Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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(Copyright.) 0 MIbb Pattella Fen way the /lurry of Christmas Bnos. was not beautiful! a b b h e li u r r I o (1 through deepening twilight. ThOUgh &OB8CBB Ing a cortatu dlB tlnctlve air, her coat waB pitifully thin and Inude quate. Though neat ly blackened, hei hIioub leaked Und nhe woro no rub berv. It 1b Binall wonuer mac mo Hiorm seemed morel IfiHH and cold. Hut when Mho turned In at the big stono gateway, her shoulders Straightened proudly. "Tho old Fon way place," alio mur mured, glancing about tho gloomy, un kept grounds, "and I am tho luut of tho Fenways." "If you woro not it would go hard with them," (ntorjoctod that other hall of MIsb Fenway's nature that was always ridiculing her Fenway pride "Unless," with malicious emphasis, "thoy chancod to bo also impervious to cold and hunger I" Miss Fanella's lips trembled aa sh? unlocked the great front door? upoti no Condition did alio ever leave 01 enter thu houso by any of its othei numerous entrances. She lighted the small oil lampB thai stood on tho marblo top of the hall buffet, placed her coat and hat on th* carved rack, and poered closely intc the great mirror. "Tomorrow Is Christmas, and youi birthday," she whispered accusingly "and ? no ono has remombored it! Not ono of your old friends! Yov aro alone." "Of course, I am alonb," spoko the Fenway prldo complacently. "Who Is "I Have Dreamed of You Sitting Hero." thoro In Whalen that I caro for? All the old families with whom we asso elated are gone. It is my misfortune that I am loft alonp In the old house." "Why need you be alone? There are people all about you, common - people to be sure, but kindly and good. And there Is ? Nelson Travers!" "A common farmer!" Miss Fanella could almost believe she heard a real volco In the old hall with all the Fenway pride and scorn In it, a voice alarmingly like her state ly mother's. "It has betfn settled theso .fifteen years," she said, picking up the little lamp wearily. "Why must it be gone over again every Christmas?" Through the great cold rooms the light moved dimly, until slio entered what had been the butler's pantry In the old regime. Here a small stove diffused a half-hearted sort of warmth, and a little, table and a leather chair were drawn close. "Here'dwelleth the Inst of the Fen ways," she said derisively. "Yet too aristocratic to associate with ordi nary mortals!" From her worn leather hag she drew a letter she had found awaiting l?er at the postotflce. There were few persons using such stationery who still remembered to write to her. ' "Dear Miss Fenway?" she read, "are you e till alone at the old place? If so, why can you not come with me to Japan this winter, and help me with the children? Thoro will bo no _one in our party but ourselves. Plenso let me know by the first of January." There followed a page of details. The letter was signed by an old school lit . lin? Hi- ' financier MIm ranelia'e itHrtd treulbnU H$r face wa? drawn and white, "A utirae maid." ibe motot 0 at i??t bitterly, "a oominon nurae maid! 8he pu?. It kindly, and It l? kind of her to tblnk of mo la my destitution, but that In what It means. Yet, isn't It batter (bun cold and lonelineBM and Hiarvatlpu? I'm tired of being dif ferent from other people. I'll try be I hk ## common aw the commonest for a while." Huddenly the great bell pealed through the redounding old room*. She lifted the little lamp in wonder ment arid threaded her way agalu through the icy gloom. > No trades people called at the house, and cer tainly not at the big front doorj And generations of superiority had taught the neighbors the futility of calling at the Fenway portals. Nelson T ravers stood. In the porch, the big white flakes heaped upon his broad shoulders. "Good evening. Fanella," he said as If he had parted with her but yester day, Tomorrow is your birthday. I believe, and Christmas, tqo. Will you come for a ride with mor MIbh Fanella gasped, as well she might, '1 his, after fifteen years of si lence! Had it taken him so long to recover from the repulso of old Madam Fenway? "I?what will the neighbors think?" uho gasped "You are thirty-six tomorrow, are you not, Fanella? Isn't that old enough to act as you please regard less of the neighbors?" "I suppose It is, Nelson," she ad mitted with a smllo. "Hut where?" "Will you trust mo this once, Fanel la? I promise to #>rlng you back whenever you wish," Miss Fanella looked into the white night. Wus she dreaming, or could this unlikely thing really have hap poned In the deadening monotony of her life? What difference did it make, any. way. Henceforth she would be only a nursemuld. Sho looked back Into Nelson Travors' honest eyes pleading with her to trust him. About her the stately old furniture upon which her pride had fod so many years, pleadod in vain. Yes," she said, "I'll come. I do not know how far I shall go, though." The man stepped into the old ball and held her coat. Ills lips closed over his displeasure when he felt" the weight of it. Sho did not romomber the worn gloves on the lmll table, and only thought about locking the door whon she saw Travers Blip the key Into his deop pocket. Wrapped in robes, sho seemed un conscious of the storm, realizing only the pleasant sensation of companion ship and warmth. She was not even Burprised when ho drew up beforo a low, 'ample house und lifted her carefully to the door Btone. ' s. "I'll bo hi In a minute," he told her. "Tako off your wraps and get warm." Miss Fahella. her heart beating high at her own audacity, opened the broad door. The ^vide, low. rooms within opened pleasantly together, lighted by can dles on the mantels, and by softly aliaded lampa. "How pleasant," said Miss Fanella I aloud, going to the. open Are, und I thinking of her little stove in the but ler's pantry. "I have droamed of you sitting h ore," said Travers quietly, coming to her. And now I am going to ask you to eat Bupper with me? a Christmas supper, you know." "I shall be moat dolighted," an swered Miss Fanella with a smile. 'I ho Fenway pride was mute for once. It was a quiet supper. Fanella poured the tea. conscious that her compan ion's eyes were following her, and sho enjoyed liersolf with a fierce, defiant Bort of enjoyment. i I" anella, said the man, leading her hack to the fire, "I will bless you for ever for coming with me. I wanted | you. to see my homo, to understand just how simple and unpretentious It is. ^ I know I nm only a .'common farm er,' but I've always loved you, Fanel la. I cannot endure It to see you live as you do, alone in that great house. Won t you let mo tako care of you, dear? I know I am not good enough for you. I realize what It must seem llko to you here, but " t "rt !s comfortable and? beautiful, Nelson." Iler volco broke over the words. "But I do not deserve it. I was not fair and honest with you? for I cared, always. I let my pride, and my family Interfere! "Oh," she cried, shaken by sudden, nerco sobs, "why did you never come back? They always do In stories? I could not believe it was all over when you went nway!" "Do you mean," said Travers, "that }ou would have glvon me a different answer If I had como back, Fanella?" Sho held out her hands ? true Fen way hands. "Don't you know, dear, that nil women are privileged to change their minds?" she asked. What a fool I've been, Fanella " groaned Travers. holding her close "Fifteen years! Tell me, when did you repent your coldness?" "Rcfore you had reached tho gate" whispered Fanella, penitently. For the Old Folks. Corn (aged ton), to Reggie (aged eleven) ? Yq$. The games are a ?wretched boro. But, then, it'a ChrlRt mas. you know, and the old people do bo expect to enjoy themselves. 1 THE CHURCH MOUSE. J HJ9Y stood in the deserted vestry of the church, facing each other angrily for the flnit;?Umo la tholr live* Thejo suddenly Janet swept the diamond from the third finger of her left hand and held it forth "You will oblige me by taklug this back," uhtt said bltingly. He stood looking Into her eyes, growing grayer of face aji he saw the stubborn anger that reposed within them- "Which means that our en gagement is broken, and that I may not hope for Its renewal," he replied very low. For an instant their gaze met us the glittering thing, lightly held, whh punning from hand to hand; then uu > im r< leased it and before his grip had heroine HtKMiie there was the slip of a nervous finger and with a tlnki ? thu ring fell upon tho iron grating of the floor register. Faintly they heard It go hounding far down the metal plpo which lad l<> the furnaoM bflow, onch supposing H lost forever in tho ' flames and hot know in# that In its full by Bonn) strange futo It had bounded through a Binall hole In the ptpo and now lay amidst the rub bish of the church's basement. For an Instant the girl's eyes softened, then hardened again and ifag turned tbtm ! aside. Upon the floor In a corner of tho room the little church mouBo was Bitting upon itH haunches, and shA | nodded towards him. "To be renewed | when the little church mouse brings i It back to me." she returned coldly. They turned their backs upon each i other and walked away. A week passed, and the little church mouse prowling about in the darkness ot the basement, saw something through the gloom that glittered even more brightly than did his own eyes. Cautiously, hungrily, ho approached ft, smelt of it, folt of it with his gray whiskers, then stood, it up before him. Its glitter fascinated him. Surely this glistening thing about the size of n kernel of corn must be good to eat. and he tried his sharp teeth upon it. Yet gnaw as he would, ho could not even scratch it, and nt last he decided that it was only good to p1 v with. He was a little thing, and half starved fis are all church mice, so it came to pass that it was not long before he had worked his head and forelegu through it and was running about with it encircling his middle, a very small creature wearing a diamond saddl# with a gold girth. It was fun for a time, but he soon became tired of it and tried to crawl out. He could not. Becoming panic stricken he f*"?",'eally up the stairs. Janet, alone and very unhappy, sat In her pew at the Christmas morning service. It was rath er chilly in the church and shn slip ped one hand into her muff. Then she Kave a start, for with in it she felt a small, struggling thing with something round and hard about it. Involuntarily she cloned her hand, and as sho did so the little church mouse popped out of the muff and scampered away, leaving the round object in her fingers. She drew It forth. It was her engagement ring. The last of all to .leave her pew, Janet stepped Into the vestry upon her way out. Dick was standing be fore a window with head bowed, looking older, grayer Of face than he had a few weeks ago, and she saw the deep unhapplness that lay In his eyes. >he approached him, looking up at aim with the old expression which he j knew so well. Softly she slipped one j hand Into his own, and as his fingers j gently, closed about it he felt some thing hard, round .and familiar within his grasp. He raised her hand. The i engagement ring ? his own ? encircled her third left finger, ? ] _ "Tlio little church mouse brought It ' back to me. Listen 1 while I toll you," sho j said, drawing a triflo . closer For a mo ! mont her voice mur I murrd. [ "Is it not wonder-, i iul!" she exelalracd, : naif awed, as she fin ; ished. His eyos ] Ightoned. Wonderful, dear! is 'ar more than I that, it is a miracle of His Spiri wrought, upon Ilia day Ills token of love everlasting and that wen wo are not forgotten." Tightly his nrms closed about her. HARRY IRVING GREEN. A Christmas Time Saver.* To Bave tho minutes on Christmas eve and leave time for thejnany things that are hound to come \ip, shut off from? the children one room in tho house i;uitablo for the tree a couple of weeks before Christmas, and grad ually accumulate there all decorations and presents. The tree can be trimmed a day or two before the holi day, and the presents wrapped more quickly and easily because they are all iv; one p. ace. The children, too, will enjoy th? v>VRtery that centers aroitnd vn inaccessible room.; ? Housekeeper. In selecting a present for Christmas, it is always best to get an article that wjll be useful at all times. <| Before making a selection call and see our line of 'Ties and Socks, put up in Holiday Boxes. Complete stock of Shoes for Men and Women, at prices that will please. McCASKILL BROTHERS THE TOY SHOP Invites an Inspection of its Stock. - ? * 't ?? w . .. - 4 Before making your purchases for Santa Claus ? !? ; ? ; - \ ".r ' ? ? ? '; ? ' ? ? . .......... > , > ? v . Si... . .. ? , .....wV.~? call and look at the most complete line of Toys ever displayed in Camden. We have made a careful selection and have ev ery thing in the line of Dolls, Books, Games and Me chanical Toys, Toilet and Manicure Siets. ? ' * ' VvT'?* ? r? \ * ?y. > 1 .1 ?y' *? Bring the Children to See Us ~~*~ . x * ? ? ? * ? ??"_?*. ? ? v ' ~r ?-** '? ? ~~~1 -"----* .' - '. '-"?'r-'.'tf' *-* r vr-* ^ j ? . ? ; . ? V" -Fv ' 1^53 " fVjjfWirfff The Camden Drug Co.