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Show The i 9J B ' r rlT lT + i ( r t ts tmllin s cAfatlha mllin j @ cKemas J6omas ' 'AM AM ' AM : LINCOLN walked wanted slowly slowlyalong slowlyalong slowbk SAM along the street gazing gazmg into intostore intostore int- int intstore - store windows . . An icy wind windcaught windcaught wincaughC caught him at the corners but he heburried hehurried hehurried burried hurried across to the next curb in- in intent intent intent - tent on his mental shopping . . He was thinking thinkmg hard of Cora Coratoo , , too . . Though not a word had been beenspoken beenspoken beerspoken spoken between them thcm on the sub- sub subject subjcct subjcct - ject jcct , , it was quite understood that thathe thathe thahe he should buy her warm gloves , , n a nwarm awarm awarm warm sweater and stockings stoch.1ngs stoch1ngs . for forChristmas forChristmas foiChristmas Christmas . . He'd Hed ' ' saved a fair fairamount fairamount fanamount amount for this very purpose purposeWhen . , Whcn When you gave up your city lIVmg living lIVmgfor livingfor livingfor for the country , , you thought in interms interms interms terms of wooL . Cora needed all allthese allthese aUthese these things thmgs . Her gloves were wereworn wereworn wereworn worn down to thin spots Hersweater Her Hersv Hersv sv sweater . . eater had been mended a good goodmany goodmany goodmany many times ond and her stockings stockmgs- stockmgs stockings- stockmgswell stockingswell stockingswell - well , Cora just laughed about them them.Cora themCora . . Cora would . . She bad had made fun of ofevery ofevery olevery every hard thing about changmg changing changmgtheIr changingtheir changingtheir theIr home , , from the dreadful dreadfulwheezy dreadfulwheezy dreadfulwheezy wheezy pump in the kitchen , to the theway theway theway way the Goors floors slanted in the bed bedrooms bedrooms bedrooms rooms , , so that no pencil would stayon stayon stay on a table , and books contmually continually contmuallyslId continuallyslid continuallyslid slId off on the floor . . Cora was a athoroughbred athoroughbred athoroughbred thoroughbred and a n good sport sporL . . Sam looked at 3t a green sweater sweater.That sweaterThat . . Th3t That would be becoming to Cora's Coras Cora's11ght Cora'slight Cora'slight Coraslight ' 11ght light curls . . Or that cheerful red redone redone redone one . . Nice on snov/y snov y snowy / winter morn morn- mornmgs mornings mornings - ings mgs The very chickadees would wouldslOg wouldsing wouldsmg slOg sing with pleasure at sight of her herm herin herm m in that sweater . . He took a few fewsteps fewsteps fewsteps steps toward the shop door when whenhis whenhis whenhis his eye fell on a n black and yelloi yello\l yello l yellow yellolsith yellowsilk \ ; silk sith . kimono klmono . . Of course he would not get it ; ; just inquire mqulre the price so that he hemIght hemight hemight mIght look at iL iLThe it . . The moment Sam toucned a areverent areverent reverent hand to the exquisite sIlk sIlkhe silkhe silkhe he was lost 10sL . Thrifty , hard worh.1ng worh1ng working workingSam workingSami . Sam I ! How could coqld he have done donesuch donesuch such a thing thmg ? And so calmly , , too too"Please too"Please too"Please tooPlease "Please Please " wrap it up , , " he had said saidThe saidThe saidThe The price had been reduced m 10 in or- or order order or order - der to sell quickly qUlchly . . He walked out outof outof outof of the shcp v/ith v ith WIth / the light 11ght bundle bundleunder bundleunder bundleunder under his arm , and slunk by win wm- wm win- wmdows windows windows - dows filled with warm woolen woolenclothes woolenclothes woolenclothes clothes . . . . . the kind kmd Cora so sore sore- sorely sorely sorely - ly needed neededAll All the way home on the tramhis tram tramrus trainhis rus his heart sank lower and lower . . lIel"lllll He lIe He"You're l"lllll llllll " u u ui ut ur i t ' - r o J JJl Jl t ! "You're Youre c'You're cYoure " ' ' ' So Lo Los Lovely , ely I Want to KIss KIss1.ou KissYou Kissl.ou Kisslou 1.ou 1ou You . . Very Hard liard . . " felt so chilled and miserable atthe at atthe atthe the thought of his weak behavIOr behaviorthat , , that Cora rushed at him as he heopened heopened heopened opened the door , , exclaiming exclaimmg , , "My My "hey hey "Mydear "heydear "Mydear Mydear " dear , , what dreadful thing thmg has hap hap- happened happened . - pened to you you7 your ? " They had an excellent M it fi frugal frugaldmner frugaldinner frugaldinner dmner dinner . Cora chatted happily of ofthIS ofthis ofthis thIS and that that , , looking lookmg unusually unusuallypretty unusuallypretty unusuallypretty pretty and gay . Sam tree tried i to meet meether meether meether her laughter , , but actually shIvered shIveredalong shiveredalong shiveredalong along his spine Idiot . ! ' = SoollWretched 001l oo11 001lWretched oo11Wretched Wretched unspeakable lunatic that thathe thathe thathe he wasl vasl was ! Would a yellow and black blackChmese blackChinese blackChinese Chmese Chinese kimono keep heep Cora COIa waJm warm warmIt ; ? It would not notJustice . . Justice demanded that he con con- confess confess confess - fess Cora v/ould v ould would / be kind hmd , , and nnd that thatv v \ ' ould auld hurt more than anythmg anything anythmgCora anythingCora anythingCora Cora would be kind kmd . . . . , . and keep keeprIght keepright keepright rIght on feeling feelmg cold on the crIsp crIspmornings crispmornings crispmornings mornings after Christmas ChrIstm30s But he hemust hemust hemust must do it . . . mUddle muadie muddle through throughit It somehow somehowAfter somehowALter After ALter dinner dmner he came close to toCora toCora toCora Cora muttering something about a agilt agift agift gilt gift , , and how darned sorry he wasand was . . . and please , , please not to look lookat lookat lookat at him so sweetly . . Cora um\ um uns unwrapped umrapped \ rapped the bundle Sam Samwtlted Samwaited Samwaited wtlted waited : The lovely shining shm1l1g thmg thing thmgfell thingtc1I thingfell fell tc1I to the floor with the llghts lights lightsleammg llghtsgleammg Ughtsgleaming gleammg leammg ; on it 1t ' Oh . . . . . . oh . . .I I . I ! I never in inall inill inall all ill my life lile saw anything anythmg so magmfi- magmfi magnifl- magnifl magmficent magniflentl magnifl-centi magnifl centi - - cent : entl ! For me me7 ? ' Surely Surdy Surcly , , surely not fornc for forme forme me : nc , , Sam Sam7 Sam's Sams ? ' But how ' I'd Id ' ' adore it ! it itiI'm itiIm ! I'm Im ' ' suie sUle sure I wouldn't wouldnt wouldn.t ' . mind anything anythingif anythingf If f I knew such . u .t t . , gorgeous garment garmentwere garmentvere garmentwere were vere hanging hangmg in my closet But 01 of 01course ofourse olcourse course ourse : you re teaming tea'lOg tealOg teasing : ' me . . . . . . " ' ' No , , " slid s"1ld s1ld siid " Sam heavily , , "It's Its "it'spour "it'syour itsyour " ' your pour Christmas present I feel l1I\e l1I e like l1IeI l1Iea likei likea \ , a i cad I know you need the warm warmhings warmthings things hings . . , don't dont ' ' be so darnedsweet darned darnedsweet sweet about it itl It ! ! " he commanded commandedrossly commandedcrossly crossly rossly : . . Cora Hung llung flung on the robe , , and threw threwier threwher her ier : arms trms around tround : Sam's Sams ' neck ' . Iion't I Idon't Idon't Idont don't dont ion't iont ' ' know hnow why you re acting this- this thissilly this-silly this silly - . - silly ; illy v.ay vay way \ . ay but if you're youre ' ' so sodcad solead sodead dc-ad dc ad lead - set on warm thjigs th.ngs thngs . . . . . , a awhole avhole awhole whole vhole box came this afternoon afternoonfrom afternoonTom afternoonfrom from Tom Uncle Horace " Sam S30m sank weakly wetkly : into a chaii chair chaii"You're chair'You're chair"You're chairYoure "You're Youre 'You're " ' ' ' so lovely I want to kiss kissyou kissrou kissyou you rou very hard " ' ' Why not7 note not ? " inquired Cora , , , re- re resplendent resplendent re resplendent - splendent in the yellow and black blackkImono blackamono blackkimono kImono amono " 'This This "This ' Phis is simply the most mostwonderful mostvonderful mostwonderful wonderful vonderful tiling tlung thing you ever did forme forne for forme " me ne 10 0 < S > Western Wc tern Newspaper Union . . . _ ' " - |