OCR Text |
Show . 1hlIUl ( t COMES a MOMENT MOMENTBY MOMENTgy BY gy gy ELINOR ! ! MAXWELL ! EJ.J EJJ . . . 0 flECADIA HOUSE PUBLICATIONS CA WSU SERVICE SYNOPSISrsrg SYNOPSIS - . . , . and nd W ber bar fatheT father ta11 ' " 11m Jim lm.111 lm111 . an ani ! .Orlnl Orlnl rsrg ] . ' meet a train wWcb which wWcbbII whichthr 1 i lIIol11e1 att ' sister In law unmar- unmar unman unmarQweu - bII Wealth1llster csssweU unmancsssweU thr and her friend Le LetQddodivorcee Qweu ) divorcee ! $ for torthem a Christmas ChristmasfJlLlnl them are arepctaU tQddodivorcee tQddodivorceeome 1 al homa ome tor for them are are1I0U fJlLlnl lister ulster EI El ElQ younger , 1I0U pctaU ttlier > et her " oagg.ng oaggng " ; ' ' . , . niilfltn maiden sister sisterjur1e sisterbaby Bisteri laW and Q ' .S S . eetptr peter the he hemaiden baby of o ( theAt theAt the jur1e ! . depot dCP0t Dr Christopher ChristopherJpllhe Cl Cls the theirlug lug lugbf7p At their lug ' bf7p /Jpllhe Jpllhe / s the ttep"ts ttepts lUesls gue ' " tsDwith with CJlAl'1'ER CJlAl1ER ' g flE fjER IContinuedZ I-Continned I Continned I-Continued Continued IContinuedtyklle IContinned.lUnnliwaslnMrg - - -Z- Z - Ze . .lUnnliwaslnMrg lUnnliwaslnMrg . I tyklle IJnn \e e \ was In Mrs Loring Lormg sI syo s IJnnd exclaim exclaimWeeping o-ran o ran - and d they were orand yo all at ate ataid Weeping pmg pwg and d laughing aid J time e then eD , . Mrs coring coringitoathe Loring LoringFeesg e eeLel1a : Lelia and drawing drawingdot re Feesg all Ellenall In Inold J Jthe the haD . while rushedwhile whileell Ellen ell elldose pelleJ5j1tye dot year -old old - Peter rushed pell eJ5j1tye itoathe do1i\l do1i l dose Bardo1il \ the : bare steps with BarPete Bar Bartet Airedale " .edale edale . following tolioWIng atbctls at atpeles peles Pete tet , .IW IW . h hed bctls bctlslooked sli . , ed - towards A.Arqf AArqf . e the tho curb purb to towas tofans tr rjoukc1 looked * v--- v vOsis " ' " - - - - fans Osis was pulling pig Pt ag "P P up " Yes Yesthe Yes\tVis Yes tVis the door o onnie of ofa I \ Is t Was s op opout opening openmg nniedoor doorand u ca . Lica a andIs . ragging draggingt : dragging out LInnie Li aale nnie s I and andu and11 I t helpI lags bagS . . . She ran out to help helpbslstng helptelstiBg . on carrying carrymg th three ree 0 of oferp ofgaHerpeces . J : ; ! bslstng erp geces eces while he swoopedIIhU swooped swoopedts swoopedt IIhU t ts BX SIX su into mto his grasp graspthe grasps graspI isle the I she the loveliest 10vel1est lovebest thing thmg you ve ye veChns yelien ve.laii.Chns7 velaii.Chns7 velaiiChns7 . lien . . Chns Chris ' whispered Mary Marydipped Maryty II6Iollipped MaryII6Iollipped dipped and slid over the thefalk thetilt theiilk falk tilt to 10 the housec house houseCHAPTER c CHAPTER - ; n D u u(3rlstntas nidristaiai - idristaiai (3rlstntas 3rlstntas ( stma ! day there were gifts giftsnrybodya giftseerybadya giftsrafiaij nrybody-a nrybody a e-erybady-a e erybady - - a tied sled and skates skatesI skatesagarm tkatesinna I agarm rum leather windjammer wmdjammer fora for tor ; i a . iweater sweater for tor Aunt Mamie Mamielrs MamieDire Mamiel Mri /lrs lrs Dire / . . . Lormg Loring . liz .Ix Ix six yards of ofbrown ofbrown ofThrown brown lillt silk ( llk to be made Into a aDr alot al tor Dr lot ! Mrs Lorisg Lormg Loring the gift of ofaId ofgdMary ofitadMary aId ! gdMary Marl ties and gloves and anddSa * > "er er " tor for Mr Loring bookslit bookst books lit t at Honnel Hormel i a . at cost for Aunt Auntand Auntend Auntit ind and end Leha Lelia stockings and a a.a areathfor alatichtor .a a . reathfor tach for the girls gl1'Is gl1Is ' from their theira theirij oS , a . u , tho who had sl 51 si pped from the theunnotIced theunnoticed thei , unnoticed now returned her heriden herladen herl ! Men iden laden with long narrow boxesalra boxesrya boxes a Aa alra rya d you 11 n think I was ter ter1Ilcrlgmal ternaignal terunoriginal 1Ilcrlgmal naignal : in my little ChrIsto Christosenags Christ Christolenngs olenngs osenags o l.Dgs lDgs " . Leha Leba Lelia was saymg saymgue saymgsee sayingl ue see , , , they re all the same1iJ1h samenth same sameBlh Blh 1iJ1h nth . a smile sIIUJe she extended a am.lrs ab ahMrs m.lrs mlrs b Lira ! . Loring Lormg For you Jalith Janth Ja Blh lith nth a . great deal of o1 love Jove andMlJiS andMiss and andW W , Miss MlJiS Manue- Manue Mamie- Mamie Manuelater Mamielater Mamie - ttonii later 1 > Mary rary was tearmg tearing tearingtte tearmgthe tearingthe oblongAA the ! tissue Issue on the flat oblong oblongLeila oblongLeha Leha Leila had proffered herfere hersere her ' fere sere * ae gloves inslde-doeskm inslde doeskm Inside-doeskin Inside doeskin insldedoeskmband Insidedoeskinband Inside - - doeskini . land band stitched the kind that thatberself thatbersel4 thati thatitersely tersely berself bersel4 , wore-the wore the - - kind tha that t had thatlad thad thathad Vogued wen seen advertised in lD Vogue VogueHi d never sever thought thougbt she d pos poi poinice posimeotyou imeotyou mce nice of you Lellal LehaTshe Leiial1 LehaT ! ' she ex'But exBut ex ' 'But But ' how bow In the world worldwbow ft andft wbow know worldknow that I wear a SUE SIX sax andmat and Bat mat I 1 take seven ' ' ' demandmats demand demandla la . CAti mats th I ! due to Aunt Linme LinDle s sw sbookkeepmg sbookkeeping lookheepmg bookkeepmg bookkeeping Leha Lelia re- re re'llha re - - . re-'TOir re 'TOir TOir ' 'llha llha ' a laugh . . Perhaps she s s"Id sId ' 11114 bid sbid " you YOIL , . tut but she iffi littleiffi lIttlek1 littlek k1 k "hlch hlch which " thinri .1-1--J .11J .1 1 J . . - . - - keeps . . . a . little she bas has jotted down downClove downglove frock'M frockM frockof I'nve Inve Clove glove ' stocking stockmg and frock ' of 01 you wears ' ltIIy lilly Icould I couldalways could always have Ike ! ! EV haveEV haveIke havele le thJs this tMl Mary IT . . _ - was saymg saying saymgIf sayingJOlt JOlt If I1 Ifonly " only I could travel travel , , InltresUng interesting people do thmgs things I ! thmgsI 11 I believe I becomingIe becomingted m becoming Ie ted < ! ' with Wlth . Hawlonsvffle Hawk1tlsville hlawkipsvme andand and andbeet beet * and end , pot roasts 1 I ! I wish couldOf couldor do lome\hmgl lome hmgl somet \ ungi I WIsh I could Of or * "t-or "t t or act-or act actor " - - write writel wrltel ! Of course course"M courseM coursebttn bttn bcea bttnVntmg " \ Witmg \Vntmg Vntmg Writing for tor years but " buthave thatdestroyed have "e e " . been so putrid that destroyed them after alter the theL hang thehang dlng - L . or later when be 'II II ' " es burled hurled behi back at me by I.z Iz hi ! . Thankeves d1torsl dit5 dit5es Thank byThank heavens I evtr eves uspecd uspecdii Itr ht tvtttuipectedlwantedto Suspected I ii wanted to forkedl 'rorkedl rorkedl justforkedl just'rorkedl ' and aid that that , , so far It just Why the 10 k famlly family d death If they knewl knew Bute But'e 'e e ' e ru Pi ! But t taumt aumt since sincethe try againl 11 It s been :1111 1111 W Wan : an alnce the last lastbeen scrIpt beenpt pt iJllgnommiow tgfornrniosa ' " . end in the theItl theitt I ittI Itl Itllimply limply ah'uply ahuply ' must make itt ittah'uply , myomelhmg my omelhmg tometlung t ' worth whlle while myself se1f , , , Places " ' Look ' -"UK "UK UK ' " at Aunt l ies [ u u"UK Aunten , - ai Aimie,001'51 Aimie00151 en . ' look lookat lhere at here hereies are ate Mamielare Manuelate , ' Aunt Mamielb Marniel Mamiel Manuel two examples of iSbe b e done WIth a life long ring Christmas e was'il wase ' . . Phrony nrony dinner , was was.i wasi 'il il 'ilPhrony Positlvely positively oosltii i out outt outtoldes ? ? * WIth t toldes H"j Hj ld ldWIth n brown brown brownands perfectly " roasted roastedltu luuslea ltu ltun . . ? , ng succulentng ? ? that . , , and ands andssucculent succulentd succulentdttullng succulent d dttullng the would havet ha- ha have - most . fashdlous fastidious .wld wld t : ot of epl epi eplranberry asp asptry ranberry try jelly in the shape shapeVOdJUIn shapeSauce VO/dJUIn VO dJUIn v01ed / t richt hard Ce8 PUddIng and rich nch'ttletlrpdf nchttletlrpdf hardt sauce Sauceand t " I1tUe htue ' tired from - . , . . . otk whirlotk her whirl whirltotOfk ' totOfk ' during "lg lg " the th-morning'eto- th morning'eto morningeto thmorning'etoPlative - 'land land totand tot morningtot ' and ' , mornmg morning Pete mornmgPete Peteand ' ' City y andcontempla andCOittOin - contempla COittOin Plative mt ttve be and Aunt Marralee MarraleeIt ' Mamie l ! It s sbh bh bhteufeAnd lperfectly teufeAnd perfectly she hirrele was was'I ersel ! thenhirrele 'I I ' 'Iersel ' ' And tben then irrele irreledJ dJ dJ'honder dinner Ce011 'honder honder wonder where Chris isIhfDner Is Is'ame I IhfDner tlii wonder If he II U afternoonaB afternoon . aB ' o'clock oclock shat r tour four four 0 o clock clock , , ' b br bad badnot d dnot not came 'ame ame and went ! Is shown nu up upIU u uall u IU all IUIs allwe Isdemanded We do demanded jdemanded withoyr oyr $ Linnie Llnnle j elg bulb elgbulb t tWe with withourselves ourselves ' > bl rl ofrl j jmin rnlaerable min raF raFa a game of ofU ofU ofright rlge7 ge7 ei ' U right rightei rlgbt eiWhere with withme witl Where * "t t me " Linnie Llnnle Where tabl tablWhere table e do YOU hide hideIs Is Ise lie othlie . for lot Mary nnd and the oth otht othtlsltet d t tlsltet a lItUe little lady like 'In In ' In the hall closet closet , , Leila Lelia Ill I 11 II get the getthe althoughI cardsalthoughI table and some cards-although cards although cards - I bet there Isn iSD t a whole deck in the thebouse thehouse thebouse bouse house Petey and his friends are arealways arealways arealways always playing Casino But But , , I won wonder wonder wonder der would you mlnd- mlnd mind- mind mlndIf mindIf mind - ' . If you didn dldn t play ? finished Lin Linnle LInnie Linnie nle nie dearI 'Certainly Certainly Certain1y ' . not not , , my dear dear111 I II 11 take Leha Leila Lelia on for a thrilling thr1ll1ng ba bat battle to totIe . tle tIe at double solitaire " . I thought I Id d like to take a awalk awalk awalk walk Mary explained " . I haw " been 11the out all day Here Leila Lelia , 11 is isthe isthe the table and two perfectly mangy decks mangydecks of cards ' Mary slid Into her Lapin coat coatthen . ' , then coat.then coatthen hesitated before betore the hall mir mfr mfrror mirror ror tor for an Instant to pull the brun brim brunof brimof brimof of her soft sott felt hat down over one oneeye oneeye oneeye regardedher eye Linnie Ll.DIlle LlDIlle Lennie . glancing up regarded her through a ring rmg of cigarette cigarettesmoke cigarettesmoke cigarettesmoke smoke You re a pretty thing Mary thingMary she said thoughtfully . ' Just Justwhat Justwhat Justwhat what are you going to do with mth your lJ1e life yourlife yourlJ1e ? Settle down here In Hawkins Hawkinsville Hawkinsyule Hawkinsville ville yule and marry Chris Cragg or orwhatever orwhatever orwhatever whatever his name Is7 Is ? Or strIke strIkeout strikeout ttrikeout out tor for bigger and better things thmgs ? ' Mary'gface Marygface Mary'sface A deep scarlet suffused Mary's Marys ' ' face and neck MarrY-chrIs MarrY chrIs Marry--Chris MarrYchrIsCragg MarryChrisCragg Marry - - - ChrisCragg Cragg ? she repeated slowlyHe slowlyHe slowly slowlyHe He s the only eligible eUglble man in inthe Inthe Inthe the town isn t he he7 ' countered Lin Linme Linme Linme me distriDutmg dlstrlDutIng distrioutmg her cards into mto seven sevendisorderly sevendisorderly sevendisorderly disorderly piles But I bet he s * . snot not so eligible ehglble at that . . Probably Probablymakes Probablymakes makes about ninety nmety dollars a month monthfrom monthfrom monthfrom from his precious practicel practlcel practice ! ' Mary s lips Ups straightened Into a afI.rm afirm afirm fI.rm fIrm . , firm . , defiant line Ime lute He took In a ahundred ahundred ahundred hundred and forty dollar doliars dollars * last ! J Jf f/ f fI / ! I . ' I don dOD t want your mother to toknow toknow tohnow know " month she returned in a low " ' voicesomething oice oicesomethmg oicesomething somethmg something in her heart urging urgmg her herto herto herto to rush to the defense detense of Christopher ChristopherCragg ChristopherCragg ChristopherCragg Cragg And thats that a s doing domg prettywell pretty prettywell prettywell well well , , , considering consldermg he s been in m prac practlce practice practice tlce tice only a short while whlie ' , ' ' Huh Huhl ! grunted Aunt Linnie slap slap- slapping slapping . - ping pmg an ace of diamonds on the ta to table toble table ble That isnt isn t enough to keep a abeauty abeauty abeauty beauty l like te you in shoes I ! You d dbetter dbetter dbetter better go back to New York With Withme withme withme me my dear and hitch your wagon wagonto wagonto wagonto to a star Don t by all that s holy holylet , let yourself be satisfied with small smalltripe smalltripe smalltripe smalltripeDon tripe tripeDon Don t worry Aunt Linnie Linme 'Mary Mary 'Maryretorted ' Mary Maryretorted Maryretorted retorted pulling on the gloves Leila Leha Leilahad Lehahad Leilahad had given her that morning mornmg and andrevelmg andreveling andreveling revelmg reveling in their touch . . Chris Chrishasn Chrisham ChrSahasn hasn ham t proposed yet Besides I m mnothmg mnothing mnothing nothmg nothing to be entered In a beauty beautycontest beautycontest beautycontesti contest ! ! ' Linnie LIDDle Linne Cots Cotswell well halted herself in inthe Inthe Inthe the act of placing placmg the three of ofspades ofspades otspades spades on the deuce ' . Oh but you youarel youare youarel arel are ! she returned And I want to totalk totalk totalk talk to you about it before I leave leavetown leavetown leavetown town . . So Chris is-small is small is - small tripe Is he ? 'Mary Mary ' Mary said to herself as she emerged emergedfrom emergedfrom emergedfrom from the cheerful stuffiness of the thehouse thehouse thehouse house into the cold brisk air of ofConcert ofConcert ofConcert Concert Street . . Well he s justabout just justabout justabout about the grandest thing thmg I ve ye ever everseen everseen everseen seen and I only wish I thought he hemight hemight bemight might- might - - mightMary Mary ' shouted a voice from a apassmg apassing apassing passmg passing car Mary Maryl Mai'y Maiy MarylMary ' ! Mary looked up her heart turn turnmg turning turning mg ing one of those foolish foohsh somersaultsa somersaultsas somersaults as she recognized recogmzed ChrIstopher ChrIstopherCragg ChristopherCragg ChristopherCragg Cragg s disreputable snow spattered spatteredcoupe spatteredcoupe spatteredcoupe coupe He brought the machine to toa toa toa a stop and leaped out . . Where are areyou areyou areyou you gomg going going9 going9Just ' > Just-out Just out Just - - out Mary replied her herdark herdark herdark dark eyes smiling smllmg up at him I ve ye vebeen yebeen vebeen been in all day and I thought it itI itwas itwas itwas was about time I breathed some somefresh somefresh somefresh fresh airChriS airChris air airChris I ( Chris took Mary s arm and pro propelled propelled propolled pelled her towards his little httle carWell carWell car carWell Well come on and breathe it with withme withme withme me I m on my way out to see seethe seethe seethe the Haeslip Haesllp child on Johnson Road Roadand Roadand Roadand and Intended to drop in at your yourhouse yourhouse yourhouse house after I d made my call . How Howabout Howabout Howabout about It it7 ' The call won t take long longYou longYou longYou You don t mind mmd going gomg along do doyou doyou doyou you ? And Inside his car Chris shabby shabbylaprobe shabbylaprobe shabbylaprobe laprobe wound about her legs Chrislaughing Chris Chrislaughing Chrislaughing laughing blue gaze upon her , she shethought shethought shethought thought This is happiness happmess no mat mat- matter matter - - ter what Aunt Linnie Linnle thinks |