Show l COMES a MOMENT 1 BY ELINOR MAXWELL 0 O ARCADIA HOUSE SERVICE I SYNOPSIS wary Mary LorIng and her father Jim an Ineffectual attorney meet a train which brIngs brines his wealthy Healthy ter ln sister l in law tied Cobwell and her friend Le Leila Leha ila lla Ormsby divorcee for lor or a Christmas visit Waiting at home tor for them are Marys Mary's mother her younger sister alster El El- Ellen Ellen len her fathers father's nagging maiden sister Aunt Mamie and Peter the baby of ot the family At the depot Dr Christopher Cragg helps the guests with their lug luc lUI gage I CHAPTER I Continued 2 Aunt was in Mrs Lorings Loring's arms now and they were exclaim exclaim- ling and weeping and laughing all aU at atthe ate the e same time then Mrs Loring was was greeting Leila Lella and drawing them theta all into the hall hail while Ellen and year old year old Peter rushed pell pell- mell meU down the bare steps with Bar Dar Bartie tie Petes Pete's Airedale following at their heels Mary looked towards the curb to see tee It H Chris was pulling up Yes there he was opening the door of ot the car dragging out Linnies Linnie's and Leila's Leilas bags She ran out to help him Insisting on carrying three of i the pieces while he swooped the other six into his grasp Isn she the loveliest using tiling youve you've ever seen se n Chris whispered Mary as they slipped and slid over the icy walk to the house CHAPTER II s On Christmas day there were gifts gins for tor everybody everybody-a a sled and skates t 1 and a warm leather windjammer for Pete a sweater for Aunt Mamie from Mrs Loring six yards of heavy brown silk sUk to be made into a adress adress adress dress for Mrs Loring the gift of Ellen and Mary ties and gloves and anda a muffler for Mr Loring books bought at Hormel's at cost for Aunt Linnie and Lelia Leila stockings and a sweater each for the girls from their parents Lelia Leila who had slipped from the room unnoticed now returned her arms laden with long narrow boxes Im afraid you'll think I 1 was ter terribly unoriginal In my little Christ Christmas mas offerings Leila Lella was saying You see they're aU all the same And with a smile she extended a box to Mrs Loring For you Janet Ja Janet net with a 1 great deal of love and for you Miss Mamie Mamie- A second later Mary was tearing aside the tissue on the flat oblong box which Leila Lella had proffered her There were gloves inside inside doeskin doeskin brown stitched hand-stitched the kind that Leila Lella herself wore wore the the kind that Mary had seen advertised In Vogue but had never thought shed she'd pos sess How nice of you Leila Lelia she ex exclaimed claimed But how in the world did you know that I wear a six and anda a half And that I take seven demand demanded ed Ellen EUen Ah that's due to Aunt Linnie's Linnies excellent bookkeeping Lelia Leila re reo returned returned turned with a laugh Perhaps she's never told you but she keeps a little book In which she has jotted down the size glove stocking and frock each one of you wears I If It only I could always have things like this Mary was saying to herself If It only I could travel meet interesting people do things go places I believe Im I'm becoming discontented with Hawkinsville and Main street and pot roasts I I wish I could do something I wish I could dance or act act or or write 1 Of course course I have been writing for years but the stories have been so putrid that I either destroyed them after the second reading or later when they'd been hurled back at me by at least six editors I Thank heavens nobody's ever suspected I l wanted to tobe tobe tobe be a writer and that so s far it just hasn't worked I Why the tease tase me to death if they knew knewl But ButI 1 l believe Ill I'll try again Its It's been two months monfus since the last script came to an ignominious end In the furnace I simply must make my my- myself myself myself self write something worth while and get myself places places' Look at Aunt Linnie Linniel Then look at Aunt Mamiel Now there are two examples of what can be done with a life lite The Loring Christmas dinner was wasa a success positively out outdid did herself with perfectly roasted turkey golden brown and succulent oyster stuffing that would have tempted the most fastidious of epi epicures epicures cures cranberry Jelly in the shape of a star plum pudding and rich rum-flavored rum hard hard sauce Mary a little tired from her whirl of housework during the morning tat set s t silent and contemplative be be- between between tween Petey and Aunt Mamie Its all aU going off perfectly she was I thinking to herself And then irrelevantly irrelevantly vantly I wonder where Chris is having dinner I wonder if It hell he'll drop in this afternoon But three o'clock four o'clock then halt half after four came and went and Chris had not shown up upWell upWell Well Wen girls demanded Linnie what shall we do with ourselves How about a miserable game of three hand three hand bridge bri ge Its all aU right with me Linnie Lelia agreed Where do you hide your our card ard table Mary bg anti and Ii the other oth oili- other oilier er prerequisites for a little like lady gambling M t- t In the hall closet Leila Lella Ill I'll get the table and some cards cards although although I bet there Isn't a whole deck in the I house Petey and his friends are always alwa's playing Casino But I won wonder der would you mind mind mind- If you OU didn't play finished tin Lin nie Certainly not my ray dear dar Ill I'll take Lelia on for a thrilling bat battle tie tle at double solitaire I thought Id I'd like to take a walk walk Mary explained I haven't been out all day Here lIere Lelia Leila is the table and two perfectly mangy decks of cards Mary slid Into her Lapin coat then hesitated before the hall mir mirror mirror for an Instant to pull the brim of her soft felt hat down dO over one eye ee Linnie glancing up regarded her through a ring of cigarette smoke Youre a pretty thing Mary she said thoughtfully Just what are arc you going to do with your life lite Settle down here in Hawkins Hawkinsville vine ville and marry Chris Cragg or whatever his name is Or strike strikeout strikeout strikeout out for bigger and better things A deep scarlet suffused Marys Mary's face and neck Marry Marry Chris Chris Cragg she repeated slowly lIes Hes the only eligible man In Inthe Inthe inthe the town Isn't he countered Lin tin Linnie nie distributing her cards into seven disorderly piles But nut I bet he hes he's not so eligible at that Probably makes maltes about ninety dollars a month manU from his precious practice Marys Mary's lips straightened into a firm defiant line He lie took In a hundred and forty dollars last t r I II I t ll I J y I r dont don't want your mother to know month she returned in a low voice something in her heart urging her herto herto herto to rush to the defense of Christopher Cragg And that's doing pretty well considering hes he's been in practice practice tice tiel only a short while Muhl Huh I grunted Aunt Linnie slap slap- slapping slapping slapping ping an ace of diamonds on the ta ta- ta table ble That isn't enough nough to keep a beauty like you in shoes You'd better go back to New York with me my dear and hitch your wagon to a star Dont Don't by all that's holy let yourself be satisfied with small tripe Dont worry Aunt Linnie Mary retorted pulling on the gloves Lelia had given her that morning and reveling in their touch Chris hasn't proposed yet Besides Im I'm nothing to be entered in a beauty contest Linnie Cots well halted herself in inthe Inthe the act of placing the three three- of spades on the deuce Oh but you are arel she returned And I want to talk to you about it before I leave town So Chris is small Is-small small tripe is be he Mary said sold to herself as she emerged from the cheerful stuffiness of the house into the cold brisk air of Concert Street Well Wea hes he's Just about the grandest thing Ive I've ever seen and I only wish I 1 thought he might might- MaryI Maryl Mary shouted a II voice from a passing car Mary Maryl Mary looked up her heart turn turn- turning turnIng turning ing one of those foolish somersaults as she recognized Christopher Craggs Cragg's disreputable spattered snow-spattered coupe He brought the machine to toa a stop and leaped out Where are you going Just out Just out Mary replied her dark eyes smiling up at him Ive I've been in all aU day and I thought it was about time I breathed tome some fresh air Chris took Marys Mary's arm and pro pro- propelled propelled her towards his little car carWell carWell Well come on and breathe it t with me Im I'm on my way out to see seethe seethe seethe the Haeslip child on Johnson Road and Intended to drop in at your house after Id I'd made my call How about it The call wont won't take long You dont don't mind going along do you And inside his car Chris Chris' shabby wound about her legs leg Chris Chris' laughing blue gaze upon her she thought This is happiness no mat matter ter what Aunt Linnie thinks Going with Chris to make a call all in the country on en Christmas afternoon knowing hes he's coming back home with me and perhaps staying for tor supper supper just just sitting beside him and hearing him hint talk I dont don't want any anything thing better than Chris ever Chris ever as long as I live It was the first week in January and the Loring Joring household had at last settled back into its usual routine Cots well And Leila Lella had de departed de- de departed parted for New York three Unee days aft after er Christmas C arid and it was almost with a Ii feeling of relief relict that the Lor Loring ing lag family had seen them go and Lelia Lolia were charming amusing good company but to have them as guests was an expense the Lorings could ill afford offord Mary had returned to her post at Hormel's rental library She sat there now looking over the mem memo membership membership cards c ds jotting down dO the ti H titles tI ties lies of the books Mrs Cyrus Phipps had telephoned to reserve for her her thoughts going back in retro retrospect retrospect over the tho week that Hint had just passed Aunt Linnie had sought her out In her bedroom the last night of her stay and extended to her a glowing invitation to return to New York with her perhaps her perhaps even to go to Miami later on but Mary had refused rc used She was warmed by bythe bythe bythe the memory of Christmas afternoon when after their call I a 11 on the line Hae- Haeslip slip child she and Chris had re reo returned re- re returned turned home for supper which they had bad all taken part in preparing I f wonder if it'd be all right for forme forme forme me to call coll Chris up and tell him his book is in she thought Ilea Hes asked about it several times With an on almost guilty feeling she picked up the telephone and called Christopher Craggs Cragg's number Per Perhaps Perhaps haps hap she thought Im Just find finding ing an excuse to call him but I want to hear his voice I want to bear hear his voice I And when she did hear It an In in- Instant instant stant later she experienced a sud sud- sudden sudden den panicky paralysis and was un un- unable unable able for a brief second to say any anything thing in response to his Hello Chris Chris she finally fin a lly brought out this ful is Mary Your book came in inthis Inthis inthis this morning Do you still want It IU Oh hello there Mary Maryl Chris replied his professional tone cast aside his hii voice all warmth and friendliness now Yes you bet I still want it Can you hold it for forme forme forme me Ill I'll drop in some time this eve eve- evening ning before your closing time I hold it till Yes can then Mary replied in brisk businesslike tones Good by She sat motionless at her desk for fora a moment after she had hung up the warm blood coursing through her veins Even hearing his voice does things to me she told herself Oh Chris I Chris I I love you so 80 terribly I Then suddenly seeing a familiar I figure pass the Hormel display win window dow she jumped up and ran to the thedoor thedoor door Dad I she called Mr Loring wheeled about and Mary could tell by the expression on his tired face that he had not wanted her to see him Are you on your way home to lunch she asked and she was struck by the droop of his mouth the harassed expression in his eyes For the length of a block they plodded silently wordlessly along then taking her courage in her hands Mary said worrying you darling What is it Silence and then Well Well you'll you'll have to know some time Ume or other I I suppose Mary Ive I've been Ive Ive I've been let out by the railroad They were now in front of Lauber Lauber- grocery and as if It by one accord came to a sudden halt and faced each other quite oblivious of an occasional passerby There was consternation written in m every young curve of Marys Mary's face bewilderment in the stricken eyes of ner father But Dut Dad Mary began bc an in a n hurt voice olce How could couill they thy let Iel you OU out How lIow could rould they the Youve You've been alter attorney attorney ney for this district for fifteen years Yes Mr Loring repented dully for fifteen l years ears but they can ran al always al always ways was let a man out out and and they did I Iguess Iguess I Iguess guess 1 I Just wasn't up tip to to snot Mary And now I dont don't know which way to turn Weve We've depended al almost at aI- I most entirely ly on my salary from the railroad for the past five t years ears They said I wasn't aggressive enough that enough that I Just didn't have havo enough light fight fight in fn me But Dut Lord Mary I didn't have ha the heart to fight in those last two cases Cn es My sympathies were sero with the th the other other side Its because became youre you're so 80 darned good and fair Daddy Paddy Mary said compassionately but something will turn up tip dent d Well We'll get along Im I'm going to write stories and arti arti- articles des cles and things and maybe maybo Ill I'll bo be making money mon y soon Mr l Jenkins of the Ule Courier has hns already alread accepted ac two of ot my book boalt reviews I was go go- goIng goIng Ing to watt wall and let you read them In the paper surprise paper surprise you and Mother but now I think U you Oll should know Of course he paid only two dollars dolln 18 apiece for them but his ac III accepting i them Ulem at a t all a 11 goes oes to show I have some somo ability Dont Don't you think so I Mary Iary dear dar it takes lakes years And i years for authors to make H a living I at nt their writing And darling you I haven't had any training Mary smiled grimly But Dad I have hove had training of training of sorts Hav Ilav Having i 1 ing been penned up in Hormel I book shop for the past four years Ive I've read everything worth while that's fuat been published in that time and besides Ive I've Ive I've-I've Ive I've written a few short stories myself Darling dont don't pin your hopes to toa a dream It takes so long to make good at anything Besides and end here he ho squared his shoulders with witha a gallantry that flooded Marys Mary's heart with pity Im the father of the family God knows I should be beable beable able to support you all Mary all Mary Yes Dad I dont don't want your otter mother to know until know until its it's absolute ry Ive I've let her down sir I a terribly Ive I've let her down about and this and so 80 many other things Ima failure Mary Your fathers father's a 8 failure Dont Dad Dont Don't talk that way dear Youve You've been the finest hus husband husband band and the dearest fattier fatter in tho the world world and and a 8 man who is those things cant can't be a failure a-failure failure But Dut we wo wont won't tell teU Mother Just yet darling Well We'll smile when we go In the house and well we'll pretend everything's love love- lovely ly and ly-and and that we Just happened to meet on the way home CHAPTER III Ill |