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U il tt t- t t The Christmas 4 s. s 3 P Party arty 4 B By CLARISSA CI RISSA MACKIE I u u. u C J 1922 1923 by McClure McClur Newspaper Syndicate Why should I 1 believe In the Ue spIrit spin of Christmas Christinas repeated Calliope Fraser Fra Fra- ser In answer to Henry Blakes Blake's ques ques- ques i Ive urve many reasons and to prove it Im I'm g going ing to give a party Christmas t day To Yo be Henry was amazed B He BE 1 knew that Calliope C was quite ule poor 1 A Although she owned her small home iome she really had hud to work to support her her- self eIt All AU the best years ears of her life ute had gone Into making old people two happy happy two aged parents an invalid j I grandmother gr Q and finally a crippled d l and blind grandfather Now Calliope at ot five forty was was was' alone and In poof poor poo 1 f. f circumstances Some of your you cousins coming over from Long Hlll Hill Calliope shook her hel head They dont don't In Invite me Henry The They all ride around In automobiles and have plenty of of mone money but they dont don't want vant to to bother with me She smiled as ns she sh spoke for her troubles had not em eel- embittered Calliope She lifted her hel head above them them like n. n e some sweet sturdy turdy country flower blooming on In the dust and heat of the day lifting herP her P cup of cheeriness cheeriness- to the old ld and poor and discouraged Well well weli Calliope muttered Co Henry Blake Bake as ns he tied up her packages packages pack pack- ages anti and slipped sUpped CL a n wo wooden d n handle through the twine You are ale a good good- hearted girl hah girl hah I And Im I'm going to send around a few vegetables bes And Ive I've got some ome apples they will certainly certain certainly tain spile Now you ou run along and get ready for your party Calliope beamed her thanks and tripped away in a n quick birdlike way that made her appear appeal much younger J than she really was All t the e road home she was planning for the tile party Ill Til have to kill old Belinda It does f make my heart ache but of course s she's es e's only a n hen and she ought t to be thankful that she is to make so many people happy 1 expect that's the way r cannibals argue vh when they ther eat each other up up but B Belinda's got got to go She's tough but Ill I'll pa parboil bon her ber and then brown her in the tile oven They'll Just love it If It Henry sends over overy y some vegetables and apples they will help and theres there's currant jelly and and and- Calliope planned every detail of that party before she Invited her guests There were four Invitations and four tour acceptances and by Wednesday night everything was as ns nearly ready as os possible There was a coal fire In the parlor stove and some logs were r ready ady to o light on the room dining hearth The best lavender china was washed again and the tile thin damask t napkins counted out After she had hadi i rubbed robbed up the sliver silver until It rivaled th the engraved glass goblets Calliope e. e t 1 dressed herself and went to prayer meeting t i Calliope pe w whispered Mrs Trotter no one has asked the m minister to cat catt Christmas dinner He was going t v home to his folks but hes he's stayed to preach In the morning and jt t looks as asif J if it hed he'd have bave to cat eat In the hotel Its It's hard to be a lone bachelor Id I'd like If to have him only were we're going over to i. i c Til ask him lm to my part party said Cal- Cal and d the minister 1 promptly promptly- n new was very glad to accept the cordial invitation In 1 S S S 1 It was a glorious December day with a hoar frost in the morning that looked like fairy snow show Calliope went I J out and picked all aU the In her garden and their fresh pungent smell Gmell mingled ed with t the e fragrance of ot p. p burning apple wood It UIt makes me think of long long ago mused Calliope Cal Cal- hope when she shi sat down at last to wait walt for her gu guests She was wearing g gR a R pale gray dress with a few yellow flowers ers In her belt With her dark hair and soft sort brown eyes and fresh color she looked very young oung and S pretty The new minister wanted to 5 J tell her so as he came into the warm friendly house The doorbell rang several times after that and one by one she ushered them In In 1 Mr James an ani i s. s aged recluse from Upper RIver River Miss Miss Nelly Fane a retired dressmaker and ands two old ladles from the poorhouse VJ s A Miranda Larrabee a strong-minded strong b spinster who accepted charity due her heras heras as an unpaid debt and anel old Mrs Abner Mumford the last of or her well known p I family and once a leader In Little A River The warm fires soon thawed out the 4 half-frozen half Old folks and the minister i had bad them laughing at his witty stories stories' r One word led to another and and they chattered like old friends Mr Trap Trap- L j. j ham had Just told the minister that t he was coming coining back lack to church when announced dinner 1 Calliope 4 Mr Newton the minister gave his arm to old Mrs Mumford and James Jamesr r tollow d suit wIth wh Miranda f t Larrabee Wit poorhouse take care an her other spinster guests went In alone and unafraid to attack the tempting meal There might hav have aching hearts there but their owners bravely concealed the pain cain Perhaps Mr Newton l blessing said sold Calliope In her sensible way and then the rest of ot us can cnn each make a a. a little Inward prayer Just for the home folks who hav have gone on ahead I always do that Seems to keep the family link strong and hV How happy gappy they all were after atter that Even Miranda Larrabee and Jamesl James l IaO I hed at each others other's I jokes jukes mid nud Miss Nell Nelly Neily Fane Fine to a a. a toast In a a. a sweet old treble that quavered ered with joy Mrs hs h's Mumford sitting next to to did not ott often n but but her eyes e es sometimes s turned to her hostess and there was a n strange look In U their gray depths t Suddenly she spoke If m my son Abner had lied not been lost at sea I I- would never ne have gone gone ono to the tho town to farm farn r l she ithe lIe said softly Calliope Caliope lope paled O Of course not Mrs Mumford she said In a n shaking slinking voice And Calliope would have been m my law daughter In spite of the fact that I tried my 01 best to separate her herand herand er erand Ive I've lebe and Abner twenty five years ago figO been be n pun punished S cd and I want to apologize to Calliope for tOl Ive I've been a proud wicked o old d an I Dont mother Dont mother 1 I wl whispered C Calliope Cal Cal- l- l Hope tenderly This lils Is your yom home You will never nev-er go back to the farm farm farm- never nc 1 I They all nU applauded this even Miranda Larrabee and In the midst of the laughter laught l' l and chatter there sounded a n s summons from t the e polished brass knocker and someone entered the door strode through the hall hail and appeared In the dining room The They all stared at the tall sun sun- bronzed figure In nautical uniform Is my mother here he asked asI hoarsely Mother 1 I and he picked little Mrs Mumford l out of her chair and held her lIen In his bis strong arms j Abner Abner I 1 she screamed He held her closely as he told a hurried tale of sh shipwreck sickness and loss of memory A month ago ngo he be bad had awakened awakened awak awak- ened to full memory of the past and he had returned home to learn that his mother had nad been reduced to penury penury penury pen pen- ury and had b been n taken to the poor house He lIe had followed her hereIt here It uIt was Calliope who took me away and she was going to keep me like a daughter We thought you were dead whispered Mrs Mumford In his ear Calliope was w was s setting a place for Abner Ab Ab- Ab ner next ito to o his mother other and the long- long lost man man maii was welcomed by the other guests Cal Calliope lope sat In a happy dream eating nothing and nd avoiding the devoted devoted de- de de voted e eyes es of ot her lover So many things to be thankful for fort I rt It was a wonderful Cb Christmas p party said Miranda Larrabee to the Interested group group that awaited her re return return reo re- turn to the poorhouse To uTo cap It It all 1111 she concu concluded ed Abner Mumford came home to do and nd Is going to settle down on the the land And what do lo you ou think The parson married him and Calliope e then and there and 1 BO so the party ended up In a wedding I 1 |