OCR Text |
Show (Gieiijmx) V A CHRISTMAS' STORYJ "SSgTIE green glass thing gleamed nfifji, S like an eye as Olivia took it from its holly-paper wrap-lA, wrap-lA, pings and looked at It ruefully. rue-fully. She had been excited and hopeful about this Christmas gift from Aunt Matilde and It was disappointing disap-pointing a bit of green glass, gnarled and unlovely. Olivia had never seen her aunt, who was childless, wealthy, and altogether a likely star in the horizon of a vigorous young artist of a niece. Certainly it was surprising to have received this gift at all, for the ount and the artist niece had, heretofore, known little of each other ; but Olivia gathered up the tinsel cords and papers and pranced to her shining shin-ing kitchen. Today was the d.iy of her great chance, for Draheim, decorator decora-tor of homes beautiful, was coming to take tea, and she was looking for a junior partner. Olivia bad joys prepared, pre-pared, but the green gluss thing was a problem. If Matilde's card had not promised a visit Ijffjr on this day of days, the way might have been easy, although there were few hiding places within the little flat. But now the gift must be displayed dis-played In nil its discordant greenness. green-ness. Everything else was perfect. The silver twin--klcd softly In a polished heap be-s be-s 1 d e carefully folded linen. Servlnc travs a gallery of madonnas. Olivia quaked as she studied the expression on Dra-heim's Dra-heim's shrewd little face. It was half disgusted, half gratified, with an appraising, ap-praising, impersonal antagonism about it Olivia swallowed the lump In her throat and straightened her shoulder for the battle. She forgot the giblet salad and the pickled cantaloupe. She forgot the little niceties of hostess courtesy. She and Draheim- were two individuals, unclothed by a world of manners, measuring each other, th8 green glass thing between them. They seemed conscious of nothing more. Olivia broke the taut silence. "It's lovely, isn't it?' "What?" Madame Draheim's hearing hear-ing was excellent. "It's odd, a rare piece. Would you like to see it closer? I'll get it" "No." "I beg your pardon." There was a hint of interest in Draheim's inflection, this time, and a relief from monosyllables. "I suppose it's very old," with a shade of sarcasm. sar-casm. Olivia was glad. She had made Draheim Dra-heim take the offensive. "No," she answered an-swered and was silent "What then?-1 "Very new." "I thought so." There was no Insolence Inso-lence In Madame Draheim's tone. She spoke simply. "You're not a good liar, are you?" Olivia was suddenly calm "No." she said. Then, "Why?" "I supposed you'd hide it or break It." Olivia was off her guard for a moment mo-ment She stared openly. "What?" "I said I supposed you'd break the thing. "Why didn't you? It's plain, of course ; you know it's hideous." There was a penetrating keenness in her bird-like eyes. Olivia felt It This was her test She had no time to wonder; that iwm 11 Very carefully she ehosse her words, but there was no suggestion sugges-tion of uncertainty, uncer-tainty, of confusion confu-sion In her manner. man-ner. "I'm afraid you are mistaken, mis-taken, Madame Draheim, or perhaps per-haps I am. I believe be-lieve that you were Interested lu my green glass decoration which was n gift to me and the value of were ready with a smart array of nuts, and candied violets, and fruits and creams almost an entire pay check's worth. The giblet salad, subtly sub-tly suggestive of opulence, was cooling cool-ing properly In Its mold of aspic Jelly, and the rolls wore heating piping hot In the little gluss-walled oven. The boy left Ihe Ices In die back entry and tipped his bat respectfully, very. Olivia's chin went a tri tie higher quite without her knowing and the worried 111 lie lacy puckers across her forehead fore-head suddenly turned somersaults. She laughed. She fingered (lie purse In her pocket,-doubtfully ; throe pennies,' pen-nies,' exactly, pay day yesterday and the next one when? Everything was 1 delight fully expensive. But the green thing est ill grinned on he mantle piece. Olivia had a swift, disturbing vision of this mint whom she hud never seen and she made a I little grimace at tho picture. Oh that Draheim and Aunt Matilde should not have to meet Olivia's ' rooms wore In exquisite tasto soft, warm browns with dashes of Chinese ' reds mid blues that shone on old I mahogany and teak, nn etched brass bowl on tho table, a real Maxllcld I Parrlsh on the wall between the wln-I wln-I dow, mid the green glass thing on the mnnlel three cents In Olivia's pocket. She regarded the glass ornament orna-ment thoughtfully and wondered If it might have been smashed In the mail, mid decided no. Olivia was not n good liar. She considered n headache or n broken leg and thought of the giblet gib-let wilnd mid the pickled canluloupe. The borrowed nuild hud not arrived, ar-rived, but Mnduuie Drahclni hud. Olivia knew by the positive, well be-l be-l huved way In which the door-bell I Jingled. "What cun I do? Interior f decorator, I, with a green gluss thing like Hint on my mnnlel piece? Yes, Di-nhelm will bo Impressed, very. "The doorbell rung, again, Insistent. Suddenly, Sud-denly, Olivia knew what she would do. And she would gel the coveted position. Draheim, decorulor of homes hciiu-1 hciiu-1 1 fill . bud bright little bendy blue ryes Hint leveled n( once llereely above her Hilling quail of a body. They approved ap-proved eiiei-gelli-.illy of Ihe Cliloi'so reds mid blues mid Ihe polished um-hogiiny um-hogiiny mid teal;, of Hie elehed biu;H bowl mid the 1'urilsh picture, and then they fell on the green glass tiling. It. had never grinned so boldly from out (lie lively room, mi ugly musk In which can scarce ly be named. Perhaps you thought I wished to sell It to you. I nm sorry. You misunderstood mo." "I'll give you fifty dollars for It" Olivia could have laughed mid cried with tho knowledge of hor power. Sho had dono the impossible. She had succeeded suc-ceeded In selling the groon glass thing to Madame Draheim. Hotter, she hud made Druluim buy It. It sho had dono that sho'could soli her services. She knew tho position wns hors. Suddenly Sud-denly tho green glass thing boennio very precious to her. "No," sho said, "1 won't soil II. Is there anything olso I cun do for you?" "Yos," Madatno's oyos twinkled with nilrlli, now, without nppralsouiont. The I oct was over. "Veil can bo n Itloeo to your Aunt Matilde Druholin. Tho llrni needs n iomuiivoi'uI youns woman." OIIln laughed al Hio green glass thing mid It grinned back lit her. It was ii merry, merry Christ mm pros cut. truly. luj. WwUiu Niwii'r I'ulo |