LITMIR.BIZ

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she had to remind her of Donald — handsome, merry, impulsive, warmhearted Donald, who had gone away four years ago with a smile on his bonny face and splendid hope in his heart.

      “Here’s a locket for you, Gift o’ God,” he had said gaily — he had such a dear loving habit of calling her by the beautiful meaning of her name. A lump came into Theodora’s throat as she remembered it. “I couldn’t afford a chain too, but when I come back I’ll bring you a rope of Klondike nuggets for it.”

      Then he had gone away. For two years letters had come from him regularly. Then he wrote that he had joined a prospecting party to a remote wilderness. After that was silence, deepening into anguish of suspense that finally ended in hopelessness. A rumour came that Donald Prentice was dead. None had returned from the expedition he had joined. Theodora had long ago given up all hope of ever seeing Donald again. Hence her locket was doubly dear to her.

      But Aunt Elizabeth had always been so good and loving and kind to her. Could she not make the sacrifice for her sake? Yes, she could and would. Theodora flung up her head with a gesture that meant decision. She took out of the locket the bits of hair — her mother’s and Donald’s — which it contained (perhaps a tear or two fell as she did so) and then hastily donned her warmest cap and wraps. It was only three miles to Spencer; she could easily walk it in an hour and, as it was Christmas Eve, the shops would be open late. She muse walk, for Ned could not be taken out again, and the mare’s foot was sore. Besides, Aunt Elizabeth must not know until it was done.

      As stealthily as if she were bound on some nefarious errand, Theodora slipped downstairs and out of the house. The next minute she was hurrying along the trail in the moonlight. The great dazzling prairie was around her, the mystery and splendour of the northern night all about her. It was very calm and cold, but Theodora walked so briskly that she kept warm. The trail from Red Butte to Spencer was a lonely one. Mr. Lurgan’s house, halfway to town, was the only dwelling on it.

      When Theodora reached Spencer she made her way at once to the only jewellery store the little town contained. Mr. Benson, its owner, had been a friend of her uncle’s, and Theodora felt sure that he would buy her locket. Nevertheless her heart beat quickly, and her breath came and went uncomfortably fast as she went in. Suppose he wouldn’t buy it. Then there would be no Christmas for the children at Red Butte.

      “Good evening, Miss Theodora,” said Mr. Benson briskly. “What can I do for you?”

      “I’m afraid I’m not a very welcome sort of customer, Mr. Benson,” said Theodora, with an uncertain smile. “I want to sell, not buy. Could you — will you buy this locket?”

      Mr. Benson pursed up his lips, took up the locket, and examined it. “Well, I don’t often buy secondhand stuff,” he said, after some reflection, “but I don’t mind obliging you, Miss Theodora. I’ll give you four dollars for this trinket.”

      Theodora knew the locket had cost a great deal more than that, but four dollars would get what she wanted, and she dared not ask for more. In a few minutes the locket was in Mr. Benson’s possession, and Theodora, with four crisp new bills in her purse, was hurrying to the toy store. Half an hour later she was on her way back to Red Butte, with as many parcels as she could carry — Jimmy’s skates, two lovely dolls for the twins, packages of nuts and candy, and a nice plump turkey. Theodora beguiled her lonely tramp by picturing the children’s joy in the morning.

      About a quarter of a mile past Mr. Lurgan’s house the trail curved suddenly about a bluff of poplars. As Theodora rounded the turn she halted in amazement. Almost at her feet the body of a man was lying across the road. He was clad in a big fur coat, and had a fur cap pulled well down over his forehead and ears. Almost all of him that could be seen was a full bushy beard. Theodora had no idea who he was, or where he had come from. But she realized that he was unconscious, and that he would speedily freeze to death if help were not brought. The footprints of a horse galloping across the prairie suggested a fall and a runaway, but Theodora did not waste time in speculation. She ran back at full speed to Mr. Lurgan’s, and roused the household. In a few minutes Mr. Lurgan and his son had hitched a horse to a wood-sleigh, and hurried down the trail to the unfortunate man.

      Theodora, knowing that her assistance was not needed, and that she ought to get home as quickly as possible, went on her way as soon as she had seen the stranger in safe keeping. When she reached the little log house she crept in, cautiously put the children’s gifts in their stockings, placed the turkey on the table where Aunt Elizabeth would see it the first thing in the morning, and then slipped off to bed, a very weary but very happy girl.

      The joy that reigned in the little log house the next day more than repaid Theodora for her sacrifice.

      “Whoopee, didn’t I tell you that Santa Claus would come all right!” shouted the delighted Jimmy. “Oh, what splendid skates!”

      The twins hugged their dolls in silent rapture, but Aunt Elizabeth’s face was the best of all.

      Then the dinner had to be prepared, and everybody had a hand in that. Just as Theodora, after a grave peep into the oven, had announced that the turkey was done, a sleigh dashed around the house. Theodora flew to answer the knock at the door, and there stood Mr. Lurgan and a big, bewhiskered, fur-coated fellow whom Theodora recognized as the stranger she had found on the trail. But — was he a stranger? There was something oddly familiar in those merry brown eyes. Theodora felt herself growing dizzy.

      “Donald!” she gasped. “Oh, Donald!”

      And then she was in the big fellow’s arms, laughing and crying at the same time.

      Donald it was indeed. And then followed half an hour during which everybody talked at once, and the turkey would have been burned to a crisp had it not been for the presence of mind of Mr. Lurgan who, being the least excited of them all, took it out of the oven, and set it on the back of the stove.

      “To think that it was you last night, and that I never dreamed it,” exclaimed Theodora. “Oh, Donald, if I hadn’t gone to town!”

      “I’d have frozen to death, I’m afraid,” said Donald soberly. “I got into Spencer on the last train last night. I felt that I must come right out — I couldn’t wait till morning. But there wasn’t a team to be got for love or money — it was Christmas Eve and all the livery rigs were out. So I came on horseback. Just by that bluff something frightened my horse, and he shied violently. I was half asleep and thinking of my little sister, and I went off like a shot. I suppose I struck my head against a tree. Anyway, I knew nothing more until I came to in Mr. Lurgan’s kitchen. I wasn’t much hurt — feel none the worse of it except for a sore head and shoulder. But, oh, Gift o’ God, how you have grown! I can’t realize that you are the little sister I left four years ago. I suppose you have been thinking I was dead?”

      “Yes, and, oh, Donald, where have you been?”

      “Well, I went way up north with a prospecting party. We had a tough time the first year, I can tell you, and some of us never came back. We weren’t in a country where post offices were lying round loose either, you see. Then at last, just as we were about giving up in despair, we struck it rich. I’ve brought a snug little pile home with me, and things are going to look up in this log house, Gift o’ God. There’ll be no more worrying for you dear people over mortgages.”

      “I’m so glad — for Auntie’s sake,” said Theodora, with shining eyes. “But, oh, Donald, it’s best of all just to have you back. I’m so perfectly happy that I don’t know what to do or say.”

      “Well, I think you might have dinner,” said Jimmy in an injured tone. “The turkey’s getting stone cold, and I’m most starving. I just can’t stand it another minute.”

      So, with a laugh, they all sat down to the table and ate the merriest Christmas dinner the little log house had ever known.

      A Christmas Mistake

       Table of Contents

      “Tomorrow

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