The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 16, 1900, Page 4

THE SUNDAY CALL. ‘] WANT TO AN ENGLISH CRRISTMAD and his desire ristmas 1d his 5 s that s vet no T t relations who appeared to him v 1 he had some sad story be- p m.” the giri exclaimed; in a tone id ea girl us in- I'll get up mas for his I'll look over L n we get hom i Washing in, all sorts ¢ old-fashion return of the wn the deck his usual were s0om rg her do pretty thing Jow- he tim America id and intere uld be his irn voyag 0ol to-morrow three, weil were walking gly « now I shall feel if it us take care of you days,” Sir Percy me your promise few first ave no friends in England?’ sympathetically in England as his tone, wh vet” had the yet,” he he spoke r expres- a pe Vere your relatives rich peopie?” she es. I belleve =o. 1 have no doubt they but their riches are not of much ac- it to me just now,” he replied. “I have no one now to look after whom they and heir money possibly help, even if he help were likely to be offered.” “Oh, 1 don’t mean that.” she said, earn- 1 was only anxious to know wheth- ould have helped your father and f they bed known.” could,” he answered; “tut ver ikely they did not know anything bout us, and I don’t want them to know inything about me now.” She thought 't natural that the subject ould bring a gleom with it for him, and was sorry she had said a word about latives, and promptly determined to Ik about something eise. “You have never asked where we live in are th England,” she said. “You have given us vour promise to spend Christmas with us t and the days between this and Christmas, from and had not even the curlosity to ask glad t ave a chance of what county we live in.” d king at the waves ““The truth is,” he sald, with a smile, -~ on. Before they went up, how- “England i Enpgland to me—just a e er fether told her about the short place with fie and weods and quiet old A\ of t day The; win the n S oS 1 was 1 knew England was divided into countles. It out in Colc I first learned name of the county we used to live in.” “Well," she s ty was it?' “I think sked, eagerly, “whal coun- you will say.” he answered nty 'to ¥ Shakespes with a smile, “that it was a c was proud of. It county—Warw! own “Warwickshire! he exclaimed. “Why, our county Is Warwickshire. We are bringing you to Warwickshire. We have a house In London, but Warwickshire is our home. I think this fs a most delight- ful coincidence.” t suddenly occurred to her that he rjection to spendi wicks L1 Christm, in W be, h; ng reiatives, whoever they might their abod there. us the pleas asked, timidly, *if to be anywherc near happen you nds T have met for many a long day,” he answered; “‘and 1 am only too glad to be with you a little longer, and anyhow my relatives are not likely to know anything about my coming or going.” s 's 6. lie s eveieria- o A few davs glided‘happily along in the home of Sir Percy and sa, where of course Southwold was now a guest. The weather was geaerally fine and bright, ‘although now and then wintry, ‘and Elsa was able to show her gue: very much to herself for two or three rive until the day before Christmas eve. drove and recounted miles the: tain time along the surrounding roads by amysed and delighted to guest seemed to be able to turn his hand to everything that called for firmness of touch, rve and practical craftsmanship obliged to become a sort of Jack-of-all- trades during many years of my life, One . won’t affect us much, in any case. We vere talking about an old place in the worth of this county, Mr. Southwold; its owner lives abroad mostly, I might have taken you to see it, but it is rather far away for a winter expedition, and I don't suppose you would much care to see it.” “I am very happy where I am,” South- wold said, gravely. hen the conversation turned upon other subjects and presently the group went in to luncheon, at which Dr. Wragge was to make one of the company. The Christmas festivities soon set in and never had there been such festivities knewn there in Elsa Millicent's time, Elsa organized everything herself, and she made it clear that she had been endowed by nature with. a perfect genius for the part of mistress of the revel he head, with garlands decked and rosemary, as the old verse has i borne in for the Christmas dinner t Chere were Christmas games and stmas_dances in which the servants joined, and the holly and vy and mistletoe hung everywhere, and there was a Christmas wassail bowl, t a good deal She had him he surrounding country because the gue were not to ar- ¥ rambled about the grounds when the ter sun shone and they rode and th pride how many hed within a cer- had accompl Elsa was that her speed of their bicycles. find quickness of eye, steadiness of ‘ou see,” he said once, ‘I have been By Jurir COPYRIGHT 1000 -BY THERE WERE CHRASTMAS GAMEDS ARD CRHRIDTMAD ‘D(\NCEs........A\\\v a : HRISITMAS NWASSANL POWL PRESS NATIONAL he had not loved before, whether he was not In love with some other woman now, whether, in any case, in leaving her home he might not go away and forget her. If be cared for her, if he really cared for her, or was likely to care for her, as she felt sure she cared for him, then all might come right. Her father, she knew, would never-mar her happiness merely because her lover might be poor, and Sir Percy had spoken (o her again and again about thelr guest In language which showed that the young man had inspired confi- dence and sed admiration in him. But then—but then—the guestion what right had she the hope that the stranger fejt to b knew she feit to him? The ds approaching when the Ch Were to come to an last of the guests was to indulge hers: to leave and Southwold, accomplished b, her Fnglis n 1 to pursue r plans h fored or meant to fashion for Elsa had found her way that ¢ ame to hiberal g.fu the genuine me Christmas Lecen invoked for that spe We shall no: atte: scriptivn vl thuse 15 enough, tor vur they sati. a the young Southwold, wholiy ur old-ti purpo. fonaest and that the ) suy suvides; 1t that imaginings ot did not was a f; ce for retiremen when she did mood for books. ke a volume from t at the window k carpet I fall whick \ Percy Millicent mind of the mi who Dest Southwold tanding before came up and Joikeu tuenn ahiey weie had organized and co 3u There was a momen 2 Stiuuing on the euge of u littie e 1n there was growing up in the mind of that he spoke Iront ¢ we hail. nis of he revels feeling have been looking r you outs P ave susy Deard sane mew e T R S B LR i gl R A Percy satd. Dr. \Wragge has :d of the revelry. The thought was forcing mMembered that you were sure to be h from London. and he tens me the story. {tself upon her more impressively with ! shall have to be going away very soc uie wow have thougot we mignt nave y moment that that Christmas was and so 1 wanted to see all I could known it here first, destined to be a decicive epoch in her You. You haven'i neard that she had never been Yes,” she rerlied. blankly, “but why u, about Greeny and now she knew that s must you go away soon? I Major La verything in t “Well, my visit must come to an end, v, dear, L a word, except that 1ng 1o be sold, but we knew L dian't we?'" n s =o0ld, Klsa--Laxmore has sold it cut-and-out, and to a total stranger, so young ithw Wragge tells me. 1 think Wragge has she knew nothing b posttive genfus for finding out unpleas: from his own sor news, and being the first to bring it. ing lins, and she the place was not entailed, but 3 manner in which that there is an the part of a Ch icularly ul g It in the news, stranger. And ther lace ha empty all this at . she knew I never knew anything about never even saw tried s hostes: e knew hing f time. Major Laxmore myself. him—he was never there. ‘“Yes, that's true enoug long toward , but one doesn't like the into new hands,’” It depends on who the new hands are,” gaid Elsa, with a smile, “and I dare say ’ old places getting himself may be, i clear sight her. that he liked ves brightened te certain; those lind. whatever had very E s tell how it was with him, she could not tell whether “I e you enjoyed this glish Christmas? ith great difficulty and did the least like her usual fear- an ideal Christmas. I never nything so much, and I :njoy anything so much don’t ever again.” ‘“What a gloomy view to take of life!” She did not know what else to say “I almost wish I had never come here.” “I almost wish I had never seen . Mr. Southwold, how can you speak that?” and with an involuntary »ment she held out her hands to sringly. » caught her hands In his. can’t help saying it,” he said, *‘be- It was the only B now I Laxmore vou s wa shall keep wp Gr And we shall have a 1-Cashioned Xt year™ - she-exelaio to an