| Show I i PRELUDE to CHRISTMAS 00 o H PEGGY DERN PERN r J 00 f 0 McClure McClur Syndicate W. W N. N U U. U Release r i TUE STORY STOUT SO FAR Chloe Sargent r returns to her ber home bome town alter after three years rears away at school with an Idea that Christmas Is bunk bank She Is determined to 0 spend speed the holidays on a cruise with school friends to the disappointment of her ber father her ber Aunt Jane and aed her ber grand grandmother grandmother rand mother Melissa Sargent Sarrent At a party In her ber honor bonor she meets a young yonn doctor Scott Kelvin who calls her The Little Crown crown Princess and tells her ber he be thinks she he Is spoiled A few days later she goes out In to her car to send a telegram and In her ber haste baste turns a corner too quickly She and badly Injures a man To her ber horror borror she learns that the Injured man mm manU manis Is U Scott Kelvin NOW CONTINUE WITH THE TUE STORY I INOW I I INSTALLMENT II n I Chloe came to herself herselt in the reception reception reception re re- re- re room of the hospital Aunt Jane white and horrified was on r o one ne side of her chafing her cold hands and her father sat beside her her I I Her father asked Can you tell tellus tellus us how it happened Chloe I It was my fault fault she whispered desolately desolately and shivered again at ate atthe the e memory of that Impact when i the e car struck the man that sickening sicken sicken- I ing g jolt as it passed over his body Oh Dad It was awful awful awful Ill I'll never forget it never it-never never 1 The doctor came at last A lifelong lifelong lifelong life life- long friend of Howells Howell's he gripped hand and said swiftly Bu Buck k up old ld man he has a good chance Hell make it I 1 feel sure 4 It was late the following afternoon before they let her see him He lay laytin tin fin bed his bandaged body held stiff by y the cast In which it had been placed his stormy eyes upon her heris hershe is she came hesitantly Into the room He said nothing and Chloe Struggled miserably for words I I 1 Enow It sounds sounds silly silly to say say say-I'm Im I'm Jorry but oh but oh I 1 am I 1 am and am-and and i If only there was something I could To- To I When she reached the hospital the Text lext morning her arms weighted flowers the chauffeur following ier r with a great basket of hothouse wit it t the nurse met her outside his hisor hisor m cor or and said worriedly If I only fou ou au could persuade him not to take t so hard Hes He's going to live but buthe be he doctor says it will be two months it jt least before he can leave the hospital and hes he's in a frothing rage about it and his temperature is gog goig go- go ig g up by leaps and bounds Chloes Chloe's heart sank as she went ito to the room and Scott turned his irk ark rk face and wrathful eyes upon r. r Oh its it's you he said grimly Yes Im I'm sorry Chloe motioned 1 1 the chauffeur to put the basket Jf it If fruit on the table and handed eke flowers over to a nurse 1 it 1 Have em put in one of the thee e ards nurse and feed this fruit to Jae kids You dont don't mind he add add- ci gd Ii In an aside to Chloe No of course not Whatever you t lant rant ant done with them she answered s She looked down at his ut face his rebellious eyes his I tin mouth and said unsteadily Im HIm HImi 3 i sorry you are in such fbi fbi- But Im I'm not physically not physically that is Its It's Ls L's my mind that's all upset Oh 1 suppose it will sound very childish d nd d very silly to you but I had hade e a Christmas party to be eld at the Community House in the Chloe bloe looked down do at him her herlue lue eyes clouded but steady her herce herce herce ce a little pale fe Ill carry out your plans for the party Scott Kelvin she shea sheild a 11 ild ld him gravely You tell me meat j fat at you want done when and anda a 11 adhere here and and Ill I'll do it It i Scott startled stared up at Chloe de fide You mean that You'll s o i o D into the village and get to know Te hie t people and make the party a al l 1 Success Its It's a lot of hard work you Y now ow and no reward he pointed 1 i jit t afraid to believe that she really leant leant itI itJI it tf JI I dont don't mind she answered lavely avely Ill bring a pad and a ancil fencil when I come tomorrow after- after Q on and you can give me your ins in- in s a 3 g The following afternoon armed JUThe th nth a freshly sharpened pencil and notebook Chloe presented herself the hospital and was shown into otts ott's room Oh then you didn't go away aft aft- all be he blurted out eagerly Chloe sniffed Scott was silent for a moment bile lile she opened the notebook f 1 1 her freshly sharpened pen pen pen- 1 and waited watching him The i r creation director Is not much pd od ad he hes he's s wrapped up heart and i h t ill il in his Boys' Boys Club and mens men's I 1 club he said after a mot mo- mo t ent ent nt But hell he'll do whatever you youk youk k him to do I expect your best and most dependable wo work work- rk will be Sara J Jenkins She works I will the office Been an employee of gent agent Mills for thirty years Tows every man woman and child bor or about the village Then to toan in an gifts gilts for the children and to tot t the women to help you'd betI bet- bet 1 I see Mrs Barwell She doesn't Irk in the mill though her bus bus- id d and four sons do She runs a 1 of unofficial day nursery where j mill women can leave their all children while they are arc work work- She makes no charge for her Ices vices and keeps the children beise bese bese be- be se ise she is fond of them A grand and anI You may not like her but tt surely have to admire ber her I Scott firmly I oe na asked lf ked How do I find her ber Drive down Main Street in the village and the neatest cleanest house with the best garden and the most noise will be be- be behers hers said Scott promptly Now to get the operation co-operation of 01 the young men and unmarried girls you'd better contact Callie Gallic Johnson Johnson John John- son he be went on without waiting for her comment Callies sort of the ringleader of the young crowd If U Ushe she takes to you she can swing the whole crowd your way and the party will be a success If U she doesn't doesn't- well then it will be a party without with out the young people Thank you said Scott politely and she left barely restraining her Impulse to slam the door behind her as she went out Outside in hi the bright sharp afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon light Chloe stepped into her roadster and drove slowly down Main Street and suddenly brought her car to a halt In front of her was a white house of perhaps six or seven rooms larger than those surrounding surrounding surrounding sur sur- rounding It From the back of the house there came the high treble voices of playing children A baby cried briefly and was silent The gate in the picket fence swung open with a well oiled and the lock clicked smartly behind her There was no door bell and so she rapped at the screen door Through the hall Chloe saw a comfortably comfortably comfortably com com- middle-aged middle comfortably stout woman in a neat percale dress and a spotless gingham apron As she saw Chloe she said swiftly No no I dont don't know what it is you are selling but I 1 dont don't want any of it IL Im I'm busy now Run along But Im I'm not selling anything Are you Mrs Barwell Dr Kelvin asked me to see you Mrs Harwell's Barwell's face lit with swift and eager Interest Dr Kelvin isit is isit isit it Then for pity's sake why didn't I r If t u h I ii t s I 1 It was awful Ill I'll never forget It you say so she demanded unlatching un un- unlatching la latching the screen door and ushering ushering ushering usher usher- ing a slightly bewildered Chloe Into a spotlessly neat house She led the way back to a screened porch where half halt a dozen babies at atthe atthe atthe the crawling stage were amusing themselves several clothes baskets had been turned into bassinets to hold the smaller babies the back backyard backyard backyard yard held a sand pile that occupied the attention of a dozen or more children children chil dren from two to five years of age And now what was it you wanted to see me about suggested Mrs Barwell pleasantly enough Dr Kelvin had planned a Christmas Christ mas party for the village and now that he is hurt he will be unable to carry it through So I 1 have agreed to undertake it and do the best I Ican Ican Ican can with it He suggested that if il I 1 asked you to help me Id I'd have a much better chance of success Did he now And what was you planning for the party Miss Sargent Sargent Sargent Sar Sar- gent Dr Kelvin thought a tree with presents for all the children and some sort of entertainment would be benice benice benice nice she answered and Mrs Barwell Barwell Barwell Bar- Bar well nodded That ought to be simple enough Ill I'll give you a list of the children and how bow many of em Is boys and how many of em is girls and you youcan youcan youcan can order so many dolls and so many drums all nIl ready to be hung on the tree she suggested dryly But wouldn't it be nicer Mrs Barwell I if each child received not just a doll or a drum but the thing that child wanted most suggested Chloe Mrs Barwell looked at her with the first hint of warmth she had displayed It would that but It would be a sight of trouble she warned She looked at Chloe and the two smiled at each other In sincere and sudden liking Chloe said eagerly Mrs Barwell you will help me wont won't you 0 course I wilL I meant to all along answered Mrs Barwell promptly You just tell me what you want done and Ill I'll do it The following morning anxious to have as much as possible to report to Dr Kelvin when she made her afternoon call at the hospital Chloe determined to see Sara Jenkins and enlist her aid When sho she faced her father across the breakfast table his yes oyes widened a n little Hello Dad she greeted him lightly May I give you OU a lift rut to the office this morning Howell grinned at her and answered answered an lightly Oh and so youre you're going to the office office- this office this morning Aunt Jane came Into the room and said seeing Chloes Chloe's street attire attire at tire Good heavens child chUd where are you off to at this hour of the dawn Down to the mills to find out what makes them tick answered Chloe promptly A shame a girl who Is as bored by Christmas as you are has to take such an active hand in IU commented commented com com- Aunt Jane teasingly Chloes Chloe's roadster was waiting inthe In Inthe inthe the drive and Howell with a little smile stepped In beside her as she backed the car competently to the tree-shaded tree street that would lead them down the hill to the mill vil lage The big outer office was already already al ready humming with activity when Chloe and h her r father entered Fifteen Fifteen teen or twenty people busy at vanous various vari van ous tasks about the office looked up and said good morning eyeing Chloe curiously as she walked beside her herfa fa father ther into his private priva te office Who Is it you want to see this morning Howell asked Chloe with an almost boyish eagerness Miss Sara Jenkins I 1 think Mind Mindi i If I 1 see her during working hours Dad Of course not Ill I'll have her come here to to the office I have to spend an hour or so in the spinning room Were We're trying out some new machinery machin machin- ery there and Im I'm c curious rious to see how it works answered Howell and went swiftly out of the office Chloe waited her heart beating a little faster and in a few minutes the door opened and a thin faded little woman in sleazy dark serge clumsily made hesitated in the doorway Im Sara Jenkins she said shortly You wanted to see me Yes said Chloe and smiled her prettiest smile Wont you come comein comein comein in and sit down Dr Kelvin suggested suggested suggested sug sug- that I see you He thought you would help me to carry out his plans for the Christmas party he wanted to give Sara C came into the room and pushed the door shut shutt She stood behind the chair that faced the desk where Chloe sat and she said grimly grim grim- ly It was bad luck for the village when poor Dr Kelvin got hurt There aint a man woman or child in this village that dont don't worship him Chloe flushed for the womans woman's tone and manner were faintly ing I know Miss Jenkins It was wasI I who ran Dr Kelvin down and Im I'm terribly sorry and very anxious to todo todo todo do anything that I can to make amends she said evenly Everything Everything Everything Every thing possible is being done for him himat himat himat at the hospital and the only thing that seems to worry him is the fear that the village wont won't have its Christmas Christ Christ- m mas lS party the way he planned it Ive I've offered to do everything I can canto canto canto to carry out his plans lans but of course I cant can't do it alone If U you'll help I believe we can make a good job of It it t. t Miss Sara Jenkins flushed a little Well o o 0 course I dunno's I 1 could be of such a lot of help she pro pro- tested With Chloes Chloe's encouragement and genuine interest Sara offered suggestions suggestions sug sug- that secretly surprised Chloe with their genuine value and when an hour l later lter Chloe left the mill it was with several pages of her notebook filled tilled with ideas She left lell her car in to the drive for forthe forthe forthe the chauffeur to put away and went swiftly up the steps and Into the house But as she reached the door of the living room she heard voices Her aunts aunt's and the deeper tones of ofa a mans man's voice She stopped abruptly abrupt abrupt- ly as i if a hand had been laid on her shoulder as the mans man's voice reached her ears It was a voice she knew quite well she could never forget A voice that had the power to make little ripples of sheer excitement slip over her body That stirred her heart to a strange rather delicious unrest In short the voice of Jim PearsalL I think that must be Chloe now said Aunt Jane and Chloe pulled herself herselt free from the momentary paralysis that had sped over her at atthe atthe atthe the sound of Jims Jim's voice She forced herself to walk Into the living room and face him During luncheon Howell and Jim talked courteously but Chloe watching them and listening knew that each was quietly mentally taking taking tak tak- ing the others other's measure That Jim was trying to conciliate her ber father That her father was studying Jim Intently lb though ugh with perfect courtest cour tesy test By the time lunch was over the sky already overcast had grown even darker and a n sharp wind was rising Not very promising flying weather Mr Pearsall I hope you will be persuaded to stay over as our guest for the night suggested Howell as he made ready to return to the mill Jim hesitated looking swiftly at Chloe before he accepted grace fully Chloe knew without his sayIng sayIng say say- Ing tog a word that he felt quite sure that I If Lb he stayed over he could persuade her to leave with him Lets not quarrel now Jim Chloe urged Come let me show you the beauties of ot Oakton TO BE HE CONTINUED |
