Show T fl B TT W W Tir If Tf W k W Tl fc A A J PRELUDE to CHRISTMAS H By PEGGY DERN N 0 McClure Syndicate w. w N. N U. U Release T THE E STORY SO FAR FAIt Chloe Chloo Sar Sargent ent returns to her home homo town t after three years rears away at school with an Idea that Christmas Is hunk bunk But nut when her car strikes and badly Injures young oun Dr Scott Kelvin she cancels her plans for a holiday hollday holl holi day cruise and stays home borne to ro give the party he ho had bad planned for the children of employees at her fathers father's mill She enlists enlists en en- lists the help of Jennie Harwell and Sara Jenkins and Is busy with preparations for the party when Jim Im Pearsall arrives She explains that she cannot go on the cruise but consents when he asks her to marry him After Alter he leaves she learns that Scott Kelvin Is also In love with her Chloe Chloc arranges to run a day nursery NOW CONTINUE WITH THE TIIE STORY STOUT INSTALLMENT IV Chloe Chloc turned turIed her roadster towards Jennie Barwell's comfortable cheerful cheerful cheer cheer- ful looking house Jennie came to meet her as she entered the small small- dark hall and when they reached the glassed in sun parlor she saw that Jennie had been crying Oh Im I'm sorry Your husband husband- husband she began but Jennie shook her head No hes he's as well as could be ex ex- Its It's his heart Hes He's overexerted overexerted overexerted over over- exerted himself and his hearts heart's badly badly badly bad bad- ly strained but if he has quiet and care and all that hell he'll be all right the doctor says answered Jennie Its them two poor kids Susie kids Susie May and her little brother Timmy That good for good for mother of theirs has skipped out on em Deserted them cold said Jennie Chloe looked down at the improvised improvised improvised crib in which the small Timmy Timmy Timmy Tim Tim- my lay sound asleep one tiny crumpled crumpled crumpled crum crum- pled fist flung up the other one curled on his tiny chest She looked up at Jennie suddenly and said Ill take them both home with me Mrs Barwell The two children were stowed into the car and Chloe drove home with them She reached the stately oldhouse oldhouse old oldhouse house in mid Her grandmothers grandmother's grandmothers grandmother's grandmothers grandmother's grand grand- mothers mother's car was parked in the drive as Chloe got out of her roadster roadster roadster road road- ster and with Timmy in her arms Susie May clinging to her skirt went into the house She came face to face with Melissa dressed for the drive home and Jane in the hall hail Melissa stared at her as if it she had never seen her before What on earth have you there demanded Melissa while Jane was still trying to find breath to ask the question A baby said Chloe proudly Avery A uA Avery very nice baby And a cute little girl Here said Melissa firmly let me have him She scooped him out of Chloes Chloe's arms with the deft gesture gesture gesture ture of a woman who adored children children children chil chil- dren and had had bad to content herself herself herself her her- self with two Seems a healthy young man Melissa nodded to Jane If It Chloe intends to keep these children here I suppose I may mayas mayas as well stay a while and look after them The following morning Melissa insisted in insisted insisted in- in on being taken to call on Scott Kelvin Chloe knocked at the door and hearing a voice from the other side pushed it open and stood aside for Melissa to walk into the room ahead of ot herI herI herI her I remember your father and mother well said Melissa as she sea seated ted herself in the chair beside the bed And I 1 remember you when you were about so big She held beld her gloved hands a few inches apart and grinned cheerfully at Scott who was delighted with her They were so absorbed thought absorbed thought I Chloe grimly that they didn't even remember that she was in the room I She studied Scott as he lay with his head turned toward Melissa his eyes alight his ready laughter paying tribute to Melissa's pungent re re- re- re marks He turned his bis head to look ather at ather I her as if it his eyes had been drawn to her by her own intense regard of him For a moment they looked squarely at each cach other It was a breathless moment that seemed to Chloe to stretch endless endless- ly But it could not have lasted more than a second for tor the next moment mo ment Melissa said something amus amuse ing Chloe forced her eyes away I from Scotts Scott's wide startled regard and rose to her feet saying a trifle hurriedly We must go Gran Ive I've Ivea a million things to do this morn morn- ing That evening when Chloe and Melissa Melissa Melissa Me Me- lissa returned to the big old redbrick redbrick red redbrick brick house on the thc hill Chloe found a fat letter waiting for her Even before she saw the stamp the bulk of the letter as well as the strong dashing handwriting across its face told her that It was from Jim The stationery bore the yachts yacht's name and its insignia at nt the top Jims Jim's bold handwriting filled the pages She got up at last and went over overto overto overto to the desk Switched on the shaded light drew before her the thick creamy paper with her monogram in its upper left hand corner Dipped her pen in ink and wrote firmly with no hesitation Dear Jim Your letter has Just come Ive I've been thinking a lot about us Jim and Ive I've decided that our engagement was a mistake That Im I'm sorry Jim but I dont don't love you I hope you will agree with me that we were both mistaken Its It's best just to end it now I know that I never want to leave Oakton Ill I'll send the ring back to you ou by registered mail and I hope you OU wont won't be angry with me Good Good-by and good luck always She stood up squared her shoulders shoulders shoulders ders and went downstairs In the living room Chloe found her father Jane and Melissa chatting chatting chatting chat chat- ting comfortably before the fire They looked up as she came in and her father said lightly Not dressed yet darling What have you been doing taking a nap No Dad said Chloe with a new serenity that they all noticed Ive been writing to Jim To tell him that our engagement was a mis mis- take Are you sure Chloe asked her father Yes Dad said Chloe quietly I though her voice rang with a little note of sureness they could not miss Very sure I have discovered that I want to stay here in hi Oakton with you and Aunt Jane and Gran I want to be here with the business and the town you helped to build The people people people peo peo- here know you and respect you I want to be their friend too and not just The Little Crown Prin Prin- cess It was late the following afternoon when she found time in a day that had been breathlessly crowded to pay her daily visit to Scott He was sitting up in a wheel chair beside beside be be- side the window and the delight of finding him so well along toward recovery recovery recovery re re- re- re covery filled the first moment of greeting She told him about the Day Nursery Nursery Nurs Nurs- ery cry which had opened formally that morning with a matron in charge and Ellen as assistants assistants assistants assist assist- ants excited and thrilled thrilled with their new importance Suddenly while she talked Scotts Scott's eyes fell upon her hands and he looked star- star e Lt Ltv 1 v l 1 l j lj The people here know you and respect yon tied Your ring he said sudden sudden- ly Youre not wearing it any more Chloe met his eyes bravely She was flushed starry eyed a little tremulous No she said her voice not quite steady Im not wearing it any more For the space of a moment they were both silent The thing that she saw standing clear and shining in Scotts Scott's eyes brought a little mist of tears to her own It was Scott who spoke first and all he said was the one word Why I sent it back Chloe told him serenely because I realized that I that I-that that he that he-that that we had we-had had made a mistake Scott only said soberly If It anything anything anything any any- thing I said caused this this this- Chloes Chloe's head went up and her eyes flashed blue fire She had lowered lowered low low- ered her pride She had made it quite plain that she had broken her engagement to Jim Pearsall because she had discovered that she was inlove in hi inlove love with Scott Kelvin instead And if it Scott didn't want her she her she drew a along along along long hard breath and stood up drawIng drawing drawing draw draw- ing her coat about her her face pale and composed Please dont don't give it another thought she said Icily I have discovered that Oakton is a very nice place after all And since the Sargent Mills will some day be my responsibility I think it is as well that tha t I should stay b here re and learn more about them dont don't you Im I'm so glad to see you up Perhaps you may even be well enough to be wheeled over to the Community House on Christmas Eve I think you might like the party Thank you said Scott his face as cold as composed as hers Im sure Id I'd enjoy it immensely The following day Chloe and n a committee of six went to Atlanta for the final shopping Such things as Oakton was unable to provide and which Chloe felt the party needed needed need need- ed to be complete Jane chaperoned the group and they stayed overnight overnight overnight over over- night at a hotel where Jane entertained entertained entertained enter enter- them at dinner and later at ata a movie After such dissipation Jane told them teasingly as they started for home at noon the following day I hope you wild young things will willbe willbe willbe be able to settle down to a quiet orderly life me again Chloe dropped the other girls at their homes before she turned toward toward to to- ward her own As she and Jane came within sight of the big old red redbrick redbrick brick house set in the midst of its spacious grounds Chloe Chlop caw a wom worn an loitering about the place She looked quickly to the right and to the left and to Chloes Chloe's surprise the woman darted inside the grounds A tall shrub offered her shelter As the car turned in n at the driveway the woman started and whirled about For a moment Chloe saw her full in the white light from the car A thin shabby looking woman scarcely more than a girl with wide dark eyes and a pallid face And then with a little sobbing gasp the I woman turned to run I Instantly Chloe brought the car carto carto carto to a halt with a sharp grinding of ot brakes and jumped from the car Chloe easily overtook the stranger Let me go she wailed I haven't done anything wrong I please I-please- please Stop that Chloe ordered swift swift- ly going to hurt burt you What do you want here I I 1 I thought perhaps I might get work A job of some kind I need work stammered so badly I Ithe the woman and would not quite meet Chloes Chloe's eyes But you should have gone to the administration Office at the mills Theres There's an employment office there said Chloe and released her arm now that the woman seemed less likely to flee Look here how howlong howlong howlong long since youve you've had anything to eat cat I I dont I don't dont remember Maybe yesterday she faltered Then youre you're coming to the house to have a good hot dinner and perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps Dad can find something for you to do said Chloe firmly Chloe led the way down the hall ball to the small sitting room There was a cheerful open fire and Chloe smiled at the stranger Here sit down and get warm Aaron will be here soon with some food she was saying when there came the sound of a childish treble voice on the stairs Little pattering footsteps came along the hall the thedoor thedoor thedoor door burst open and Susie May dainty and fresh in an exquisite site handmade frock her tow colored curls brushed and shining stood inthe in inthe inthe the doorway Chloes Chloe's name on her childish eager lips But whatever Susie May had been going to say to Chloe died unspoken as her eyes fell upon the stranger For a moment Susie May stood breathless a rigid little statue And then she screamed wildly in a tone of incredulous delight Mommie Oh Mommie Oh The woman fell to her knees tears streaming down her white face Susie Susie Susie Su Su- Su- Su sie May flung Dung her small ecstatic body into outstretched arms that closed hard about her We should have known known Susie Susie SusieMay's Mays May's and Timmy's mother said Jane and Chloe nodded tears slidIng sliding sliding slid slid- ing down her cheeks as Susie May and her mother clung together Melissa who had followed Susie SusieMay SusieMay SusieMay May downstairs but at a necessarily ly slower gait appeared in the doorway doorway doorway door door- way and took in the scene with startled startled startled star star- eyes Oh said Melissa You are Susie Mays May's mother The woman lifted her face still wet with her tears Im sorry I know I shouldn't have come she said unsteadily But I was so hungry to see them I didn't mean to be any trouble Melissa asked gravely Why did you desert them Because I had lost my job and I 1 had no way of taking care of them I knew that if I left them at Mrs Barwell's Barwell's Barwell's Bar- Bar wells well's they would be taken to the Home But the home bome is only open to the children whose parents are both dead I couldn't see them starve and it seemed the only way she answered with a sort of dreadful dreadful dread dread- ful simplicity Melissa nodded I had an idea it was something like that she said quietly The three went out and left Susie SusieMay SusieMay SusieMay May clinging to her mother while the woman ate the food set before her with a pitiful effort to curb her hunger and to eat daintily what her starving body demanded When Melissa came back to the library Howell had arrived and had heard the story from Chloe Chloc and Jane As Melissa came in Howell was saying frowning a little But Butof of course I will have to find out first why she was fired feed before I Ican Ican Ican can decide whether we can give her another job Oh but Dad she needs work work- protested Chloe excitedly I know darling and we always try to give it to people who need it her father pointed out But after all aU she wasn't fired without some reason But weve we've got to find her a job so she can take care of Timmy and Susie 1 May a y Its funny to me said Melissa that tha t not one of you three very smart people has decided that there is a grand job made to order for Mazic Mazie which by the way happens to be her name A job made to order for her Mother asked HowelL Of course matron course matron of the Day Nursery We can give her the salary salary salary sal sal- ary that the nurse is getting n. n now w. w That will wUl give her a home for herself herself her her- self and the babies and a job by which she can be self supporting Jane and Chloe Chloc and Howell exchanged exchanged ex changed glances and Chloe said pleased Gran youre you're a genius Melissa chuckled Well I do occasionally occasionally oc oc- oc have an inspiration she agreed modestly I TO HE lIE CONTINUED |