray for weeks or
J months at a time.
"Black" Carston was a man of Iron
| will nnd rugired constitution, and lie
! did not yield easily to despair. Dur
j lng the long hours of the day he
, fought and struggled with almost su
j perhutnan I'ffort. Then the pain, loss !
j of blood and exhaustion broke his
' lii-'rJi, ,\Vi;U u ISttU • b Uu droi'UA'd
| ills head back on the rucks and ro
j signed himself to his fate.
| "So this is Christmas day! Merry
I Christmas, eh!"
| The child's tnornlnc greeting had I
clung to Ills mind, and it sprang to :
| his lips unbidden again and again, j
Tljpii his thoughts wandered, and he ]
| muttered over in Ills troubled dreams: \
j "Merry Christmas, merry Christmas!
Ha, ha! Merry Christinas, yoting-
I ster!"
i In his agony he rolled over and 1
j wrenched the tortured limb until relief ;
j tame again through sheer exhnustlon.
"on. ARP. YOU AI.IVE?"
During the few lucid momenta of
mind Carston tried to think connected
ly and plan for some t.ielhod of escape,
but his strength was unequal to It.
Homan nature yielded gradually to
the t-train The wukiim. lucid moments
Rfi-rv Pt *i|.| 111 IIMUI itt|,*if«ii Mi*
iftiful i< *n>l< >#vt ~ ipf tti<- fm«t lie
kW »mt '*(IM i«i Hi* «b«|i \i il>r<oo
'' ■ nf-mh", i
112" r'it hi« I'litHm ni-nt in ••Hint in
♦hem
t lien fftn tr >t ■ >nrri in!| h'*
•ft'l ht I, I . i>« nli cit «.i..ihinl hi*
mlml l!i t«. nil Mtifln* ihe r*
tmin Mn» iii »rTi. t iiini m* ftni tftn*
morn in* ' Unt dixivp mi tv»*- other* n
rtilldl'fc vnl< e *-iftl Hp «n* In' htirrli
lb#- \ nice wn* that #«f * child i>f nf
an nittrcl, i r»l in cmi i| n»l ' 4 which
"I wl«h fit n merry Christmas' I
wl*h )nti n ttt«rry Chrlnlmsa' 1 »t«h
yon n merry. merry, merry, merry rtre
ry iliri«tms«!"
Alfnmt itn#-<m«ieloii.lr the innn'« fw
framed (li« nurd* and r> |« 'iled "a m*r
ry, merry rhrl«imn<"' li wan r«r ft**
a merry Christmas in him lyln#
imprl mted in the r>« li». with im» t«*.
cm«hoil. Imi hi- Wii* past physical jw.n'
hn« mill It win only the tnl'iil which
tnnk coumlKattce nf Min world nh'Sit
Thru the hlnh. piping voir* changed
It witinl lo e#mte from n creator dl«
tanee. vague. -hadowr mid nlnm t In
fimlll■'«. i 'arsiini strained Ill* i-m* It
win nil mil Fit mil In r H»IN». nod the
word* stirred n responsive chord In
llilll:
"Oi oU n<»* on I'hriotma* m-.rnlnit'
»h. ,h1.,1,,.n
Chrl i inn burn In llethlchetn
Ami I* living n< w Mini here."
Tim voice nml song trailed off until
Inst entirely In tin- car. Winn • ilelne
fill iil'iiuiiil I lit* man wmticly Winnli'nil
If till* were death. 11l- (mil often
thought of death. lie had mi 'l'll It In *n
iiiiinj iliiii'ii ni form* that tin- fi-nr of
It had M ilium disturbed him. Now ho
dreaded Ii no; wished for It, fur the
l»nin wns past endurance, nml iheif
«•* no release from Ii . prison.
lie seemed to wait and listen cn«erly
for the song again. but nil wns sllem e
nroiiml. A ureal ilrearj bhittk drifted
ncross his liiiiul, and lie will Ulieoil-
M'liiits of |>.l;ti or Mllf.Tlnß. Ilnw lons
tlii< stupor la-ted he eoiild 110 l My, lint
when cinmeioimni'Kn returned niraln an
nffonlzint; pain hliol through his lei;
i""l iioil.v. lie irrnnned mid tried to
>T~. ..'"ir.s po T;!oti.
Then close to his lips n little KobbitlK
voiee ' rled out. "(ill. are ,\"ii allveV I
thought 1 was too late. Wait a minute
and I will pet I lie leg free."
II was dark nil nround. but Ciirstoti,
lookini: lip, saw stars shining over
head. They en me thrnuKh a iiiu hole
la llie wall of rocks. I lis leg was so
11 uiii 1 > tiial feeling was nearly gone,
but lie was cons ions of little hands
and tearing at the dirt beneath
the crushed limb. Then suddenl;. a
weight was lifted from It and
the little sobbing voice said
"Now pull \. iili me."
How tin? little hands worked the dirt
and rm ks leose from the bowlder and
how the two of them strained and
pulled to extricate the man's body
friitn the deal It Irap Carston could
never clearly understand, but after an
hour of agony lie felt himself lying on
the surface of the earth with a little,
slim, slender creature by his side,
gasping and panting from exertion.
Tiny drops of moisture trickled on
Carston's face, hut they were blood
from lacerated hands and not tears
The little solis were dry and tearless.
Carston swooned again in spite of
his heroic will lo light back the weak
ness. In the interval the stars shone
down upon him in their cold, hard
blilllauce, and the soft, cool air tilled
Ids panting lungs with healing
strength.
They carried the man to the uearest
mining camp and gave him such med
ical attendance ns he needed. After a
week of fever and delirium Carston's
strong constitution brought him
through successfully. Ills llrst thought
was of the i iilid who had rescued him
"Bring that merry Christmas young
ster to me!" he almost shouted.
"Where Is he? Don't keep me wail
itig"
Itugged old Carston, black bv mime
and character, flung his arms nround
the slender neck and. wiih a great sch
In his vole, cried: "Merry, merry
QUdIUAOaI -V met r;- Chsl«tmn», young
uter, and <ic«l bleu* you!"
Itut even then he did not know lint
his faint "Merry Christina:-.;" uttered
in Ills feverish dreams when Impris
oned In the rocks had llrst . ttu 'il
the little singer's attention aid vas
responsible for Ills rescue Tli it was
long ago. and Carston now celebrates
the Christmas season with religious
r.eal and ceromony. and there Is al
ways a little "Merrj Christmas'' to
help him. for nothing could satisfy hltn
but to nickname his rescuer "Merry
Christmas."
How Far Can You See?
What Is the farthest limit to which
the human vision can reach? Power
In Ills book, "The liye and Sight," gives
the ability to see the star Alcor. situat
ed nt the tail of the Great Bear, a*
the lest. Indeed, the Arabs call it
the test star. It is most exceptional
to be able to see Jupiter's satellites
with the linked eye, though one or two
cases are recorded, the third satellite
being the most distinct. Peruvians are
said to be the longest sighted race on
earth. Ilutnboldt records a case where
these Indians perceived a human lig
ure eighteen miles away, being able
to recognize that It was human and
clad In white. This Is probably the
record for far sight.
Probably He Wouldn't.
A country rector, coming up to
preach at Oxford in his turn, complain-*
ed to I »r. Ilouth, the venerable prlncl- .
pal, that the remuneration was very
Inadequate, considering the traveling j
expenses and the labor necessary for
tiie composition of the discourse.
"How much did they give yon?" In
quired l»r. Ilouth.
"Only £5." was the reply.
"Only £"i?" repeated the doctor. I
"Why, I would not have preached tlint
sermon for fifty!"—Brlc-a-Itrac.
Hens' Teeth.
"Your composition, ns a whole," said i
the professor of literature, "deserves
a great deal of praise, but I must oh- j
Jeet to the expression, 'as tine as hens" j
teeth;' it is not merely uncouth, but i
also suggestive of nature faking, for
It is cotntnou knowledge that hens'
teeth do not exist."
"I do not see why they don't exist,"
muttered the composer. "Don't combs
have teeth, and don't hens have
combs ?"—C h lea go News.
Patience, persistence and power to ;
ilo nre only in quired by work.—Hoi- J
land.
LEMONS,
k Slanq Etprps*ion I pari* to a
Serious Dlitnrier.
■r CLAMI6SA MACRIK.
p'»f!»n*iit, I'Hi ht Amertmtt t'ir- A*i«
« Mii.<n |
Am) WlnilrM n-ri nil tl«» tdi i>
fcilh n I'MtSiwl ftn*H, nml thl* mn
imieiil *n» not en I tt; ti leit t IIK
MK< >••»»»«• ti» •»(>?•«» »nAnv in |
»•
Why nhoiihl her luver mud an u
Inp of Hits ellnms fruit? Ami ult.i
should he IMIJ ' tlomlby," ntnl WIH IP
was tie (.niitg?
All these «|Uixt tram Amy ti -k• •• I n(
the empty nlr, nml the elnpti tilt in i.■.
ho rpvpotino Btie Si|iipi-rpit tlip IUIKI.I , •
Itltn « Mn> Ixitl ntnl tossed II Into Ihe
t\nste pn|M<r l«anket Ju l as her v 1 1"'-
broitu-r piitpred the Itlirnr\
Sin.rt nml Do kxpt nml «nuti no ■ '
and m uliliy wn* little Itcrt \\ Inlt-' i
but be fairly MSMIHSI filth the «l. Ire In
Impart ktn»w listire of every desi riptloii.
nmt his foil lit aI II of wtmlom wns pi"'
pelustly saniliPil from the various
forms nf literature tint found tholi
soun-e In the dlscariled bont.s nn I
maga tups that he tishcil ft>»m itm II
brary WIIHIP pa(ier basket.
Amy In iked up now with her plea
ant stripe, "t'olng anyMipre near the
station today, llert?"
"Nope." returned the seeker nfier
knowlislrc "1 may po t'iini>rrov
Hioitph. Why?" tie iltoppisl on Ms
knis-s beside Hie table and proped In
the waste paper basket.
"I'm expertitijt n box or a crate or
somethlii -. I don't tut knov. what."
"What's in tt V" dpmamled llert, with
a brother's privilege,
"I.enions," returned Amy.
••Lemons?" repeated Itcrt "Wli- '
nre yon potng to do with letnon*-
Soitielioily been handing von a tennm'
tie askinl. rev i'rtinjf to common slang
"I don't know vviiat you mean." n
piled tils sister with dignity •'lttrr
some one litis sent me a l">x of lemoin
and"—
"It was Tisldy Newton." de<'larrsl
llert, spreading out tlie crumpled ••ele
pram on his knee. "Ain't lie tin*
limit?"
"Say 'ls he not' instead of •ain't.""
corrected Amy, "and how do yon innnv
feddy sent them?"
"Is lie liot?" repeated llert obedient
ly. "And fin reading the telegram, and
\
v>six\\
S V
CALLL.D TTTE 800 lIY KAMI,
ttmt's how I know. Say, lie's fierce.
Amy. ain't he—is he not—l mean?"
"I think it is very thoughtful In Tod
to send down lemons," said Amy cold
i,v. "He knows we are alt fond of
lemonade."
"Ah h!" stiorNsl llert scornfu l;
"I»on't you sop any other meaning Iti
that lues-.age. Amy? Why. lie's ghi.ig
you the stial c don't you see?"
"llert Winlield. what do you mean?
1 shall tell fattier what you have said!"
cried Amy indignantly.
"Tell liini." retorted llert gloomily.
"What did you mean about the lem
ons, Itcrt V" insisted his sister uneasily.
'I must explain almitt what •handli:--
the lemon' menus," returned Itcrt di
dactically. "It's a ipilet way of telling
a feller you have no use for him. You
see. Teddy says lie's sending lemons
by express that means he's shaking
you at once, right away iu a hurry •
and don't he say goodby? You're
slow."
Slowly Amy gathered the conviction
that her little brother was ripht. Her
lmibtlnjt U.:art tuiii. Ucc iU;»t..T."d 1
be tired of tier. They had quarreled
little the last time he had en 1 Uml. ami
she hail not heard from hint since. II"
was tired of her. and this cool, con
temptuous way of dismissing their
beautiful romance turned ait her ten
der love to bitterness.
The next day llert returned from ih;>
express otlice with the < heerful an
nouncement that there were no lemons
awaiting Ills sister.
Several days -a week passed, ami
no lemons arrived for Amy Wltifield.
and so the dread conviction that v !i"
had been JUted came to lie an estab
lished fact.
Then It was that Amy went around
looking very pale and wan and. path
erinp one by one the treasures that
she had cherished as pifts from Ii >r
lover, bundled them together and sent
them back to Teddy Newton with 1
telegram as brief as tils own and |v:
tlieHcally Imitative
6rn>ltnp lemons by exprrsn AMT.
About tliis time little Bert Wtnfield
came into possession of a dog. the
handsomest bit of cauiue blood and
flesh that one might see- an Irish bull,
pure white, with yellow spots and a
kindly, ugly face and protruding eyes
of faithful brown.
"isn't he the dearest?" murmured
Amy. kneeling before the dog and sub
mit! tag to the caresses of his velvet
pink tongue. "Where did you get him,
Bert?"
"Uncle Abe gave him to me. Sayr
he bought him off the express agent iti
Traytnorc. He's my birthday present.
I did want n collie, you know. Amy.
but I suppose Uncle Abe did the best
he could. Uer'inns this limp r..n.»-
' WwS I" H mNM »#i r1" *<M H<<H
- htinllt "< limM tilm Mil * 'I llvii lh»
»a*t | Hl#- |n< * trlmp Iti Nu t*« m<
book "
'■ * crimp v ir« tiili' Awl i*
"\ hut Is Hint llitl IIHI
Shut#
"t'm hW*' frl ifto rt tti-rt \IMI
•hull I inniK tht-O 'H \rnjl I th nwiit
Holm- of » fiiittty titio lnl*t* W fcut ft*
><ni think t'
" Win ' 112 i p»«l Ml** Win
field I <l l - nil Hit) I f'flMil lull 1»
I name hlln »hcf T«Mf NmMl"
"Alt li fmrnirtl H<-i i dlstfwMrdtfi
"I nii'dtil dtipf T<shlj Mtmwvpli
j "Uttm .1 want »■< nam* •< dog nftee
I Teddy NefHnn*"
"IVrliii|» hf im* • rottm* dpnr." *u*
e<"t'il A<ii> "ttsvi* y«m trtod calling
| him by whim- names?"
• Snro* I've . atipit him l-'lrtn mi 4
I inn nmt n«i am! Drann nml t*o»r
in«l pi iii fiid I in# Twt, unit iir »nnl
I cmne mi n h» *pi« mid* lli> must
i haven mini' i>f mttnr kind I'm iNll|
in begin to nill hlni Ti*lt< If \I>I»
1 don't ntlfnf ton inn h, »(«,*" hp ml • list
ninmnnimoii'lv
"i'nil Mm anything ymi tike. deaf."
milil \im «idtj. nmi vr»n.pfhin ß tn hi*
tulip notw| ftpii li* > nil emit ton
"I M ill > nil him Trstdv after nnv
> hndy, 1 fin nl« amt*>tv Mini wilt
m>nd lemons ton rlri and ilo II h.v tele
•tram U'*ll iN nil, «|r iliinn, | say!
| T.n- k it* him. •!«:-
T' p dug HI ltiii ptai fully over hi*
HI HP master. «ii res -it him with iiiin
Ullll fntv l|#> ami hived Mm Wtltl Soft
brown I'jr- "I'll i 'l him Uup for
awht'e." •- •! fjprf ami flip ninilpr
tit« settle !
A n" 112, i* • t * m fti'Hvnl II mil her
it1*«Tlll»»* III'- tch rnl» from linr or«t-
Wh(le li»vpr
Whv nf • i ' • -ns** Th.vt';|if IP jilptiup
; yo«. IKK.
Tn wi i'i Mi Winffctd pave milch
thought. inntiv bitter to im nml the fnl
to wine IncM rcpty:
K'-Hmi'il n>> own 1.-m •«in mi ; Am
much frfpnstHi AMY.
\inl in till'" time • iiiip HIP following
I message:
l.otm n-- iiAt n IvM Ii datr Chrtnc*
jrour mini) aixl kcvp. TKI>.
Its ii'|il,v. "lipi'isjon irti'viii-nlilii;
cuinllij Amy." liroupht forth mip uioro
liippnim from Mr. NYwton. nml ii lio
spoke Hint cpiillpninu's niiisli-rfnl ills
position:
N»> ilfi i ion llrovoi iIOP hi it" u-n art
concerned W alt till IM. e you. TKD.
"The luip»>riliH>mv:" caspoil Amy In
' diennntly. "1 shall not sti> htui If lie
OOIIIPN ! Aflor Jlltlnc mo in that lioart
less ninntiiT. to miitoavor to ignore ihft,
: matter nml make it up never, never
! never!**
That same ila.v Miss Winlletil
eriveil mi express package ciiiitaiiiinit
tlio objects she liail IIHI i lei I to Mr.
Newton all the books ami music and
the etipiponiont rini» and even the
lore letters, which any man mtpht
hare been excused from retrtevlnp
! wtien the opportunity offered. Rut
| Tciiily was si|tiarp iu smne ihincs.
Amy rrad«injtly egeeed, and so she
I put the treasures away with a little
decree of comfort, for these latter
weeks bail lieen full of storm and
stress and very dilTerent from those
I earlier, happier weeks of her ensrajro
| tuent.
j Then one evenltiß when the first
frost lay sparkling on the parden Amy,
wrapped in shnwls. stood at llie pate
entranced with tli- witchery of the
moonlight. She was there when Mr.
! Tidily Newton stride up tn the pate
j and in his masterful way took her In
■ his arms and kissed away her pro
| tests.
"What is the mailer «ith you. dear
| est? Wu've had me half crazy. 1
i lusi stole the i line to run down and
, try to square our uiisunderstaudins.
Surely you di n i harlHir aimer over
j that little quarrel"-
"What maili- you hand me the leiu
i ons'" sobbed Amy In ills bosiiui. while
j Mr. Newton «-ast iiis cyi-s aloft In
amnxeme-it.
' "Iland you ih*' ieunm> . Kxplain.
Tell uie all about ii. There is some
mistake." he SIHUIIIHI her And so she
told the story of the teh'-rains and
the elucidation of that wiscarre. llert.
i aud when hitd COUCIIUKhI Mr. N.nv
| tou burst Into such a roar of laughter
| that once more his sweetheart was in
dtpnaut.
"Let me explain—there. After our
ijuarrel l wanted to send a peace offer- >
| Inir, and so I bought you the best dog
| 1 could flud—l.emoiis by name. If you
; please. Sent him down by express
and by a series of accidents have dis
covered that lie \M iii astray tag gone ,
! from crate-niul fetched up at Tray
j more station. Tin- agent kept hltn
I awhile and. bii;> _. 112 tittl'-i iiatit.n'. [
| sold htm to your TTnvte AI>C. who pre i
! sented him to llert tin- little rascal!*
; He'll lose the pup. Amy. for he Is 1
i yours Ittdu't you get the letter I sent'
| lief •re the telegram V"
| "Never." said Amy
I "It's ended alt right, anyway." poni-
I mented Mr Newt.-n philosophically.
| "Just to prove that !iis name is t.eni-
I eus" lie vrli'stlcd -'i t ;.ly ami < allvd |
the dog by name
There was a scurrying of little feet
on the gravel path and the bull pup
flushed upon them and into their mu
tual embrace.
:oMom p j
A Reliable
TO SHOP
rot all klnol of Tin Roofing
Spoutlnc nnd Conorol
Job Work.
Storos, Hoators. Ranatoo,
Fumaoos. oto-
PRICES TAB LOWEST!
UNLIT! TBBIBST*
»i
JOHN HIXSOJV
SO. 1W E. FRONT ST.