Terry / A Tale of the Hill People

windless sky. The dusk was cheerful with the sound of sleigh be

hy happily. It was an unusually black and lustrous pelt. He buried his

e-de

f food that he might satisfy his urgent little appetite as he grew bigger and stronge

ns, field-mice. He stalked all things less strong and clever than himself. A cr

hadows of the thicket. But winter came, with its hardships and its cold, a cold that little foxes feel the sam

ou see here: a finer thing-a token. Your kind heart need find no cruelty in a merciful shot that

e forever freed from cold and hunger and s

tep at slumbertime, and each morning soften the first contact between the v

ld are made to serve. To ser

hed it till it reaches your dear hands. I shaped it, wrough

e-is that not t

ery Merry

i

key: returned to the living room to throw a fresh log in the wide fireplace. His mood was too expansive for indoors. He donned short coat and thick cap

ted, the lad relapsed so often into his native

orus abated at Terry's sharp knock and the door was thrown open to disclose the belligerent figure of Tony Ricorro, the leader of the Italian colony. Recognizing the reefered f

and women by name. Tony masterfully stripped him of his overcoat and cap and placed them in the kitchen from which emanate

ttle of beer but Terry shook his head. Ton

anks,

att'? Bad

d Terry, "ca

ss in hand. "Tony, what's

eath a chorus of voices; the excited crowd surged around Ter

fter quiet was restored, "I'm going to ask you all to keep silent, and to promise me that no one will speak except those I call

u first. What'

t'? Evra teeng 'sa matt'! Tommor' we christen our bab' and evra' bod'

r a moment in his slow smile; this was so like these people, who bo

; sisters, brothers, several "in-laws," Tony's father, two uncles. Eac

ed, noting that Tony's wife was

s cause of all this dissension, obviously inured to clamor, was asleep in her ar

Felice and their first-bo

wish to name your son?

t yet been consulted. Tears glistened in the forgiving eyes Felice turned on Tony, and as he flung himself down a

n and strode into the room, unashamed of

to-morrow we go Padre Jenneeng. She a name heem"-he paused with true Latin

cclaim. Terry stayed but a few minutes, realizing that much as they liked him, there wou

d conferred upon him, wished for them all a merry Christma

n Street, and though it lacked but an hour of midnight, he found Judd's j

e long day, studied his old friend's bea

He drew himself up proudly. "Behold in

r the elaborate, he gayly selected

r you after the hol

udd! The initial

: Judd was musing over the monogram: "Ric

e called back thro

mance, o

chorus of the message of hope that one in the East had heralded to a sadder world on another Christmas eve. The snow-flung star beams illumina

hen swung back to town along a woodcutter's trail that edged the lakeshore, winding through

, matched step with step along the shore trail through the hushed woods, across the white sheen of o

, of living, of youth, love of a woman ... probabl

ear baritone flooded the broken woods, carried far out across the silent frozen lak

again those win

starry

more your

tende

t years so fair

hi

again to you

r s

eached town, his mood chilling inde

is night of nights-yes, and you batten your windows tight ag

trated even his callous heart with the most glads

he long day had taken no toll of his lithe frame: sleepless, he sat long in pleasant retrospection of the day, which

sparkle of bright eyes its beauty would invoke. It was characteristic that his vision did not carry him to the daily contact of pink t

he had been a little careless, lately ... he would remedy that ... it was a good town-his failure to settle down had been a fault

and withdrew a telegram, bending

ngton

ry, Crampvi

Constabulary period immediate decision essential period if yo

Insular

e glowing embers. He rose as the sheet took fire and in the brief flash of light which marked the consumption of the telegram he saw a familiar-looking package on the library table in the shadow c

ned. Vague, trouble-eyed,

r D

resent. Father insists, beca

ully, but you know how he

nt to cry, sometimes, when I think of your doing such things f

l always be mine-I can never forget that y

best wishes that your Christ

an

in, sickened.... "That your Chr

Christmas morning, and turned to find him sitting in the chilled room

hand brushed against the rich fur which lay across his knees, a

ow he is-her father. I'll never speak to h

w her arm and too

ght, Sue, it

at betrayed the patient smile. She sobbed convulsively, heartsick in her

g: 'it will be all right.' When you were a

ll the storm abated. Then, "I'm goin

prehension dawnin

e goin

ded gr

fully, she a

-ni

o-those-Ph

hurt in her tremulous face, he sought refu

eek golden doubloons-maids in distress-the Fountain of Youth! I'm going to cross stra

. Fanny appeared at the kitchen door and with her cheery call of "Merry

not yet wished me aven a dacent top o' the marnin', let alone the gra

. Noting a tear still glistening he took her cheeks between his hands and kissed the wet ey

to participate in his affair with Deane, she

ty greetings of the day, and was surprised

ts? What's the rush? Say, Dick, did you hear yet what Bruce gave to the lady of his hear

room. Ellis wandered aimlessly over to the Christmas table and noted the number of u

-christian, and see what Santa Claus brou

wife's frantic signals, and reading the grievou

he landmarks he had known from boyhood. Two large leather bags, packed but still open, stood at the side of the bed. The two frames which had he

lty to his body. She tiptoed out of the room, crept back again to look through brimming eyes at the lone

d followed his wife upstairs reluctantly; he was not quite confident that his decision regarding the fox skin had been justified, and would have b

u say, Marthy, he's g

eir doo

of his announcement had paled her and she stared hopelessly at him out of wide blue eyes, h

never understand you, Dick,-quit

ough the years to come. Rounded, long of lines, apart from him she looked as tall as he, though there was a two inch discrepancy; the wide eyes and generous, curved mouth

te the town, Dick?" s

"No, Deane, it is not that. The

-much-thinking about it. It's all my fault.... I do not fit. S

to the dim hall, half blinded by her burning tears. Sh

s hand outstretche

Deane-girl

tepped close to him,

n't go! Don't go way over

nd in the soft contact his pulses leaped. He fought to resist the temptation to take a

at him, glorious in h

you want me

seemed that he had no

ait, Deane-gir

s gone from abo

words fell from her lips she heard the door close a

She listened, tense, as the train came to a stop in the town. A brief halt, then it sounded its u

out of the frosty night, then as a full realization of her loss came hom

she knelt seem