People began arriving at the Hotel Minnesota around 5:30 pm on the mid December night in 1914. The hotel sponsored holiday party was planned as a celebration for both guests and town’s people and Washington Street, in front of the hotel was bustling with horse and buggy vying for space near the front entrance. Other party goers arrived on foot from the direction of the business district as well as along the lakefront.

It was a perfect winter’s night; clear skies, invigorating cold air and calm winds. Some of the carriage operators had strapped bells to their horse’s harnesses and the jingling filled the night air with sounds of the season. By 6:00 pm 30 or more people had gathered inside the lobby and were sipping hot cider or something stronger ordered from the bar.

The hotel, with its electric lights ablaze, looked like a jewel poised on the edge of the frozen lake and could be seen for miles across the ice. The outside of the hotel was trimmed with pine garland intertwined with red ribbon and wrapped around the framework of the entrance along with the railings and steps of the expansive front porch.

The town’s people mingled with hotel guests and talked and laughed with a heightened sense of holiday spirit.

Mary had come down from her room and entered the lobby earlier, before the first guests had arrived. She was seated near the fireplace where  birch logs burned brightly casting reflections against the hardwood floor in front of the hearth. The crackling sound of the burning wood and warmth produced made a cozy setting for this winter’s night.

The people around Mary stood in groups and chatted about all manner of subjects. She could hear their optimism about the approaching New Year and silently wished she could share in their enthusiasm. Mary had wanted desperately to fit in here, and had hoped and prayed she could make it her home. But she did not fit in here, she had no family, no friends and could not even claim to be from anywhere. She was a stranger, and that fact was too large an obstacle in such a close knit community.

The pace of the festivities built as more guests arrived and the celebration swirled around her. Mary felt like an island in the midst of the celebration.

John David, watched Mary from the fringe of the gathering. He had spotted her the minute he arrived earlier with his wife. Her beautiful youthful face lit up when she smiled at a person who would greet her, but when the person walked away, her expression changed to sadness, and her eyes took on a faraway look which betrayed her vulnerability.

John felt a strong urge to walk across the room, take her hand and tell her things would be OK, but he did not know her, in fact he had never seen her before. To John, there was something about her sadness in the midst of the festive occasion which he found both interesting and attractive. He was unable to take his eyes off of her for fear she would disappear into the night.