| Show STEPHEN I 4 WELLS WELLS' i CHRISTMAS IN JOHN JONN cASTOrf l r My Lady rose from the table and f swept gracefully fro from a the dining room statuesque and beautiful as always At the do door r she turned and said Why certainly have them down doaa forthe for forthe the holidays if it you think they would enjoy it My time will be so fully occupied occupied oc oc- F however hat I will not have much of it to devote to them them and and our 1 holiday atmosphere is not of the sort they are accustomed to in the country r I fancy This with a smile denoting well-bred well acquiescence but absolutely devoid of oY warmth The man behind her gray and a trifle bent with tired eyes deep wrinkles wrinkles wrinkles wrin wrin- kles in his face inclined his head with witha a Do half halt sigh and replied revIled Thank you my dear and I guess gues i. i you are right It would be anything but a merry Christmas I fear for the girls here We tiVe seem to have lost the spirit of the season I thought pert perhaps perhaps per per- t haps they might bring a little of the boll holiday day c ci eer cl eer er into the house house but but you are right I it t would only spoil their season M y Inso J Ii ras as as little of the holiday chee che ro great hou house e had ever ev ever r k long years a ago o Just anu he they h humbler home in the Eias as had been a season of holly hally of love tokens and of turkey and cranberry sauce and plum lum pudding Especially after came there had been some gorgeous celebrations with Christmas t trees and Santa Claus Glaus and all the things so dear to the heart of child- child hood But when the little one died the shock and sorrow and the disappointment disappoint disappoint- ment went and the sickness heart-sickness were so Steen keen that it was simply Impossible to return to the old habits and ways of which the little one had been so es essential essential essential es- es a part They had haJ even cven shrunk from the ordinary manifestations of mutual affection on and which served as a poignant reminder v of the loss each felt so deeply in their very different ways Something of all these things was In Inthe inthe inthe the mind of each that December evening evening even evening even even- ing a week before Christmas as they sat inthe in the magnificent drawing room he half halt reading his newspaper and she idly turning the pages of a magazine Presently she rang for a a. servant and ordered her carriage Are you going out he ho asked a I shade of disappointment in his voice I thought I would go to consult with Mrs Mra Bogardus regarding the charity charity charity char char- It is getting ity ball she replied near the time and we are on the com com- However if it you have other plans It Is not at all Important I have other othe No he replied no r plans I have a trial balance to to togo go over come to think of it iG it But his eyes looked more weary and more sunken as she left the room As she turned to wave him a na good adieu he arose to go to his his 11 library li library li- li and she caught the expression n and her eyes contracted with a puzzled puzzled puzzled look It was a stormy ni night ht and as My y Lady rode through the rain her cari carriage carriage car car- i collided with a cab reckless recklessly y t direction driven in the opposite and of the wheels was taken 1 o r ry A 0 r AL Ar i L fl tD s ri o w A At t t of off and the occupant considerably considerably considerably consider consider- ably shaken up Then she was compelled to seek the shelter of a cottage cottage cottage cot cot- tage the accident occurred in the poorer district of the city until tho the coachman could summon another car car- She apologized with her characteristic characteristic characteristic char char- grace to the faded little woman woman woman wo wo- man who of offered red her a refuge in response re response response re- re to the drivers driver's appeal and was received with whole-hearted whole cordially It was a very humble home in which My Lady had found refuge It was small and scantily furnished and everything everything everything every every- thing was of the cheapest The carpets carpets carpets car car- pets the furniture the clothing of the people were all aU of the cheapest and anft the atmosphere was that of the most rigid economy And yet there was excellent excellent excellent ex ex- taste displayed notwithstanding ing all the cheapness and everything was neat and tidy Udy and the atmosphere was distinctly that of a home All these things suggested themselves to her as asahe she seated herself In the modest little parlor A sturdy boy of three seated at a table making marks on a sheet of paper eyed her askance Encouraged Encouraged Encouraged En En- at her smile he volunteered the information that he was writing a aletter aletter aletter letter to Santa ClausI Claus Glaus I Im n tellin him dat dot I want a tandy tane tans and some choo choo-choo cars he in informed informed informed in- in formed her Do you think he will bring them she site asked Es h I do Mamma toys cays ys dat dot he will If I dont don't ask too much Do you think dat dot is too much he demanded No indeed she responded warmly warmly warm warm- ly Ip and I am sure he will bring them We always try to observe Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas mss and the holidays remarked the faded little woman Of Oi course we are not able to do much but we try to catch the spirit of the days and It seems to brighten us all up so much to forget the worries and struggles forone for forone forone one day now and then then and and it Is so much to the children I want to show you what I am going to give John John John-it if you dont don't mind Ive I've just got it and andI I will burst if it I dont don't show It to some some- one John is my husband you know and he is very fond of hunting but he doesn't go very often because he hasn't got a gun and it costs so much to rent one Whereupon she dodged into a closet and emerged with a bright new double shot gun And that aint all aU she went on on her eyes glowing with excitement See what Ive I've made for him and she disappeared dis appeared again and emerged with a ae tM e t complete canvas canvas' Hunting suit aut I made mado this all b but t the she said The gun was the hardest I saved it all out of my table allowance excepting ten dollars I made by b baking for the Womans Woman's Exchange He doesn't know anything about th that though that though d my but wouldn't he be be mad i if it he did Te fie e thinks I have enough to do o with the housework and the children The faded little woman heard a step stepon on the walk and hustled her treasures back into their hiding place Tho The door flew open and John appeared covered with snow He merrily kissed the wife and boy and was duly presented to My Lady at which h he s subsided in great confusion There nf s i some little talk t about the approaching Christmas and when a few moments later the wIPe wife went out to put the boy poy In bed John Jahn said hastily l consider Would you consider It asking too much of you to look at a present 1 I have got for the little woman It Is out of my line lino and it cost quite a abit bit and I could change K now it-now now if it It was not all right My Lady acquiesces acquiesced and John rushed out of the room and with a cloak of rather good quality quality exceed exceed exceedingly good quality in contrast with the things in the house house- I think it Is is the most beautiful cloak I ever saw saw Lady i responded warmly with moisture in her eyes Then she added hastily hatlY for t the e price It is well worth the money money I assure you and your wife will be the happiest woman in the world 11 l am sure i iA A half halt hour later she entered entered her husbands husband's library and said said- Stephen I have bare been thinking i it over and I really really really real real- ly would like to have the girls down for the holidays I have decided to decline all invitations invitations' for the Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas week and I think we can make it pleasant for them them and and as you said they may bring some of the holiday cheer into the house Very well he responded looking at her in some surprise but evidently pleased I will write them tonight As AJ he rose from his chair thair he uttered an exclamation Con Confound that rheumatism rheu rheu- I believe it Is getting worse I half halt believe if it I wore knit home-knit socks like old Grandma Bla Black k used to knit for me that it would help This city- city made hosiery never comes up to the mark set by the time old-time home knit home knit socks a aMy t f My Lady was a ve veI ve t. t busy woman iJ r e k during the next week and kept much to the s seclusion lusion of her room On Christmas morning when Stephen Wells rose he found a chair st standing close to his bed and from one corner hung bung one of his socks Investigating In amazement he discovered crowded into it two pair of knit socks and pinned pinned pinned pin pin- ned to them was the following note Dear Stephen Stephen- StephenI I wanted to give you something that was my own hand hand- handiwork handiwork and that cost me something of time or sacrifice to get I can do so little that I could think of nothing excepting excepting ex ex- to knit you some socks like liko grandma used to knit So here they are not are not much excepting a token love from your wife The man went to the window and looked looked out into the the vista of sparkling snow for a long time When he ho proceeded proceeded proceeded pro pro- with his dressing there were tears In his eyes He Ho went straight to his wife and gathering her in his arms kissed her again and again There were several surprises at the Wells yells home that day The formal course dinner was supplanted much to the tho chefs chef's disgust with a genuine old- old fashioned turkey dinner the house was resplendent with holly and mistletoe cand and in the evening there was the merriest merriest merriest mer mer- riest sort of a Christmas tree loaded with good things The nieces from the country voted that it was the jolliest Christmas they had ever spent Down at the cottage whence the in- in o a T 1 r 7 s M I Q r. r d y 0 ti lh Q ll I r 1 I II i j I r f i i f i F i J i Q o 2 ON CHRISTMAS A toRNING ORNING came there was another jolly Christmas Christmas My Diy Lady had sent all the materials for for the most mast gorgeous dinner that ever was served from an eighteen pound turkey to plum pudding and loads of candy for the children besides a wonderful train of automatic cars for forthe forthe forthe the boy who wrote to Santa Claus Glaus aus Society wonders why It lost last Mrs Wells and why the Wells Wells' gave up their mansion on the avenue and moved to the cosy like home-like house in the tho i suburb The business world wonders i why Stephen Wells Yells retired so suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly from active business just after making plans for widening and extending extending extending extend extend- ing his operations A certain little woman who used to look faded but now is quite fresh and rosy wonders what good angel arranged for far the breaking down of Mrs Wells Wells' carriage in front of her door and what there was in the brief stay that gave the visitor such a sustained Interest In her affairs and Johns For John now occupies a very important and well-paid well position secured se secured secured se- se cured through the Influence of Stephen Wells Yells 1901 tX ii r |
