= 7 a shock "Tuesday: iatruting when ‘tt was = hundred miles or more that he \ w as oe fellows that ever came into the. eoun- | Jearned.. that... “James ‘Latham of Two Mile ‘Creek | settlement’ ‘had passed |. Pe ' away during. the previous night. He| . had -been ailing for: some time. . and , “ander the - doctor's * care, : but. few: in|) = the, district were aware, that he was | “It was. Latham’s at “not as ‘well as ever, - habit for sume’ time ‘to. Call nightly. on . Mt. Condon who lives.'a short distance MA up the- creck, :Monday.. night. he: did 7 not. eal. “and . Tueaday.- morning... Mr. Condon went, down, to: Latham’s cabin ‘|. ‘was’, the matter, He| |: found: Latham in bed and; dead,” “he |: * baying apparently. slept: away ‘Beace- , “fally. . There :was’ no evidence of-any].— mm disturbance and. to all appearances he | @. had not been in any particular’ pain. |} ' Phe doctor was called and the police || ta. Bee, what. . | notified. After due- examination the _ coroner was notified-and after hée had’ learned _ the circumstances he consid- ered an inquest ‘unnecessary. oo a Members 0 athe family. who “reside. “ia New: We -. Struction .about 1908: or 1944, He: had . Draviously. been in the Yukon . he: drove the “first - ‘aoree stage yeu) __ Whitehorse down the river- to Dawson ‘Leama Pieviois to that-hé-wastr’ bis Kose go antun {go ” enay., countsy,” ‘Prospecting sand” sh jokes itaippen alright; “put they’ do oe just happen. : : : minster were notified and} t at this writing word was. awaited from | vo them before arrange |g for the funeral. ™ ©The late James Latham. was about |p }- sixty yeora of - ‘age, He hod -been In the Hazelton district for twenty years |-3. having come up: ahead of rallway con- |: a _ where : Pa ._ “There's ‘a! ‘story, ‘grannie, isn’ t,; there? ee young’ girl, sitting - ‘on the ‘stool beside her. OM i wae “Yes; girlie dear, there: is a. story “and! because. 1. think ‘there. a:a Proy idence that comes for his own’, 1 “like to say, not), Tt happened, but ‘It, came to. Pass’ ae "They were sitting together on the vine-shaded yer-' ‘ “andab, ‘enjoyitig the evening. breezes, redolent. of. per-.: ‘fame, from the garden below; sometimes, ‘talking, more.’ ‘i ttle village: under’. ‘the chill on which their cottage. ‘was built, over, ‘the’ blue. Ww aters of. the sound, as. blueias the evening sky * “above” tliem, past ‘the’ green ‘islands ‘that seemed to wee ‘often “simply ‘gazing ‘outiover ‘the.. “float peacefully on. the” bosom. 0 ‘the: “avaters, to, the “wonderful mountains. ‘beyond, snow ‘capped they: ‘wwere, though: it was midsummer, with the. ‘sunset™ glow. rest- “Ing On. thelr sides; resting, ‘yet ever, changing, eoloring. - the distant peaks: with shades of purple and, gold, and -hlue and rose, in- effects BO entrgnelng. that. the two _Avomen, ‘far apart in: ‘ages, yet one. in Avorahip | of the ~h beautiful, scarcely dared’ turn; even, .to each’ other.” So: anxious were they to. loose none: ‘of, the changés’ pro- " duced: ‘by. the setting ‘sun, “whose. beams, shining: from behind, made, the scene before ‘therm ‘such: a thtnig of” beauty, - m oe ~The: young ail: broke: the silence by ‘woting ars. 7 Browning's immortal Ines: °°", “Barth's crammed with heaven, fe And every. common ‘bush. afire’ with: Goa’ ” Strange sentiment to. fall" ‘trom. the. “Ing was’ his, mode. of living, for: the] ¢°< q greater: part | ‘ of* “his: ‘life sand ‘ike ‘all | ¢. «ood prospectors he had his- ups and! Me "downs, although, he wag giwnys’ dust 2% “tet: that at. the. touch of his. fingers the. ‘piano. SADE a melody thee t seemed. devine}. ‘a man ‘who hag ¢ discover: ed that he could, by. his" gift. of: music, keep her, close - a Httle ahead: of thé- game. He: AAs among the most active® ‘of the’: ‘early prospectors in this’: ‘eduntry and: there ae in little of this country for, A: radins of 7 4 hot. personally ‘acquainted, with. - » Latham was-one of the migst Ikeable "try and his friends were “without num- . ber. Again, . like thes fronticrsman, ‘hie 2 was a man of few. words, : and the key of his ‘cabin was always . on the: out- side, and he ‘never turned . down’. one ‘fa need. "Tyo Mite creek, a settlemant of. bach- alors. . trict. , he learned to love _fruit; athers “who ‘fancied flower and, the tree and, bud: fruits. ; Hé " chad: ee swell ‘kept place ° ‘h “anyone. in. the. district ‘had: a;sick: ‘tree’ A oor a ‘broken ” ‘one, it was “Jimmie Lath-: .& am that? was Bent. for, ‘to doctor eb James Lathain “Was born’ ini Ontario | p nore Tatham’. ‘Jenives’ hein of. Rood deeds, nnd vh For. many’ years, he lived: at a *He- purchased ae “few aeres at a | ‘that: ‘point and created for himself one. ‘of the nicest. little homes. dn the: dis- |: As o boy at home in Ontario’ trees“, and | 2° ‘flowers: ond to” care for them. . His 4 B. own place WAS, A favorite :retreat, for | “pb - attraction. for this’ ‘beauty loving: little. sti Was: “the’ by his side,’ and who. ‘hoped to wih, her for his Own... “Perhaps it: waa ‘because I was reading -of ‘the first ‘Christmas, and of the first Chit: tmas,chitiies, and 'be- : danse that story. begins. sand it’ ime to ASS,’ that the “story. of another Christmas. eve:came, to my mind. It - Was ‘Christmas. eve in a pretty ‘ttle town in (ntarlo, long ago. UA happy party of young people. were: setting ‘out for | ft aléighride that would take them many niles, ; into ‘the country,” to: ‘spend. the:. holiday - “SOR S00. “with friends whose. homes’ and hearts were “waiting ‘to ve ” _eélve them, . All of them: were, Ans high spirits -.save . "Nora. Mason; who thought’ she was’ broken hearted be- ‘dative her parents were - ‘sending; her- ‘away. frou’. her _ ‘Gordon’ whom; in her gitlish way). she: idolized, not © - knowing that “her: idol- had: ‘feet! of ‘elay,! evel: ‘though, ‘his: ‘voice wos ‘called: “heavenly, ‘captivated. and held spell. botnd,. not, only. ‘Nora, but. all: * So, dearie, ‘Nora. Avas‘ very much" in -. earnest inher: eijosment 0 of what the. others called | a ~ fit, of-the. blues. 0°"), woe Bren with ‘the music: of the, ag ols erhotng “perve’ ‘to: hhelehtei her: splriis of. chee ‘the gloom : . - from ‘her face.’ ‘Forgetting that it was Christmas tine | ~ When all the world. should - ‘be’ glad. she « thoujht. she swas: very: ‘brave 3 ‘phe apotea toherselt: “onely ? gomp ihust ‘be. nety. "Ts not’ siven to iM To feel. a heart er ile a lips of ‘a. \ - twentieth century maiden,’ sent by her parents’ to be- : ‘ome the companion of the little: ‘grandmother in, her: : summer home. by. the sens Bent, not for, the benefits of of —Heular,. he snid, “driving for hours trying to find my way to Hastings. the host,’ “where do ¥ou hail from?” country... I was’ called Ww . thonght to get back ‘by daylight,: but the case was serious and I wns delayed. At night ot roads ook : “alike, and there is no end to the side. rokds from them. The hostess Taughed: as she said, “Weil, _you are certainly not on: the. right road: to Hastings, but you have “found one that leads. to :n ‘hot supper. -So let's nil come-in and get acquainted,” and she lead the way >to ‘the. comfortatile farmhouse dining room: Ww here the: . “tealvaller was ‘formally, introduced ‘to the gnesta While : “the: host took. “care, of his tired pony. ‘ “Nora; not: caring to meet the ‘stranger waited ti] : “he was brought to’ ‘her. When he looked into her eyes ; “his first expression , changed to.one of startled won-' | ~ der, and aa che took: her hand, his gaze became so dir-. eet and penetrating, that her own fell before it. And yet there was no boldness in the gaze—siich she had often;; Seen-—but. a eertain ‘surprise and earnestness: . "which seemed to gay," have fond you at-last? And ~The: old lady. pansed for. R : moment: as 5 though she | > Was ‘again’ living’ that Jong. past-seene, ‘and in the still-, . ness, thé. ‘breaking: of. the waves on the shore Was dis-- tinetly: heard, The girl at-her side-was silent, ‘for her _apirit like that of her. namesake in the story, awas in- . rebellion. . ; “Tn the , morning Dr ‘Merton had ‘to leave thougn . “he felt “that he was leaving’ part of ‘himself: behind. Bidding his_hostess ‘good-hye he thanked her for her gracious hospitality toa stranger. bald, “T wondered why it was:my plans for Christmas - Hye Were interfered with, but now I understand. an That is delightful of you,” she rejoined, “tg imply “that our simple entertainment - ‘has. been worth more. ta you than the. pleasures you had planned. in the city:- But you know that country people are used to enter- - taining wayfarers, and often find’: they, have enter- - tained nigles, unaware,” wo a . . He smniled In response thinking that it was well, -she did not understand to what he-had referred, ‘and. . ‘feeling that indeed it Was? ‘he that had found the angel: . arid when lifted’ An.song ‘unawares. “Now,” he thought, “I'll have to work: “harder to he: ready for hor, ag BOON As. she ‘uidérstands’ . ‘Bofore. leaving: he managed: "to gee Nora for a: mo- : ment. alone’ and asked if he night ‘hear from her some-. “times, oa have: heen. taught that Ddlite people,’ al- WAYS | ‘answer . letters ‘from, ‘friends,”. the ‘girl: replied ; with: ‘a bright smile, thinking that here might” be an- . . “other, interest to fil in. some cenipty. moments. a “ime: pasied, and though: niemory. and an ocension- y “all letter kept. for him. a” certain place’ in her Amhgina ; tlon.: Yet the fascination for. the, singer: ‘stil held. her, : : for’ ‘the charm of his: voice made her blind to every: de- fect. ‘And then, just. when, the: ‘Cliristmas chimes’ rang | _ again he: came’ “baek § claim -her for his own, * It had certaiaty, and the “was. 80. sure” : Tenlize that t she might’ ‘Dot: an- sing,’ ; ‘Holy’ Nene’, follow ed. “Soon, mingled swith thie ; ‘chines, ‘could: be beard the music of sleigh. bells, AU “enter: with