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Show ""When I found that out, I was mad, and rightly, too. That night when he came I wouldn't see him, and sent word to him that he could go to her house for all of me. "To my amazement, he did ! Then I realized how much I loved him, hut I was afraid he would never come back. At last I decided to send him a nole. I told him how sorry I was, and begged his forgiveness. It was quite a bit after Christmas, but we still had mistletoe, so I hung sprays of it in every likely corner and doorway all over the house, and waited. "Uefore long he came, and I found that the mistletoe had been an inspiration. in-spiration. He told me then that I wasn't to blame at all, and that he had only gone to Clara's to tell her that there could never be anything between them." Granny leaned forward in her chair. "Do you know who the boy was:" she asked. "Grandfather?" "Yes, indeed. We were married soon after that, but I always found it paid to give in when I was most i sure I was right." The doorbell pealed through the house, arid Joan, smoothing her hair QandmotherS I-!! 7 OAN slammed the front door behind her and rushed upstairs. Granny, busily darning in her rockei. I looked up with a start. It jp wasn't like Joan to rush in ipjgSjjjj like that, without even a jggg&ag word of greeting. And at Christmas time, too! She laid her darning aside and with slow, careful steps climbed the stairs. At Joan's door she paused and knocked. "Who is it?" "Just Granny, dear. May I come in?" "Why, of course." Joan opened the door. "What's the matter, Granny?" "That's just what I want to know. Yon and Ted had a fuss?" Joan looked up in wonder at her grandmother's understanding. "Yes," she admitted, "and, oh, Granny, I'm so miserable! What do you suppose he said?" "Now, now, I don't Want to hear, and you shouldn't be bringing back all that was said, looking for grievances. All i want to know is who, really and truly, was in the wrong ' "Really and truly, he was, Granny." "Then you should apologize." "I? Rut Ted was the one at fault." "01 course, dear. That is just the reason. Now, if you were in the wrong, you might possibly force him to humor you, but if he is in the wrong he will naturally never want to give in." She took off her glasses and wiped them thoughtfully. "And then how lucky it's Christmas time hang up some mistletoe." "Well maybe. If you're sure it will work." "Let me tell you a story, child. Sit down." Granny settled herself and rocked lightly back and forth. "It was when I was young young as you are, Joan that I fell in love. My peo pie were not so well off as the boy's were, although they were gentlemen on both sides. His parents had picked out a wife for him, years before the daughter of friends of the family and were determined that they should marry. "I met him at church socials every now and then, and on picnics, and after aft-er a time he began calling on me Although I didn't know it, whenever he came to see me, he told his folks he was going to see this other girl. "It Was When I Was Young Young as You Are, Joan." as she went, ran down to open the door. Granny, from the front window, looked down on a familiar roadster and smiled. Aftei a long time, hearing the front door close and the roar of a motor, she descended the stairs. At their foot Joan clasped her. "Oh, darling, it worked, it worked," she chanted. "He's coming over to dinner tomorrow, and he he mentioned men-tioned something about bringing a ring. And, oh, Granny," she whispered, whis-pered, burying her head in her grandmother's grand-mother's shawl. "Ted must have had the Christmas spirit already, for we got along just fine without the mistletoe." (, 1930. Western Nownnnpor Union.) |